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The Philadelphia School District and the University of Pennsylvania are preparing to launch an artificial intelligence professional development program for school staff that they hope will serve as a transformative national model.
Starting in March 2025, the Pioneering AI in School Systems or PASS program will roll out to select schools in the district and plans to expand to other regional schools and across the country, according to a joint statement from the School District of Philadelphia and from Penn’s Graduate. School of Education Tuesday.
“Our goal is to leverage AI to foster creativity and critical thinking in students and to develop policies that ensure this technology is used effectively and responsibly – while preparing teachers and students for a future where AI and technology will play an increasingly central role,” said Katharine. O. Strunk, dean of Penn’s Graduate School of Education, in a statement.
Since the advent of generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, educators and school leaders have grappled with the implications of using technology in their classrooms. Proponents present the AI revolution as an inevitable boon that will improve tracking of academic progress, save teachers time, and enable more tutoring and curriculum personalization. According to a survey of 1,020 teachersBy the end of the 2023-2024 school year, about 60% of districts said they plan to train teachers to use AI. The report notably reveals that urban districts like Philadelphia would be the least likely to offer such training.
But AI skeptics have raised important concerns about inherent biases, inequities and inaccurate information embedded in technology, as well as questions about where sensitive student and teacher data is fed, stored and processed.
Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington praised the PASS program in his Tuesday statement, saying it “will help advance the academic achievement of our students by equipping our educators, school leaders and district administrators tools needed to ensure our students graduate from college or are career ready. »
According to the press release, the program will have three levels.
- Level 1 for district administrators: Will focus on strategic planning, governance and policy development to enable administrators to build “a robust framework for AI integration that aligns with educational standards and goals.”
- Level 2 for school leaders: Will focus on implementing AI tools in schools and aligning the tools with already existing goals for classroom instruction and student support.
- Level 3 for educators: Teachers will receive hands-on training on AI tools to “personalize learning, improve teaching, and use AI-driven data to track student progress and provide timely assistance.”
The PASS pilot project will result in no cost to the school district and is being developed in partnership with Penn’s. Catalyst Training Centeraccording to the joint press release. The program is funded in part by the Philadelphia-based Marrazzo Family Foundation.
Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.