Program Overview: The Consortium for School Networking will implement a nationwide training initiative, funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to help school districts assess and improve their AI readiness.
- The program will utilize a “train-the-trainer” model to teach district teams how to evaluate their AI preparedness using the K-12 Gen AI Maturity Tool
- Training will begin with 10-20 people at the national level, followed by four regional training sessions
- Regional trainers will then provide ongoing support to local districts, with particular focus on under-resourced and rural areas
Assessment Framework: The K-12 Gen AI Maturity Tool, launched jointly by CoSN and the Council of the Great City Schools, evaluates school districts’ AI readiness across seven key domains.
- The tool measures operational and data readiness
- Security and legal preparedness are key components of the assessment
- The framework helps districts identify areas for improvement and development
Partnership Structure: CoSN is collaborating with several major educational organizations to implement the training program.
- Key partners include the Association of Educational Service Agencies
- The School Superintendents Association will provide additional support
- The State Educational Technology Directors Association will assist in conducting training
- These organizations will help gather evidence and examples of successful AI integration in schools
Strategic Focus: The initiative specifically targets accessibility and inclusivity in AI education preparation.
- Under-resourced and rural districts receive special emphasis in the training rollout
- The program aims to bridge the gap between districts with varying levels of resources
- Data collected throughout the program will inform future scaling efforts
Implementation Timeline and Impact Analysis: While the exact start date remains unspecified, the program will gather data to optimize future AI readiness efforts across school districts.
- The initiative will monitor implementation success across different district types
- Results will be used to refine and scale the program
- Evidence of successful AI integration will be documented to complement the maturity tool
Looking Ahead: The program represents a significant step toward standardizing AI readiness in education, though its success will largely depend on the effectiveness of the cascade training model and the ability to reach traditionally underserved districts.
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