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Generative AI for K-12 Administration: Assess Staff Knowledge and Perceptions

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The conversation around generative AI in K-12 education has mainly centered on teacher and student use cases like grading and personalized learning. However, there’s also significant potential for K-12 administrative staff. How can superintendents, principals, HR professionals, and business leaders use these tools to streamline tasks and optimize efficiency, freeing them up to focus on the most impactful work? This series addresses that question through articles outlining a variety of administrative AI use cases.  

The success of a new district or school-wide initiative often hinges on the knowledge and perceptions of those implementing it, primarily the instructional staff. Assessing these factors is a critical first step. By identifying knowledge gaps early, administrators can line up targeted professional development opportunities, increasing the likelihood of success. Similarly, understanding teachers’ perceptions of a new method before its implementation can help address resistance and frustration in advance.  

However, the process of creating assessments for every new district initiative and analyzing the data can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. This is where generative AI can help. With the right prompts, it can streamline these tasks, providing valuable insights more efficiently.  

The Problem 

Susan Baylor, district superintendent, aims to focus on innovation for the 2024-2025 school year. Last year, all generative AI platforms were blocked for students and staff, but this year they will be made accessible. She wants teachers to use these tools in authentic and creative ways to enhance their curricula. Over the summer, she plans to gather data on teacher knowledge and perceptions so that she can anticipate potential conflicts. However, she needs to develop a survey that will produce insightful data and she doesn’t have the time.  

The Solution 

Superintendent Baylor visits ChatGPT and enters the following prompt: 

You are a data scientist. Construct a survey to measure teacher intentions and readiness to adopt genAI technologies in the K-12 context. The data will be collected by district administrators and analyzed to determine key topics and learning objectives for professional development on genAI to increase teacher readiness. 

Seconds after hitting the Enter key, ChatGPT returns a survey (see below), complete with questions and response options, which she edits according to her goals and needs before sending it out to her staff. 

Certainly! When collecting data to determine key topics and learning objectives for professional development on genAI to increase teacher readiness in K-12 education, you’ll want to create a survey that helps district administrators understand teacher intentions and their current state of readiness. The following survey is designed for administrators to administer to teachers: 

Title: GenAI Readiness Survey for K-12 Teachers 

Introduction: Thank you for participating in this survey. Your feedback is critical in helping us understand the readiness of teachers in adopting General Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies in K-12 education. The data collected will be used to develop professional development programs to better support teachers. Please answer all questions honestly and to the best of your ability. 

Section 1: General Information  

1.1. School Name:  

1.2. Your Position:  

1.3. Your Name (Optional):  

1.4. Number of Teachers in Your School: 

Section 2: Teacher Awareness and Understanding of GenAI Technologies  

2.1. How would you rate the overall awareness of GenAI technologies among teachers in your school? 

  • Very Low 
  • Low 
  • Moderate 
  • High 
  • Very High 

2.2. In your opinion, how well do teachers in your school understand the potential of GenAI technologies for K-12 education? 

  • Very Poor 
  • Poor 
  • Neutral 
  • Good 
  • Very Good 

Section 3: Teacher Perceived Benefits and Concerns  

3.1. Based on your observations, what potential benefits do teachers believe GenAI technologies could bring to K-12 education? 

3.2. What concerns or challenges have teachers expressed regarding the implementation of GenAI technologies in their teaching practices? 

Section 4: Teacher Willingness to Adopt GenAI Technologies  

4.1. How willing do you believe teachers in your school are to incorporate GenAI technologies into their teaching practices? 

  • Not at all willing 
  • Somewhat willing 
  • Very willing 

4.2. What factors or incentives do you think would increase teachers’ willingness to adopt GenAI technologies in their classrooms? 

Section 5: Technology Infrastructure and Support  

5.1. Please rate the current technology infrastructure and support available in your school for integrating AI technologies. 

  • Excellent 
  • Good 
  • Fair 
  • Poor 

Section 6: Teacher Professional Development  

6.1. Has your district provided professional development or training related to GenAI technologies for teachers in the past year? 

  • Yes 
  • No 

6.2. What type of professional development or training do you believe would be most valuable for teachers to effectively integrate GenAI technologies? 

Section 7: Perceptions of Student Engagement and Learning  

7.1. In your opinion, how could GenAI technologies enhance student engagement and learning in K-12 classrooms? 

Section 8: Open-Ended Questions  

8.1. Please share any additional comments, insights, or concerns you have regarding teacher readiness for GenAI technology adoption in K-12 education. 

Conclusion: Thank you for completing this survey. Your input is invaluable in shaping the professional development programs to enhance teacher readiness in adopting GenAI technologies. The information provided will be used for research and program development purposes. If you have any additional comments or questions, please feel free to contact [contact information]. 

The potential for generative AI to transform K-12 education extends beyond classroom applications for students and teachers. AI can also significantly enhance administrative efficiency, allowing leaders to focus on more strategic work that has greater reach and impact. By leveraging AI to streamline data collection and analysis, educators can gain deeper insights into staff readiness and perceptions, enabling them to tailor professional development to meet real needs. 

Stay tuned for the next post in our series as we explore innovative ways AI can support K-12 administrative staff in optimizing their work. In the meantime, check out our resources on AI in education: 

Empowering K-12 Districts: Navigating AI Adoption for Enhanced Educational Efficiency and Effectiveness 

How do K-12 teachers and leaders feel about integrating AI in the school setting? This white paper aims to bring educators’ voices to the forefront of the AI conversation. It uses data from Frontline’s K-12 Lens Survey to present insights on educators’ AI perceptions and plans for integrating AI into the K-12 setting. 

Read Now

The Role of AI in K-12 Professional Development 

AI has been everywhere in the news, and education is no exception. This blog post dives into AI’s place in education now and in the future. 

Read Now

Ellen Agnello

Ellen is a graduate assistant at the University of Connecticut. She is a former high school English language arts teacher and holds a Master’s Degree in literacy education. She is working on a dissertation toward a Ph.D. in Educational Curriculum and Instruction.

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