This school year, students across the Murray City School District are trading in a familiar online program for a powerful new writing tool.

For years, Utah classrooms relied on Utah Compose, an online platform known for providing instant, automated computer scores on student essays. However, following the Utah State Board of Education’s retirement of the program, our district has transitioned to Scrible—a comprehensive research and writing tool provided statewide through the Utah Education Network (UEN) for students in grades 3 to 12.

While Utah Compose acted mainly as an automated grading assistant, Scrible functions as an interactive workspace where students, teachers, and school librarians collaborate directly.

Moving Beyond Automated Scores

Research shows that while instant automated scoring can help with quick grammar fixes, it does not necessarily build strong critical thinking skills.

A landmark national study from the National Writing Project found that students who engage in guided, collaborative research—where teachers provide targeted feedback during the reading and planning process—show a 30% greater improvement in overall writing performance compared to those who rely solely on automated feedback.

Furthermore, data from the Pew Research Center reveals that 77% of middle and high school teachers say digital technologies have a positive impact on student research skills—provided students are taught how to evaluate online sources effectively.

What This Means for Your Student

Instead of typing an essay into a box to get an instant computer grade, your child will now use Scrible to:

• Annotate and Analyze: Highlight key details and take notes on web articles and PDFs in real time.

• Organize Research: Build personal digital libraries to keep track of sources for science and history papers.

• Master Citations: Automatically generate accurate bibliographies, helping prevent accidental plagiarism.

• Collaborate Directly: Receive personalized, real-time guidance from their teachers and librarians before submitting final drafts.

By shifting the focus from quick scores to deeper research and active writing, Murray educators aim to better prepare our students for high school, college, and modern digital careers.

📌 Quick Facts: Scrible at a Glance

• Cost: Free for all Utah K-12 students via UEN.

• Access: Students log in using their district single sign-on (Google/Microsoft account).

• Home Use: Accessible from any internet-connected computer or tablet for homework and research projects.

• Learn More: Explore platform tools and video guides directly at Scrible EDU or view state library resources at Utah's Online Library.