"I don't have time to figure out another tech tool," we often hear from special education leaders. With mounting paperwork, staffing shortages, and the constant push to improve student outcomes, the idea of learning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) might feel overwhelming. But what if AI could make your job easier while helping you better serve students?
The reality is, AI isn't just another item on your to-do list - it's a tool that can help you tackle that list more effectively. From streamlining IEP development to identifying instructional trends to problem-solving staffing challenges, AI can help you work smarter, not harder while maintaining high expectations for all learners.
However, AI is only as good as what you tell it. Without proper guidance, AI can suggest solutions that lower expectations, remove students from general education, or focus on fixing students rather than removing barriers. The key is training AI to align with inclusive practices from the start.
We created a tool to help you do this…Think of this tool as your way to orient AI to your school's inclusive values. Copy and paste these expectations at the start of any AI conversation to ensure suggestions align with inclusive practices and maintain high expectations for all learners:
We have a few promising practices that guide our team's use of AI. Not everyone has to name their AI and refer to it as a member of their team like we do, but here are a few tricks to get started:
Think of AI as a new team member who needs orientation:
The more you give it upfront, the more helpful its recommendations will be for your setting.
Just like any good conversation, responses from AI get better with some back-and-forth:
Using AI as a tool for generating and honing ideas can help you get clear about what you’re trying to accomplish in the long run.
The more specific your query, the more useful the response:
Instead of: "How can we help struggling students?"
Try: "What strategies support 4th graders with executive functioning challenges while maintaining grade-level expectations?"
In addition to our top tips, having a few starter prompts can also help. Here are some ways in which using AI can streamline your role as an inclusive leader:
Teachers often need support adapting instruction for diverse learners while maintaining grade-level expectations. As their administrator, it is incumbent upon you to offer the "just-right" strategy at the "just-right" moment. This prompt helps generate practical, inclusive solutions:
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"Based on our recent classroom observations, what are the top 3 challenges our general education teachers face in supporting students with disabilities? For each challenge, suggest evidence-based strategies that have worked in similar settings while maintaining grade-level expectations."
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Sometimes we need help thinking differently about supporting individual students. When you feel like you've run out of ideas, this prompt can help identify strengths-based approaches:
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"I have a 7th-grade student struggling with work completion despite strong intellectual ability. They're making minimal progress on their executive functioning IEP goal. Suggest research-based strategies that build on student strengths and can be implemented in general education classes."
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Maximizing staff time and creating opportunities for collaboration is an ongoing challenge. This prompt helps identify creative solutions:
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"Given typical middle school scheduling constraints, here is our current schedule. Please suggest five different ways to increase co-planning time and maximize push-in support effectiveness. Include examples of schools that have successfully implemented similar approaches."
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Sometimes we need help making sense of multiple data points to identify next steps. To speed up this process and look at the data in a new way, try using this prompt to help surface meaningful patterns:
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"Looking at our special education data from this semester (achievement, behavior, and service delivery), what bright spots emerge? What barriers to inclusion do you notice? Suggest 2-3 concrete action steps aligned with our Strategic Plan and vision for inclusion."
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While this might seem like a lot, start with one pressing challenge you're facing this week. Remember: AI is a tool to enhance your expertise, not replace it. By thoughtfully leveraging AI while maintaining a focus on inclusive values and high expectations, you can accelerate your journey toward creating authentically inclusive schools where all students thrive. Train it, talk to it, nurture it - heck, name it if you want (we did). You’ll be surprised where AI takes you.