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The Philadelphia school district and 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.

Beginning in March 2025, the Pioneering AI in School Systems or PASS program will be rolled out to select schools across the district with plans to expand to other regional schools and across the country, according to a joint statement from the Philadelphia school district and Penn鈥檚 Graduate School of Education Tuesday.

鈥淥ur goal is to leverage AI to foster creativity and critical thinking among students and develop policies to ensure this technology is used effectively and responsibly 鈥� while preparing both educators and students for a future where AI and technology will play increasingly central roles,鈥� said Katharine O. Strunk, dean of Penn鈥檚 Graduate School of Education in a statement.

Since the arrival of generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, educators and school leaders have been of Proponents herald the AI revolution as an inevitable boon that will improve academic progress tracking, save teachers time, and allow for more and curriculum personalization. According to , by the end of the 2023-2024 school year, some 60% of districts said they planned to train teachers about AI use. Notably, the report found that urban districts like Philadelphia were reportedly the least likely to deliver such training.

But AI skeptics have raised about inherent bias, inequity, and inaccurate information embedded within the technology along with questions about where students鈥� and teachers鈥� sensitive data is being fed, stored, and handled.

Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington praised the PASS program in his statement Tuesday, saying it will 鈥渉elp advance academic achievement for our students by equipping our educators, school leaders, and district administrators with tools needed to make sure our students graduate college or career-ready.鈥�

According to the press release, the program will have three tiers.

• Tier 1 for district administrators: Will focus on strategic planning, governance, and policy development to allow administrators to build 鈥渁 solid framework for AI integration that aligns with educational standards and goals.鈥�
• Tier 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.
• Tier 3 for educators: Classroom teachers will get practical training on AI tools to 鈥減ersonalize learning, enhance instruction, and use AI-driven data to monitor student progress and provide timely support.鈥�

The PASS pilot won鈥檛 carry any costs for the school district and is being developed in partnership with Penn鈥檚, according to the joint statement. The program is funded in part by the Philly-based Marrazzo Family Foundation.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

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