Project Overview

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping education and the global workforce, creating both opportunities and challenges for ensuring equitable access and positive outcomes. To address this, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is developing an approach that seeks to leverage AI's promise while preparing all students for an AI-powered future with equity and responsibility at the center. The City is using a four-part framework for AI in the classroom that is designed to: (1) prepare students for AI-powered lives and careers; (2) teach students and staff to use AI responsibly; (3) mitigate bias and ensure cultural responsiveness when using AI; and (4) leverage AI to advance operational and instructional efficiencies.

The 2025 Exploring Equity in AI (EEAI) program aims to empower over 100 NYCPS educators to become leaders and agents of change in critical AI literacy. Through intensive professional learning, EEAI fellows will develop the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to help students understand not only how AI works, but also its societal implications, and ethical considerations. By the program's conclusion, fellows will have created turnkey lessons and resources to share district-wide, multiplying the program's impact across New York City's schools.

About the Study

The Research Alliance for New York City Schools is working in collaboration with NYCPS and a consortium of researchers to conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of the EEAI professional learning program and related AI literacy training. This evaluation will collect both quantitative and qualitative data to provide understanding of program implementation, teacher learning, and student outcomes. 

The evaluation addresses four primary areas of inquiry:

• Teacher Learning and Capacity: Do the AI professional learning activities affect teachers' understanding, awareness, and capacity to provide critical AI pedagogy and literacy to students?
• Pedagogical Practice: How does the professional learning influence teachers' AI criticality and pedagogical practices?
• Student Outcomes: In EEAI fellows’ classrooms, how does students' knowledge of AI, comfort with multidisciplinary research skills, critical and career awareness, exposure to industry mentorship, networking comfort and ease, and sense of belonging and identity in various STEM industries change?
• Implementation Insights: What are the implementation challenges and facilitators? What additional support do teachers need to successfully integrate critical AI literacy into their classrooms?

This research will provide evidence about how to effectively prepare educators to teach critical AI literacy in diverse urban school settings. The findings will inform the scale-up and refinement of EEAI and similar initiatives, helping ensure that all students—particularly those from communities historically underrepresented in technology fields—are equipped to navigate, critique, and shape an increasingly AI-driven world.