Mar. 5, 2025 – Generating test questions. Designing presentations. Creating collaborative and engaging lessons. They’re just some of the ways Team Duval teachers are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, with benefits district leaders say are hard to ignore.
“It just makes teachers’ lives easier,” shares Katy Stouffer, district director of Data and Assessment. “Those who use the program will see how easy and helpful it is.”
As more AI resources become available in education, the district is working to provide teachers with more training, tutorials, and professional development opportunities. So much so, Technology Services is in the process of launching its first ever AI Institute.
“While no program or AI tool can ever replace a great teacher, we cannot overlook its potential to reduce workload, serve as a supplemental resource, and create new opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills,” says Chief of Schools Scott Schneider.
Below, we’re taking a closer look at how Team Duval teachers are using AI to support their day-to-day duties and enhance the student experience. But first, more on the “why” behind this trend.
AI in Education: A Focus on Teacher Support
When it comes to using AI in the classroom, Director of Technology Innovation Holly Lanham says the district’s focus has been simple –– how can we help teachers?
“We have been deliberate about focusing on teacher support to begin with,” Lanham explains, noting that support includes ways to help teachers work more efficiently, lightening their load even just a little, and with more creativity.
Lanham says the district started “small” by introducing Copilot, Microsoft’s version of ChatGPT, to staff. From there, technology began training teachers on the built-in AI resources available in the programs and apps they were already using.
It wasn’t long before the district saw a need to create an AI Institute, designed to help teachers grow in their understanding of AI in education with immersive learning, hands-on experience, application, and equipping.
“I do believe that this is something our district is going to lean into instead of trying to push away from,” says Lanham. “Why not help (our teachers) learn ways to use it ethically and safely?”
Though the AI Institute will initially offer limited seating, Lanham says there are plenty of opportunities for teachers to take advantage of now.
Using AI to Create Tests
Team Duval teachers looking to save time generating test questions and passages for students have found support through software powered by AI.
“Teachers want new tests, they want new passages,” shares Stouffer, who helps oversee testing in the district. “We thought it would be super helpful in saving time to have benchmark-based tests that were already generated for you that you could edit.”
The AI Generation feature is called “PowerBuddy” and is an add-on in Performance Matters, a program the district uses to administer tests and analyze data. Teachers in any subject area can prompt the program to generate test questions and passages based on benchmarks.
“So, what this does is you pick a benchmark. You say, ‘I want 10 items with a passage of a certain length on a particular subject or topic’,” explains Stouffer. “The more information you give it, the better items it builds. PowerBuddy is also able to generate items and passages in different languages, which is helpful for our World Language teachers.”
Stouffer says tests can be tailored by benchmark, difficulty, reading level, language, and more. As teachers generate questions and passages, they can review, accept, or edit them.
PowerBuddy also employs strict guidelines and ethical standards, including data security and privacy, user controls, and age-appropriate filters.
Only a few months into the program, Stouffer shares that more than 45,000 items have been generated –– proof that teachers are eager to explore what AI can offer in the classroom.
Using AI for Rubrics, Lesson Plans, and IEPs
Team Duval teachers are also discovering strategies in developing rubrics and lesson plans. Case in point – MagicSchool AI, which Lanham describes as a favorite among teachers.
"If I need to build a rubric, I could take a lesson plan, upload it and start with a simple prompt like ‘Based on the contents of this lesson plan, build a 5-point rubric.’ Then the teacher can continue iterating to personalize it for their classroom,” explains Lanham.
She says the program can also build lesson plans from standards, provide options for differentiation, and assist in writing an IEP, all while keeping the teacher the expert.
“Anything an educator might do, you can go in and ask for it to help you do that specific task,” she says.
AI as a Teacher’s “Thought Partner”
For assistance in day-to-day tasks, district staff are pointing educators to programs like Microsoft Copilot, which is similar to ChatGPT. By entering prompts, questions, or scenarios, teachers gain a thought partner or “copilot” in their work.
Lanham says teachers being trained in Copilot are often given a simple introductory assignment –– ask the program to help you compose an email.
“You can tell it to help you write a professional e-mail explaining a scenario. And then it gives you that draft,” she explains. “Then you go back and can modify it and edit it to keep it personal. All that time that you (would normally) spend staring at a blank screen trying to just get started, it gives you that starting place."
Lanham goes on to say that the district’s version of Copilot is designed with extra layers of security and protection. Teachers are assured that any content they input into the program while logged in with their district credentials will not be stored or shared publicly.
Presentations and Collaborative Lessons
Another favorite among teachers is the online design platform, Canva. Through its Magic Suite, Lanham says educators are drafting presentations, activities, videos, and more for use in the classroom.
“(You can tell) Canva you need a presentation on Abraham Lincoln,” she says. “It will draft a presentation with suggested bullet points and an outline for you to get started and fill in the blanks.”
Teaching Students About Artificial Intelligence
While many district educators are using Artificial Intelligence as a tool and resource, others, like Sandalwood High School Web Design Instructor Brannon Lutz, are using AI as a learning opportunity for students.
“In a structured environment, they’re learning more about AI, more about its capabilities, what it can do,” shares Lutz. “They need to see the bigger picture...so they can understand it from an ethical standpoint and apply it in the proper way.”
Lutz teaches an Artificial Intelligence Foundation class called “AI in the World.” The course, which falls under Career and Technical Education, teaches the history of AI, looks at risks and concerns, and also explores technological uses and advancements. Students can also earn an Information Technology Specialist (ITS) in Artificial Intelligence certification.
Student assignments have been wide-ranging, including using AI to create images and examining bias within AI. Eleventh-grade student Camryn Ruiz says this class is helping him see both the positive and negative sides of Artificial Intelligence.
“There are plenty of uses for it, like automation, self-driving cars,” Ruiz says. “But there’s just also a ton of concerns that we need to make sure we’re watching out for.”
Beyond having students learn about AI, Team Duval teachers are also finding creative ways to help their students maximize Artificial Intelligence. According to Chief Academic Officer Paula Renfro, AI is being used in some secondary literature courses as a means of encouraging more growth.
“AI-powered writing tools offer real-time suggestions and editorial suggestions, allowing students to learn and grow with each assignment,” explains Renfro. “They use these suggestions as a base to develop their thoughts, reactions and information necessary to create a well-developed assignment.”
Whether they’re learning about it or implementing it in the classroom, one thing is clear –– more and more teachers are embracing AI in education.
“It’s the wave of the future,” says Lutz. “The better we understand it, the more we embrace it, the better off we’ll be because technology’s constantly changing.”