Edtech vendors are swiftly integrating AI features into new and existing instructional materials, often claiming that the features are educationally effective. EdReports, an independent nonprofit that reviews K-12 curriculum, recently went looking for the evidence behind those claims. What it found raises hard questions for any district leader weighing an edtech purchase this fall.

Some AI tools let a teacher review content before students see it, while others put that content directly in front of students in real time. Courtney Allison, the chief academic officer of EdReports, spent 15 years with the New York City Department of Education, including time as a middle school math teacher. She explains why the old line between core and supplemental materials is starting to disappear, and weighs in on AI tutors giving every student a different lesson. She also tackles whether it is fair to ask vendors for proof when generative AI has only been widely available for a few years.

Someone has to decide which AI products deserve a place in classrooms, and that responsibility often falls on districts. Dr. Lewis Ferebee joined EdReports as CEO this summer after becoming the longest serving chancellor in the history of DC Public Schools. He brings a district leader’s perspective to the question of who should be checking these products and who should pay for that work. He also shares the questions he would ask a vendor sitting across the table.

Listen to the episode:

AI in K-12 Instructional Materials: What We're Seeing by EdReports

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