Capacity Building Grant Will Allow School Systems to Become More AI-Ready

CoSN announced receipt of a new grant to advance the thoughtful and responsible implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in K-12 school districts, which was made possible by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Building Capacity for Generative AI in K-12 Education Grant will support training to help school districts assess their readiness to implement generative AI (Gen AI) technologies and develop a roadmap for implementation that aligns with their instructional and operational objectives. Through collaboration with Education Service Agencies (ESAs) and state nonprofit organizations, as well as working with national education associations, CoSN will provide high-quality professional learning opportunities to school districts of all sizes, with a special emphasis on reaching small- and medium-sized school districts that may otherwise have limited access to quality training and guidance, ensuring responsible and effective integration of Gen AI for all.

This project builds on the success of previous efforts, including the development of the CoSN/CGCS K-12 Generative AI Readiness Assessment and the K-12 Gen AI Maturity Tool. Informed by insights from project partners as well as from members of CoSN’s AI Committee, CoSN will define a process to ensure the Maturity Tool is relevant and accessible to school districts of all sizes and locations, including rural and under-resourced school districts. CoSN will also capitalize on the local reach of ESAs and state nonprofit organizations to ensure the “Go to Market” strategy reaches all school systems/districts, not simply the largest and most sophisticated. This grant will enable CoSN to build a more scalable model to benefit districts of all sizes.

“As schools across the country explore how AI can transform teaching, learning and the broader education enterprise, many districts — especially smaller, under-resourced ones — are unsure where to begin,” said Keith Krueger, CEO, CoSN.

“As schools across the country explore how AI can transform teaching, learning and the broader education enterprise, many districts — especially smaller, under-resourced ones — are unsure where to begin,” said Keith Krueger, CEO, CoSN. “This groundbreaking initiative leverages CoSN’s national expertise, in partnership with education service agencies, to empower districts to navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI in K-12 education. We are especially proud to collaborate with our strategic partners AESA, AASA and SETDA on this critical effort.”

Key activities supported by the grant include:

• Training a cohort of 10-20 lead trainers at the national level.
  
• In partnership with the Association of Education Service Agencies (AESA), hosting four regional Train-the-Trainer sessions to train additional cohorts who, in turn, will provide ongoing training to local school districts, with special emphasis on reaching under-resourced and rural districts.
  
• Hosting three Gen AI Maturity Summits for district teams targeting medium and large school districts. The summits will focus on building awareness of the CoSN/CGCS K-12 AI Maturity Tool and how it can be used by districts along with resources, insights and strategies for harnessing the power of generative AI.

Key objectives of the grant include:

• Serving medium and small school districts that lack the capacity and expertise to leverage AI opportunities by engaging ESAs and state nonprofit organizations in a “Train-the-Trainer” model, delivering professional learning opportunities and shared technical assistance.

• Collecting data on best practices for meeting the local needs of different ESA and state nonprofits’ operating models to support scaling efforts.

• Conducting a pre- and post-survey of participating district teams to provide baseline data and evaluate their readiness to utilize the Gen AI Maturity Tool.

• Developing a library of resources from CoSN’s Gen AI Committee — with experts from AESA, The School Superintendents Association (AASA) and SETDA, the principal association representing U.S. state and territorial education technology leaders — tied to the Gen AI Maturity Tool, providing evidence and examples of successful Gen AI integration at varying levels of maturity.

• Enhancing networking between ESAs, state nonprofit education organizations, superintendents, state departments of education and CoSN to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing on common successful strategies.

Lessons learned from these activities will inform the continuous improvement of the “Train-the-Trainer” model and supporting resources, with a view to making the training available to additional organizations and school districts following the completion of grant-funded activities. By prioritizing trust, transparency, and ethical, responsible, and sustainable implementation, CoSN aims to ensure the safe and effective use of AI technologies in K-12 education.

To learn more about CoSN’s work on AI, visit www.cosn.org/AI.