MDE launches teacher‑focused AI pilot using Google tools; 15 districts and 43 teachers to participate
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Summary
MDE briefed the board on a pilot that equips teachers — not students — with generative AI tools (Google's Gemini and NotebookLM) to speed lesson planning, personalize instruction, and build teacher capacity to evaluate AI outputs. The pilot includes 15 districts, 43 teachers and monthly coaching through May.
Mississippi Department of Education staff on Dec. 18 outlined an AI‑for‑instruction pilot that gives teachers generative AI tools and training to support lesson planning and differentiation.
Melissa Banks and colleagues said the pilot uses Google's Gemini and NotebookLM and partners with a Google professional‑development provider (Fry Technologies). An advisory panel that includes Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi helped design pilot goals and data collection. The pilot selected 15 districts through an application process and will support 43 teachers and 14 administrators across fourth‑grade science, middle‑school ELA, U.S. history and CTE.
MDE said the pilot focuses on teacher workflow: measuring lesson‑planning efficiency, teacher capacity to evaluate AI output for alignment and rigor, and whether AI‑supported materials increase student engagement. The agency emphasized it is not piloting student use of generative AI at this stage and described ongoing monthly check‑ins through May and content‑area coaching.
Board members expressed interest and encouraged clear public communication about scope, safeguards and professional development; MDE said results will inform a toolkit and roadmap for districts that want to adopt AI tools responsibly.