New ‘Using AI Responsibly’ course proposed for P-CEP students
Plymouth-Canton Schools will discuss adding a Using AI Responsibly course to its high school curriculum.
As the use of artificial intelligence grows throughout society, Plymouth-Canton Schools is contemplating adding a “Using AI Responsibly” course to its high school curriculum.
If approved at the June 10, 2025, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education meeting, the course could be implemented as early as the second semester of the 2025-26 school year.
Who would be eligible to take the course?
According to the P-CCS website, the course will provide 11th and 12th-grade students with a hands-on, comprehensive introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on:
● How AI systems function in applications ranging from TikTok recommendations to self-driving vehicles.
● Real-world AI applications across healthcare, business, entertainment, and social media.
● Hands-on projects, discussions, and interactive simulations.
● Development of problem-solving, ethical decision-making, and data analysis skills.
● Practical experience working with AI models and tools.
● Exploration of essential questions about AI creativity, employment use, privacy implications, and environmental impact.
Course will ‘meet the developing needs of high school students’
The 18-week Understanding and Using AI Responsibly course will meet the developing needs of today’s high school students, the description added.
Students will be allowed to earn either a .5 English Language Arts credit or a .5 Career and Technical Education elective credit.
The course is designed to offer a blend of technical understanding and ethical considerations about AI systems that shape our daily lives.
It will use generative AI tools that are district-approved and meet district privacy requirements.
Students will be mindful of ethical implications of AI
By aligning the AI course with the district’s AI policy, P-CCS will ensure that students are not only proficient in AI technologies but also mindful of the ethical, legal, and societal implications of their use, the course description asserts.
“This comprehensive approach prepares students to navigate and contribute positively to an increasingly AI-driven world,” the description states.
This AI course strongly supports the P-CCS Learner Profile by developing:
● Critical Thinking through analyzing AI systems and ethical implications;
● Communication skills through presentations and discussions about AI concepts;
● Collaboration through group projects and peer reviews;
● Innovation through creative AI applications and problem-solving; and
● Global and Ethical Citizenship through exploring ethical AI use and societal impact.
The course is standards-based, aligning with English Language Arts standards and Career and Technical Education competencies.
Cost to district
It provides students with practical knowledge about AI that prepares them to be college, career, and life-ready by addressing a technology that will impact virtually all future careers.
The course is designed to be inclusive, with no prior coding experience required, which helps address potential achievement gaps between demographic groups by giving all students equal opportunity to develop these critical future skills.
The total proposed cost for this course would be $20,400, inclusive of supplies, professional development, and course development stipends, and would be paid for as follows:
● Supplies and professional development from CTE grants: $18,000; and
● Course development stipend costs from the Teaching and Learning general fund budget: $2,400.
