After more than 30 years, New York state is moving to make Regents exams — the rigorous end-of-year tests that determine whether students receive a diploma — optional. The move is aimed at eliminating barriers to graduation for some students while offering other ways to demonstrate that they have mastered required material. State education officials say the new approach will maintain high academic standards, while critics are concerned it could weaken them. Meanwhile, the two largest school districts in the country — New York City and Los Angeles — have imposed restrictions on the use of generative artificial intelligence in schools. Educator and author of the New York Times bestseller “The Well-Educated Child,” Dr. Deborah…
America's two largest school districts both imposed sweeping AI bans this past week, hitting the brakes on a technology that's rapidly making its way into classrooms around the country. Why it matters: Research on AI's educational value is mixed. Some studies have found personalized AI tutors can improve learning, while other research has linked AI-assisted essay writing to weaker critical thinking. Driving the news: New York City's public school district blocked AI use for roughly 600,000 students in Pre-K through 8th grade, restricting it to specific uses for high school students. - Hours later, Los Angeles Unified imposed a districtwide moratorium on AI use on school devices for the 2026-27 school year, following a separate…
America's two largest school districts both imposed sweeping AI bans this past week, hitting the brakes on a technology that's rapidly making its way into classrooms around the country. Why it matters: Research on AI's educational value is mixed. Some studies have found personalized AI tutors can improve learning, while other research has linked AI-assisted essay writing to weaker critical thinking. Driving the news: New York City's public school district blocked AI use for roughly 600,000 students in Pre-K through 8th grade, restricting it to specific uses for high school students. - Hours later, Los Angeles Unified imposed a districtwide moratorium on AI use on school devices for the 2026-27 school year, following a separate…Open
A new NPR/Ipsos poll shows many teachers are using AI to save time, but a majority are also worried the technology is making it harder for students to learn to think for themselves.
A new NPR/Ipsos poll shows many teachers are using AI to save time, but a majority are also worried the technology is making it harder for students to learn to think for themselves.Open
Data: Gallup; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios AI tools are reshaping the classroom and students' critical thinking — but school leaders are lagging on giving teachers formal guidance for using the tech, a new report shows. The big picture: AI should amplify the best parts of the classroom and streamline work for already stressed teachers, education experts tell Axios — not create an added burden for educators or replace human connection. - "AI is out there," All4Ed CEO Amy Loyd tells Axios. "It's not a question of whether or not our students are going to be using it; it's a question of how well our educators are supported and receive the ongoing professional learning and capacity building to be able to be confident in it." - A…
Data: Gallup; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios AI tools are reshaping the classroom and students' critical thinking — but school leaders are lagging on giving teachers formal guidance for using the tech, a new report shows. The big picture: AI should amplify the best parts of the classroom and streamline work for already stressed teachers, education experts tell Axios — not create an added burden for educators or replace human connection. - "AI is out there," All4Ed CEO Amy Loyd tells Axios. "It's not a question of whether or not our students are going to be using it; it's a question of how well our educators are supported and receive the ongoing professional learning and capacity building to be able to be confident in it." - A…Open
