AUSTIN, TX (June 26, 2023) – Lightspeed Systems, the leader in helping districts provide safe, secure, and equitable learning technology, unveils new visibility on generative artificial intelligence (AI) use by students through Lightspeed Digital Insight™, new AI web filtering categories for Lightspeed Filter™, and an updated, time-saving interface for Lightspeed Classroom Management™.

Increased Visibility into AI Application Use for District Leaders

Generative AI apps are coming to market at a fast pace, and schools can’t keep up with how those apps are being used by students. In a poll of K-12 districts in early June 2023, Lightspeed found:

• 81% have limited, no, or uncertain visibility into generative AI use—despite 72% worrying most about academic dishonesty/misuse and 51% concerned about data privacy.
• 69% said IT is leading decisions about AI use in their district, ahead of Administration (49%), C&I (43%), School Board (8%), and Parents (1%).
• 64% don’t have teacher/staff PD in place to help ensure the effective and ethical use of AI but want to move in that direction.

Lightspeed Digital Insight’s new AI Apps Dashboard enables districts to monitor AI app usage at the grade, class, and student level to support the safe, effective, and ethical use of AI in education. Through Lightspeed Filter, districts now have access to three new filtering categories–Artificial Intelligence, AI Generative, and AI Detective–giving flexible filtering options and immediately recognizing more than 3,000 AI-using websites.

“Generative AI apps and websites are here to stay, and many leaders are only now determining policies for what is appropriate for their district,” says Brook McShane Bock, Chief Product Officer for Lightspeed Systems. “Lightspeed is providing reliable insights, context, and controls so districts can understand the use of AI apps, their influence in academic outcomes, and potential risks to student PII.”

Saving Teachers Time in the Classroom

To save valuable instruction time for teachers using devices in the classroom, Lightspeed Classroom Management, a tool used by more than 1400 districts globally, was redesigned for the 23-24 school year. The new teacher interface enables:

• Enhanced monitoring capabilities to keep students on task with full-class screen views and zoomed-in individual student screen views.
• Improved safe digital communication between teachers and students.
• Time-saving for teachers with an intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface.

“The Lightspeed User Experience updates show that Lightspeed is listening to what teachers ask for,” said Bryan Phillips, Chief Information Officer for Hoover City Schools in Hoover, Alabama. “Teachers pick it up and understand how to use it immediately, and new features like announcement messaging and full-screen mode are what teachers are looking for.”

To learn more, visit https://www.lightspeedsystems.com.