A look at the use of AI in schools across the country

Key points:

Educational technology and digital learning tools are essential in the classroom, and every day, educators are making decisions about how to intentionally and effectively integrate educational technology, particularly as ai makes its way into districts across the world. country.

Districts are approaching the use and integration of ai at different speeds. HMH's annual Educator Confidence Report includes for the first time an ai Confidence Index, which examines how educators feel about the impact and potential of generative ai. In just one year, educators' use of generative ai increased 5-fold.

Of the 50 percent of educators surveyed who use generative ai, 72 percent plan to use it even more during the next school year; 76 percent believe generative ai is at least somewhat valuable to their work and 73 percent say it saves them time. Educators overwhelmingly agree that tools using generative ai should be leveraged positively, and users should be taught to use them ethically (84 percent).

Here's a look at ai integration in states, districts and schools across the country:

He North Carolina Department of Public Instruction “It published a guide on artificial intelligence, which included a set of recommendations. Beyond that, districts were encouraged to create their own.” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wbtv.com/2024/08/21/school-districts-developing-ai-policies-new-year-gets-underway/”>according to a report from WBTV in Charlotte. “Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools does not allow ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence programs on any school device. Iredell-Statesville Schools “It allows some use among teachers, but not among students.”

Taking a closer look at North Carolina, Pitt County schools <a target="_blank" href="https://www.witn.com/2024/10/04/pitt-county-schools-issues-new-ai-guidelines-teachers-students/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>adopted a color-coded ai usage system to help students determine if using ai tools is acceptable or if a given task is better completed without ai.

“The Santa Fe school board last week unveiled a plan to guide teachers on using ai in the classroom, including a pilot program to provide ai tutoring software to up to 1,000 students.” according to a report in the Santa Fe New Mexican. That plan “involves providing teachers with ai tools to help in the classroom and a guided spectrum for how much ai use is acceptable for students on a scale of zero to four: zero, meaning the assignment does not allow students students receive help from ai, and four, meaning students have full use of ai as a 'co-pilot to enhance human creativity.'”

In Tennessee, the Kingsport Board of Education “approved a policy on the use of artificial intelligence (ai) by students and teachers. The policy allows students and staff to use ai, but establishes guidelines for its use.” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/kingsport-school-board-approves-policy-on-ai-use/”>according to WJHL

. “Per policy, only approved ai programs may be used in student instruction or to complete student work.” In addition to teacher and staff use, the article notes that “teachers can also allow students to use ai as long as it is in line with 'approved instructional standards and curriculum.' The policy requires that teachers instruct students in advance on the appropriate and responsible use of ai.”

He <a target="_blank" href="https://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/colorado-releases-roadmap-for-ai-in-k-12-education/”>Colorado Roadmap for ai in K-12 Education is designed to help local school districts develop their own approaches to ai integration. It emphasizes flexibility and adaptability, recognizing the rapid pace of technological change and the importance of continuous learning and improvement. It focuses on areas such as raising academic rigor and fostering deep learning, emphasizing the participation and inclusion of students and teachers, developing policies for transparent and ethical use, and prioritizing the conditions for school districts to quickly learn from each other and from the first users. The roadmap also addresses challenges associated with ai, such as data privacy, bias, and the role of human interaction in education.

In Fenton, Michigan-area public schools, staff can use ai ethically and responsibly. “'With respect to students, it is the policy of the Board that they are required to rely on their own knowledge, skills, and resources in completing school work,' according to district policies. “Students are prohibited from using artificial intelligence and natural language processing tools without permission from teachers.” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tctimes.com/news/how-students-teachers-use-ai-in-schools/article_c752556e-71fb-11ef-96d8-4b4227d57533.html”>according to TC Times. “'The use of ai/NLP tools without the express permission/consent of a teacher is considered to undermine the learning and problem-solving skills that are essential to a student's academic success and that staff are tasked with developing in every student.' “Students can use ai to assist in research, data analysis, language translation, writing assistance, and accessibility.”