Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is rolling out an AI-powered educational tool that it says will provide students with personalized learning plans and resources.
The tool, dubbed Ed, can translate personalized learning plans into over 100 languages, a much-needed resource. LAUSD is nation's second-largest district, with 565,479 students, of which 86,081 (15%) are still "learning to speak English proficiently," according to a district fact sheet.
It also assists students with complex administrative tasks such as submitting applications. Parents are expected to use the chatbot to ask questions, as well as get updates on their child's progress and reminders about upcoming assignments and programs.
"While there is no substitute for the human connection—particularly the personal guidance of our teachers—our students deserve 21st-century tools that prepare them for future life endeavors by balancing the responsible use of technology with the joy of learning in many different ways,” says Dr. Rocio Rivas, school board member.
The district says pilot tests at select schools have received positive feedback. Ed now has the green light to expand to the remainder of the district.
Ed was created by AllHere, an educational tech company founded in 2016 by Joanna Smith-Griffin, a former school administrator who earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard. The company raised $8 million to build its AI-powered educational tools in 2021, a year before ChatGPT's 2022 debut. Though AllHere doesn't explicitly mention ChatGPT or OpenAI on its website, Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said OpenAI is "a partner" in remarks this week.
Controversy over AI in the classroom has swirled since students began using ChatGPT to generate full essays at the push of a button. Instructors have also come under fire for accusing students of using ChatGPT when they said they did not. Detecting AI-generated text is a notoriously hard task, causing OpenAI itself to shut down its detection tool due to low accuracy.
At the same time, schools like LAUSD are struggling to get students to even write essays and attend school due to rampant absenteeism, which the US Department of Education defines as missing at least 15 days in a year. Chronic absenteeism is 15% less likely among English learners than non-English learners. AllHere says studies have found its technology reduces chronic absenteeism by 17% and course failures by 38%.
Last year, chronic absenteeism hit an all-time high at LAUSD, at around 50% of students. "Ed has the potential and has the potential to wake up every one of our students every morning in the language of their preference and tell the student the food that will greet them at the cafeteria," Superintendent Carvalho says.
In its announcement, the district acknowledged concerns over the use of AI in education, affirming the importance of in-person interactions between students and educators. It also emphasized the potential for Ed to keep students and parents engaged outside of the school day, rather than replacing teacher-led learning.
"No matter your opinion about artificial intelligence, it’s here to stay and will be an important part of our future,” says LAUSD Board President Jackie Goldberg. “So let’s harness its power to help our students plot their own course of action toward meeting their education and life goals.”
(Credit: LAUSD, Ed)