Louisiana’s largest school district has begun using artificial intelligence to analyze student data, officials said Tuesday, just the latest example of schools across the state using AI both inside and outside the classroom.

The AI-powered tool called Abre used in Jefferson Parish could ease the burden on teachers by automating some of the work of sifting through student data, Jefferson Parish Superintendent of Schools James Gray said during a public discussion Tuesday about internet and technology in schools. The district also plans to convene a task force to discuss best practices for using AI in the classroom.

“We know there have to be safeguards in place to make sure no one is tampering with the data,” Gray said, adding that the district will try to minimize the potential risks as it experiments with the technology. “We are open to what AI can do for us.”

Gray said the AI-powered program the district uses collects data such as student attendance and test scores and allows teachers to view it on a single dashboard. The AI ​​component of the software can identify trends in the data, which Gray said would save teachers time. The district is in the early stages of implementing the program, said Kaela Lewis, a district spokeswoman.

The district’s AI efforts come at a time when the state is encouraging more schools to use the technology while protecting themselves from potential dangers.

The Louisiana Department of Education plans to roll out AI-powered programs that help students learn math and reading to more schools across the state, officials said. And this month, it released new guidelines on how to safely use AI in the classroom, including how to prevent plagiarism and other abuses by students.

“AI technologies raise concerns about data security and privacy,” the guidelines say, “but they also have the potential to improve teaching and learning practices.”

The increasing use of AI also raises a related problem: schools’ need for reliable, high-speed internet. That need was amplified during the pandemic when students had to take remote classes and underscored when Hurricane Ida knocked many schools offline.

State leaders have recognized internet connectivity as a priority. This week, the state announced plans to launch a $1.38 billion grant program to bring high-speed internet to 140,000 Louisiana locations, including schools.

As technology evolves, so do the needs of school districts, said Leigh King, vice president of marketing for Cox Business, at Tuesday’s panel discussion. Also on the panel was Malcolm Mitchell, a former NFL player and children’s author who recently wrote a book emphasizing connectivity.

About five years ago, schools and small businesses first reported problems managing their technology systems and storing digital data.

“Now smaller schools are asking themselves, ‘How do I protect my data? How do I replicate it and back it up if there’s a hurricane?'” he said, noting that schools also need access to student records during natural disasters.

Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission announced the launch of a three-year program to provide up to $200 million for cybersecurity services and equipment to eligible schools and libraries across the country.

About 75 schools in the greater New Orleans area have a contract with Rapidscale, an IT company owned by Cox, to provide IT services, King said.

Keeping schools connected

Ajit “AJ” Pethe, principal of Jefferson Parish schools, remembers walking into a classroom in the midst of the pandemic and watching a teacher alternately talking to children in the classroom and on the screen, calling them out in both mediums.

“This is very hard,” he told the teacher, “but think how much better a teacher you will be after this.”

Cox, which has provided internet to Jefferson Parish Schools since 2018, has made updates to ensure schools don’t lose their internet connections. Now each school has two fiber optic cables, he said.

“Almost every day there is a fiber outage somewhere in New Orleans,” he said, adding that the second cable serves as a backup in case one cable is damaged. “Schools cannot lose connection or go down.”

Because the pandemic and Hurricane Ida have accelerated the use of technology in the classroom, most Jefferson Parish teachers have “gotten used to” its use, Gray said. Younger educators are using it with ease, he said, but some older teachers may need to catch up.