As School Bells Ring, Local School Districts are Working to Implement A.I. into Curriculum

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

In an effort to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of digital education, the five public school districts of Anderson County are incorporating artificial intelligence as a pedagogical tool for the upcoming academic year.

The integration of A.I. into education presents several challenges and ethical considerations, including how schools will address potential biases in algorithms, ensure the privacy and security of student data, and provide teachers with adequate training and support to effectively use these new tools. The issue of equitable access to these technologies and the broader societal implications of A.I. The job market and the role of human teachers are also key concerns of educational administrators and policymakers.

But rather than viewing A.I. as a threat to traditional learning, local superintendents and school leadership are positioning it as a resource to enhance efficiency, personalize instruction, and prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce.

The approach, while unified in its forward-looking philosophy, will be implemented with varying strategies across the five school districts in Anderson County.

In Anderson School District 3, Superintendent Kathy Hipp said the district's strategy centers on teaching students to use A.I. responsibly.

"Our approach was: let's teach them to use it responsibly," said Hipp. Dist. 3 is integrating A.I. into existing educational materials, with the focus on using A.I. to facilitate learning, not replace it. The district has also tasked its digital integration specialists with working directly with teachers to incorporate A.I. into classroom lessons and administrative tasks to improve efficiency.

Anderson School District 1 is taking a structured approach by developing clear policies and guidelines for A.I. use. Superintendent Seth Young described A.I. as "a moving target" and a powerful tool. The district's plans include using A.I. to analyze student performance data, helping educators identify areas of strength and weakness in curriculum standards. The goal, said Young said, is to use A.I. to "supplement what they're doing," while still prioritizing and preserving critical thinking skills in the classroom.

Anderson School District 2 has taken the step of partnering with an A.I. provider to create a protected platform for students and teachers. Superintendent Jason Johns noted that many teachers and students were already using A.I., so the district's initiative is to provide a "safe place to be able to do that." This protected environment allows for the rapid analysis of large documents while ensuring that student data remains on proprietary servers and is not exposed to the public internet. Dist. 2 has already begun training administrators and all teachers, with the initial focus on using the tool for automating tasks and streamlining instruction.

Superintendent Dee Christopher of Anderson School District 4 said his district has already engaged in extensive professional development around A.I. with its teaching staff. He noted that about 40 percent of teachers are using A.I. tools consistently, with a core group of about 10 percent considered experts. Dist. 4 will focus on digital literacy for students, with an emphasis on recognizing bias and appropriate use. All students in the district have access to Gemini, Google's A.I. assistant, which is integrated into the school system's resources. The district is also working with an instructional expert to help teachers integrate A.I. into their lesson plans.

In Anderson School District 5, the focus this year is on creating a formal position statement on A.I. and implementing structured training for administrators and teachers, according to Anna Baldwin, the district's Executive Director for eLearning and Integration. All students from fourth-twelfth grade will receive a new lesson on A.I. as part of their annual digital citizenship training. The district, which uses Google for Education, will also leverage Gemini's integration into Google Classroom to assist teachers. This feature allows educators to use A.I. to create rubrics, adjust the reading level of texts, and differentiate instruction. The training will emphasize that A.I. is a tool for streamlining tasks, but the ultimate professional judgment and oversight must come from the teacher.

Nationally, public schools are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into their educational systems, fundamentally changing how students learn, teachers teach, and administrators manage their institutions.

For students, A.I. is enabling a new era of personalized learning, with AI-powered platforms analyzing a student's performance and providing individually tailored lessons, while intelligent tutoring systems are offering one-on-one support with explanations, practice problems, and

real-time feedback. The technology can also create interactive and immersive learning experiences through simulations and virtual reality. In addition, students are using A.I. to assist with research, brainstorming, and receiving feedback on their written work.

Teachers are finding that A.I. can significantly streamline their work with tools powered by A.I. being used to generate lesson plans, create assessments, and develop individualized education programs. Automated grading and feedback systems are freeing up valuable time, allowing teachers to focus more on personalized student interactions. A.I. also assists with communication, helping teachers create updates on student progress for parents, and can find and curate high-quality instructional materials.

For school administrators, A.I. is proving to be an effective tool for improving operational efficiency and strategic planning. A.I. systems can analyze large datasets of student performance to identify trends and predict needs, informing school-wide strategies. It also aids in communication and translation, helping to bridge language barriers with families. On an operational level, A.I. can automate administrative tasks such as scheduling and attendance tracking.

The integration of A.I. into education presents a number of challenges and ethical considerations schools must address potential biases in algorithms, ensure the privacy and security of student data, and provide teachers with adequate training and support to effectively use these new tools, as well as the issue of equitable access to these technologies and the broader societal implications of A.I. on the job market and the role of human teachers.

All five Anderson County school districts are including these concerns in their implementation of A.I.