The first AI-integrated middle school in Florida is set to open this fall in Tallahassee, marking a new institution that will focus on a STEAM curriculum through the lens of artificial intelligence.
The development comes as the Tallahassee State College is collaborating with Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) to open the state's first AI-integrated middle school in August. The latter is known as the largest charter school operator in the United States.
AI-Integrated Middle School
CSUSA was unanimously approved by the TSC District Board of Trustees on Monday to open up the Innovation Academy of Excellence. The new middle school is designed to serve students from grades six to eight at the Appleyard Drive campus.
The students who enroll at the middle school will be taught how to use artificial intelligence ethically and efficiently because it will be embedded and integrated throughout their curriculums at the institution.
During a board meeting, TSC President Jim Murdaugh said that this marks an "interesting opportunity" as well as a "groundbreaking opportunity." The situation comes as in 2023, the Tallahassee Collegiate Academy opened with a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and college preparedness focus for grades nine to 12, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The school was able to earn an A grade from the state education department after it served the students in its first year. While the planned middle school is set to feed into the high school and offer students high school credits through TCA classes, they will operate separately and will only be connected through TSC's governing board.
The Innovation Academy of Excellence will be responsible for delivering a STEM focus in a micro-school format. This is similar to Tallahassee Collegiate Academy where only 100 to 125 students are expected to enroll later this year.
The Benefits of Artificial Intelligence
So far, officials have not named a principal for the new middle school and no teachers have been determined for it. It is also unclear when CSUSA will appoint a leader and staff for the institution, Yahoo News reported.
Another thing to note is that the free public charter middle school will be operating at no cost to the college because CSUSA will be the one paying administrative fees to TSC. A similar development is when Tampa Schools decided to pilot Florida's $1.1 million custom AI initiative.
The system incorporates the state's academic standards, coursework, and individual student data to help educators while personalizing learning for students. It primarily uses information on the internet but it is not accessible to the public, as per GovTech.
