Encoding AI into Education
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) has offered new horizons for advancement in research and technology. Its ability to efficiently analyze data and synthesize information has significantly increased the speed at which insights can be generated. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the modern workforce, The Georgia General Assembly recognized AI literacy as an essential skill for future job security.
Through the creation of programs like the AI Literacy Pipeline to Prosperity Project, Georgia has begun building the educational infrastructure to prepare students for an AI driven workforce. However, this future may not be successful without acknowledging an issue of the present: students across Georgia are not meeting national reading standards. With depressed rates of literacy across the state, this investment risks falling short if students lack the foundational reading skills needed to engage with advanced technologies.
In 2023, data from the Georgia Department of Education revealed that nearly 50% percent of third graders in the Clarke County School District were reading below grade level. This was 14-16% greater than the statewide average, indicating that students in Athens were falling behind academically. Recognizing the literacy gap between the county and the state, teachers in Clarke County worked to reform the method students are taught how to read. Rather than solely relying on sight word recognition, teachers shifted to teaching phonological skills, enabling students to read words they may not have encountered before.
Given the shift in teaching methodology, this past fall, three elementary schools in the district received recognition from the Georgia Department of Education for improved reading scores during the 2024-2025 school year. The percentage of third graders reading at or above grade level increased significantly at several schools: Winterville Elementary from 51.1% to 68.1%, Fowler Drive Elementary from 45.2% to 63.3%, and Holston Elementary from 27% to 51.2%. However, while individual schools have made strides in shifting the success of their students, Clarke County still needs strides to improve the average of 47% of 3rd graders reading below grade level reported in Spring 2025.
Further, to improve resources around reading literacy, the Georgia General Assembly has proposed the 2026 Early Learning Act. This bill, introduced by both the House and the Senate, calls for an update to the Georgia Quality-Based Education Formula, which informs the yearly budget allocated to school districts. Legislators are looking to provide schools with additional funding each year to support the introduction of 1,300 literacy coaches into K-3rd classrooms across the state. These coaches would work directly with teachers to strengthen reading instruction and provide targeted support for struggling students. In addition, the bill suggests that students must attend kindergarten before entering first grade and pass a school readiness screening.
However, while the additional tutoring services to school districts will provide the support to increase reading scores, as evidenced in states like New Mexico, this is a solution to catch up to national averages rather than surpass them.
Within the updated reading plan introduced in Athens in 2024, teachers expressed that a barrier to encouraging reading is a lack of interest in the books included in the school’s curriculum. While tutors serve as additional support for completing reading assignments, teachers identified independent reading time, in line with standards identified by the International Literacy Association, as a valuable opportunity to grow student interest, motivation and stamina in reading.
During independent reading time, AI tools could support this effort by providing feedback on pronunciation, fluency and comprehension. In Louisiana, in partnership with Amaira Learning, the Louisiana Department of Education supplied 25 of its school districts with AI-powered reading assistants. Assisting around 100,000 students in the past two years, the tool aided students with word recognition, word pronunciation and reading comprehension.
If introduced in Georgia, a pilot program could provide select districts with similar tools, allowing teachers to monitor student literacy data, personalize instruction and evaluate the program’s effectiveness before considering statewide expansion. To ensure these tools are implemented responsibly, the Georgia Literacy Task Force and the AI Advisory Council could oversee measures for protecting student privacy data and guide the pilot program. Working with teachers, literacy coaches and administrators, the program could receive feedback to determine how AI complements existing literacy initiatives like phonics instruction and can expand newly introduced ones such as the school readiness screenings.
While AI sparks excitement about the future of innovation, the students of today will be the ones to shape that future. Without strong foundational literacy and proper support, students may struggle to develop the problem solving skills required to use AI effectively. By piloting AI tools in school districts, educators can provide personalized reading guidance that ensures students develop proficiency and confidence. Students in Georgia are falling behind, but targeted AI interventions can get them back on track to fully engage with the budding technologies of the future.
Ashley Brown is a fourth-year at the University of Georgia studying psychology. She is a member of our Youth & AI group.