The EdPolicy Hub at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education has received a $200,000 in funding from Google.org to launch Urban AI UnLocked: Transforming District Systems for Equitable AI Integration. This groundbreaking research and capacity-building project will promote the equitable adoption of AI technologies in urban K-12 schools nationwide.
Urban AI UnLocked and the EdPolicy Hub, under USC Rossier Professor Patricia Burch, will help address a critical gap in the introduction of AI technology in schools: less than 40% of low-income districts provide AI training to educators and students, compared to nearly 70% in higher-income districts. Educators and students with the greatest needs for these transformative technologies are thus already being left behind.
Researchers at the EdPolicy Hub will conduct the first national survey to focus centrally on the ethical and equitable adoption of AI in school districts. The team will then speak with more than 200 educators and administrators, and host focus groups with hundreds of families, to help make AI more responsive to the needs of diverse students.
The project aims to answer two central questions: Which district-level policies best support equitable, long-term AI integration? How can districts build enduring AI engagement among urban communities, particularly multilingual families, students and teachers?
“Urban AI UnLocked has the potential to fundamentally shift how districts approach equitable technology integration,” said Burch. “By listening to the voices of educators, families and students who have historically been left out of innovation, this project will help ensure that the incredible promise of AI is accessible to all especially those who need it most. Our work is about building practical solutions, not one-size-fits-all fixes, so that every district can unlock AI’s benefits for their unique communities.”
Researchers will pilot their strategies and solutions in several districts before they disseminate their diagnostic tools and resources nationally, through conferences, webinars and a dashboard.
The USC EdPolicy Hub brings together researchers from across the university to collaborate with Southern California schools and education systems, co-designing relevant research that helps its partners navigate challenges and improve student outcomes equitably. The Hub then shares its research results in formats specifically designed for practitioners and policymakers.
Patricia Burch
- Professor of Education
- Co-director of CEPEG
