Artificial intelligence is here, and it is evolving.
While the world continues to be shaped by AI, New Hope-Solebury School District continues to prepare students for the future. However, simply putting more AI into classrooms is not the objective.
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Instead, the district plans to develop guidelines for AI use, train teachers, educate parents and reconsider how student work is assessed while emphasizing critical thinking and other distinctly human skills.
The approach is part of New Hope-Solebury’s proposed three-year comprehensive plan, presented to the school board Oct. 22 after a yearlong planning process involving students, parents, staff, administrators and community members.
“The goal itself is not just let’s get AI into the classrooms but because that’s actually not really the goal,” said Dr. Amanda Benolken, director of education for NHSD, during the presentation. “The goal is how are we going to respond to the to a world with AI in it.”
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At the district level, New Hope-Solebury plans to continue developing AI policies, guidelines and regulations while providing staff training, community education and resources for parents. The district also wants to build relationships with organizations focused on AI and education.
At the secondary level, administrators said the district will examine instructional practices, assessment protocols and individual classroom policies as AI continues to alter education.
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Critical thinking will be a particular focus.
“One of the things we talked about was how important critical thinking is,” Benolken said. “And this is not using AI, but the fact that having critical thinking is extremely important in the world of AI.”
The district also intends to review assessment practices with an emphasis on “measuring process over product,” while incorporating more hands-on and project-based learning and teaching middle and high school students responsible and ethical AI use.
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The approach will differ at the elementary level.
Rather than focusing primarily on students’ use of AI tools, the district wants younger students to develop foundational skills and digital citizenship before they begin interacting more directly with artificial intelligence.
Administrators said the district would also explore age-appropriate pilot programs.
AI enters bullying policy
Artificial intelligence is not confined to the district’s long-range planning.
The school board’s Policy Committee is also confronting how AI-generated or altered material could be used for bullying and cyberbullying.
During a committee report Oct. 22, Policy Advisory Committee Chair and Board Member Dr. Nikhil Heble said new definitions concerning AI-generated or modified media had been incorporated into the district’s bullying and cyberbullying policy.
“The other one had to do with bullying and cyber bullying that I thought was up because of the emergence of AI and there’s some new definitions related to AI generated or modified media that were added to that policy,” Heble said.
The planning process included a 113-member steering committee made up of 27 parents, 26 community and school partners, 19 staff members, 19 students, 17 school leaders, five board members and two state legislators.
Another 723 people responded to a stakeholder survey used to help shape the plan.
The resulting plan contains four focus areas: academic excellence and innovation; student support services and opportunities; operations, talent and resources; and community partnerships.
Beyond AI, the academic portion calls for more deliberate integration of the district’s “Profile of a Graduate” skills into curriculum and instruction.
Administrators described those qualities as “durable skills” that become increasingly important as technology changes.
“We really feel those human skills are important and we need to make sure that we are, you know, shining a light on that as a as an important piece of the educational experience here,” Benolken said.
The district wants to develop common definitions and measurements for those skills at different grade levels and train teachers to incorporate them into lessons. The comprehensive plan also calls for continued expansion of college and career opportunities, including industry-recognized credentials, dual enrollment and internships.
Officials are also considering additional programming connecting students across grade levels, including having high school students mentor younger students.
The proposed comprehensive plan will be placed on public display throughout November. A digital version will be available through the district, while a hard copy will be available at the Solebury Township library.
The plan is expected to return to the school board for approval in December, followed by submission to the state in January. It would take effect in July 2027.
