[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6249570,"mediaKeyId","3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27","parentId",3205088,"title","Hatboro‑Horsham AI committee recommends district‑wide platform (Magic School) and a district AI policy; board to consider first reading","audioSeconds",1539,"startMs",1905000,"endMs",3444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27&start=1905&end=3444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27/thumbnail_1905000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6249570/Pennsylvania/HatboroHorsham-AI-committee-recommends-districtwide-platform-Magic-School-and-a-district-AI-policy-board-to-consider-first-reading","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249570-16bea73bedc01d54356472d6cc9af3ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016978&Signature=TQUlHkRgmots7vNnErvIwRbcoKJyz5RZadJawkL8XlVLowbkj7DZ1TN1o6Z499eY0T8vC5TYoSyBTSSV-0nmShI1R6JeZttithDwbn-~-LQU9peaAwUSpBQv1EU-oaf6TflHt3HfUxIvXPF0VCAi0h5coDjUNyMznHv5gDj2B9qbnp8tnEGJRxmThAXTQyRPtIhIg-oI5XjWIYCFzHucXEEJhOQiw4aYm0AIb5AMZTyJM84rlQ9CS4~3NW4BeenduJ9l9742uMLVThh1NyDLa~OsYDGSTNEU1iNaPNGUoacHnxL7s3Sn16x5Cs6-3YO2gp0YbTJGW1E1TueBMKeXFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-06T12:38:49Z","article","District staff and a standing artificial‑intelligence committee presented recommendations to the Hatboro‑Horsham School District Board of School Directors on May 5, 2025, urging the adoption of a district AI policy and recommending Magic School as a district AI platform after a teacher pilot.

The district formed the AI committee in September and included administrators, teachers, students, a board member and community parents. Dr. D'Angelo, director of special projects and systems, and Christine Jenkins chaired and described the committee’s responsibilities: evaluate whether the district needs a district‑wide AI policy (the committee recommended yes), identify classroom best practices, ensure ethical and equitable AI use, and prioritize professional development for staff.

Committee members reviewed national and local policies, corporate frameworks and educational platforms. Teachers piloted two platforms — Magic School and School AI — in multiple classrooms across grade levels and content areas and provided comprehensive feedback via surveys. The committee reported unanimous preference for Magic School among pilot participants and cited several features that influenced the recommendation: Magic School reportedly does not retain or sell personally identifiable student information, includes built‑in teacher and student training, offers roughly 30 educator/student tools, supports single sign‑on with Canvas and Clever, and can be customized to district needs.

High‑school science teacher Jeff Thompson demonstrated a study chatbot feature that generates adaptive study plans and progress reports for students; seventh‑grade social studies teacher Nicole McClure described a writing‑feedback tool that gives individualized suggestions and engagement metrics; third‑grade teacher Sonia Matura described using Magic School’s translation features to give an English‑language‑learner third grader accessible instructional text and comprehension activities in the student’s home language.

The committee recommended three immediate steps: (1) adopt a district AI policy emphasizing ethics, privacy, equity and a human‑centered approach; (2) purchase and pilot Magic School as the district’s standard AI platform; and (3) expand targeted professional development for teachers and staff. Presenters emphasized that adopting a single platform was recommended to protect student privacy, standardize access and align tools with curricular goals, but that the policy and platform would be subject to ongoing evaluation.

Administrators said policy language will be brought forward through the policy committee for a first reading at the May 19 board meeting. The committee also noted that the teacher pilot was broad and that its final committee meeting for the year was scheduled for the day after the work session. No formal purchase or board vote occurred during the work session; recommendations were presented for consideration and referral to the policy process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HHSD SCHOOL BOARD MEETING (May 5, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","An AI committee of teachers, students, administrators and community members recommended the Hatboro‑Horsham School District adopt a district AI policy and the Magic School platform, and expand staff professional development.","taxTitle","Hatboro-Horsham SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",55146,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6249561,"Policy committee presents nine policy updates for May 19 first reading, including AI, service animals and transportation",1121,4382000,5503000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27&start=4382&end=5503","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27/thumbnail_4382000.jpg","/articles/6249561/Pennsylvania/Policy-committee-presents-nine-policy-updates-for-May-19-first-reading-including-AI-service-animals-and-transportation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249561-6009cfe286d56f2ad10e1564120b14ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016978&Signature=LD8lOoN7vvsxyzNmkLJurl5Sbij1fnvq~6BrIlEeFcpJ8uiZii-4s4Vf06C~y411y2svKVDliyShBYuLIroJI68zCHtAKkyfz0VWb~1rhAsk3DU9qPe-hS5z6OdWvLi5hU-qsm41LBASMqn26KjryJ~YmqV2RaHtUbXmozNPCwsePxo6u469dARrzaZCl4E90vQX8Ts~-w9FKECz4Ts2JRueXa5ShShLyk7vMysIafS3P9WJns7Iq0QIBWYpDL9o~AcZxum75msgegm1c8DUiAQXbmEW7Haw0pKXK4SB0we8QQvPQ6MDTSHJRXCXWzhys0a15y3SmvDuHjZ7duMCSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board member DJ Schultz introduced a set of nine policies the policy committee asked the board to move forward to a May 19 first reading. The set includes five policy revisions and four new policies across employee, property and operations sections.

Employee policy revisions include Policy 3.3.5 (Family and Medical Leave Act language updated to reflect federal guidelines on spouse leave coordination), Policy 3.3.8 (sabbatical leave) and Policy 3.3.8.1 (compensated professional leave). Presenters said updates add state‑code and compliance language clarifying eligibility, submission timelines and expectations about outside employment or extracurricular compensation.

Property and related policies presented for the committee’s review include a new Policy 7.08.1 on use of district vehicles (codifying occasional home‑to‑work use for on‑call maintenance and garage staff; district practice unchanged), Policy 7.12 on service animals (language aligned with the Americans with Disabilities Act, with a recently removed clause about animals being \"readily available\" that will appear in the revised online draft), and Policy 7.12.1 on therapy animals (procedures, recommended agency supervision and an application process to bring therapy animals into schools).

Operations policies presented were Policy 8.10 (transportation) and Policy 8.10.1 (drug and alcohol testing for covered drivers). Presenters said 8.10 was updated to align with current state obligations for transporting students experiencing homelessness, clarified incident reporting, prohibited handheld device use while operating district vehicles, and clarified motor vehicle record and child‑abuse clearance recertification procedures. Policy 8.10.1 was updated to clarify treatment of a refusal or inability to test (treated as a positive result until a negative result is produced) and to apply testing protocols to any employee who operates a district vehicle.

Policy 8.15.1 (use of generative artificial intelligence in education) builds on the AI committee presentation earlier in the meeting. Presenters described the policy’s focus on ethical, equitable, human‑centered AI use, ongoing tool evaluation, privacy compliance and the creation of a supervisory team (superintendent, director of information technology and superintendent designee) to oversee implementation and professional development. The policy does not limit future AI tools but recommends initial alignment through a district platform and ongoing review.

The committee asked the board to move all items forward for first reading at the May 19 board meeting. No final votes or adoptions occurred during the May 5 work session; board members were reminded they had access to the full policy drafts in advance of the meeting.","The policy committee presented nine policies for board consideration and asked the board to move them forward for first reading on May 19, covering employee leave, district vehicle use, service and therapy animals, transportation, drug/alcohol testing and AI use in education.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6249566,"District construction update: new middle‑school building nears certificate of occupancy",637,3719000,4356000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27&start=3719&end=4356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27/thumbnail_3719000.jpg","/articles/6249566/Pennsylvania/District-construction-update-new-middleschool-building-nears-certificate-of-occupancy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249566-c21e99c478d9b49d9f9436c5f1980d28/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016978&Signature=ncHl0BAuaZpSLNGZlT~y0Ow9vaVn1bx-LF1rEhdGo7knorx4wpAAyBCTuokHsYfVqAWPL9vdnet9xNS7n5YIq7VydPq4iftWmlsUGvLLW1OfgAYtmwXMl6Y9wYdU4g2gxOXKVbvVACtiXZ1gDm~b9dX3UAIfHMfArvaYGgB9hORCedTjIiYPfTvQImZhWdbr5~afwrID-lJMnbtsuGvBP8VcWPCZK5QqzNRrdOZX2Pjjmsngr-OBfjp1Fan2DUG4W8~vWwV5lKgRjQVAn-m07o3DdA0HuMw7Y4ga1y~-FG1oIPvQg2QiVJFTia8D3IQhr9zW9lMWA24tTJ3tP~POuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District facilities staff reported progress on the KB construction project and a schedule of remaining milestones, including final inspections, furniture deliveries and an anticipated certificate of occupancy in early June.

The presentation said first‑ and second‑floor district administration spaces and the middle‑school areas are nearing final finish completion, with district administration furniture scheduled to arrive about May 15 and classroom furniture scheduled for June 2. Work remaining includes carpeting in some admin areas, installation of auditorium seating, punch‑list items for the commons and library, final mechanical programming and testing, and finishing of gymnasium flooring and seating.

The presenter detailed mechanical, electrical and plumbing progress: boilers and water heaters are installed and being commissioned; sprinkler hydro tests are nearing completion; kitchen equipment, including stoves and walk‑in refrigeration, is installed awaiting final start‑up and board of health inspection; pool tile and final pool inspections and certifications are scheduled for early June. Site work continues despite recent rain, including milling and grading for a new parent drop‑off loop; final asphalt and curbing were expected in the coming weeks.

Key schedule items presented: elevator final inspections around May 19, completion of fire alarm programming and testing by about May 25, classroom furniture arrival June 2, kitchen final board of health inspections around June 13, and an anticipated certificate of occupancy and related final inspections in the first week of June. The new building move‑in week is slated for the week of July 7; the district server move to the new MDF room is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend (May 23–26).

The presenter said the project remains on budget and reported an increased contingency. Board members and administrators thanked facilities staff for progress and noted the number of tours taking place as the project nears completion. No formal votes or decisions were made during the update.","District staff reported near‑completion of the KB construction project, listing finish work, furniture delivery dates, final inspections and an anticipated certificate of occupancy in early June and a July move‑in week.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6249574,"Hatboro‑Horsham presents K–12 STEAM curriculum review, recommends vertical alignment and partnerships",1512,158000,1670000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27&start=158&end=1670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3205088-0105b1fdcbc96cb01656730011890f27/thumbnail_158000.jpg","/articles/6249574/Pennsylvania/HatboroHorsham-presents-K12-STEAM-curriculum-review-recommends-vertical-alignment-and-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249574-7d6e0b595a6797a82e18c5d50b8c82bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016978&Signature=o~WHh9BN--r-7xryNOKExVzKx~2Mfq0W3y-RkTA4XwvNfUqqiJKtdv8w9-dvwXF9i11qL6-lt7dcMAw37uWeOP5U9gwOyFtqMp4h7BCw6zAizHtHXvkS4iI4QqxWl6UFpLXJn3XqbCUukCwZBH3rB7lAc8SpPARgZLNHcGcYxJ8YfYZ8aue-vV7ENWIcZFBWjVT5L73chkAwe0u-gQXDcPbN7wVw9iYeog6eEiyPqS8TPAxOIaMP~2XqaS8v6RMwAqVDmfYDDGranN7BvZ37WyiCWoHbZmY3rpWTysz3Ba~-3ln6KbNvtVnOpG44c~dCPIHV~xJmMP2OmSa6D2Yafw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Christine Jenkins, the district supervisor of curriculum, and a K–12 committee of teachers presented results of a yearlong review of the Hatboro‑Horsham School District’s STEAM program, outlining current offerings, transfer goals and five recommended actions to improve continuity and access.

The report said elementary STEAM is taught by three full‑time teachers across four schools and that those classes meet about 30 times per year as part of the arts rotation. Middle school students now receive an exploratory STEAM quarter in sixth grade; seventh and eighth graders can take STEAM as a major or minor elective. At the high school level STEAM instruction is elective and is delivered through computer science and technology/engineering courses that include project‑based work, CAD, robotics and two AP computer science offerings plus a new AP course expected next year.

Jenkins told the board the committee began meeting in October, reviewed course offerings and national best practices, visited the NSTA conference and finalized recommendations in April. The committee produced six k–12 transfer goals intended to capture skills students should apply in real‑world settings, including design thinking, decomposition of complex problems, digital citizenship, collaboration and creative innovation.

High school computer science teacher Annie Kelly described the committee’s shared vision for STEAM as interdisciplinary, inquiry driven and focused on transferable skills. Technology and engineering teacher Amanda Pergolini outlined five national and state standards sources used in the literature review, and summarized five best practices: integrative curriculum design, investigation and design engagement, authentic assessment, accessibility and ongoing professional development.

Elementary STEAM teacher Christina Sklodaitis identified five areas of need the committee found: vertical curriculum alignment (clear prerequisite skill progression across grades), a unified problem‑solving language, more teacher collaboration time, strategies to broaden student participation, and deeper strategic partnerships with higher education and local industry to support internships and mentorships.

From those needs the committee recommended five actions: (1) document and sustain vertical coherence across grade levels and consider renaming courses to use a consistent STEAM label; (2) strengthen outreach and earlier course previewing so students make informed choices; (3) adopt a unified design‑thinking/problem‑solving framework for K–12; (4) partner more closely with school counselors to align career education and pathways; and (5) build strategic partnerships with Montgomery County STEAM ecosystem partners and the Hatboro‑Horsham Education Foundation to expand career exposure and hands‑on learning.

Presenters emphasized the need to remain responsive to rapidly evolving technologies — specifically data science and AI at the 9–12 level — and the value of ongoing professional development. Board members and administrators praised the teachers for the scope of the work and for embedding STEAM into elementary experiences, which presenters noted is not common across districts.

No formal board action was taken on the curriculum review during the work session; the report will remain available on the district curriculum page for public review and will be considered as part of ongoing curriculum planning and professional development.","District staff and teachers summarized a yearlong k–12 review of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) instruction and recommended five priorities including vertical alignment, a unified problem‑solving language, expanded partnerships, stronger counselor collaboration and responsive updates for emerging technologies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hatboro‑Horsham AI committee recommends district‑wide platform (Magic School) and a district AI policy; board to consider first reading

Policy committee presents nine policy updates for May 19 first reading, including AI, service animals and transportation

District construction update: new middle‑school building nears certificate of occupancy

Hatboro‑Horsham presents K–12 STEAM curriculum review, recommends vertical alignment and partnerships