Houston Area School District is First in Texas to Add PowerSchool AI Assistant ‘PowerBuddy’ to Classrooms

Rhea-AI Summary

PowerSchool announced that Tomball Independent School District (Tomball ISD) in Texas has partnered with them to pilot PowerBuddy, their AI-powered assistant. This makes Tomball ISD the first district in Texas to implement PowerBuddy. The pilot includes PowerBuddy for Learning and PowerBuddy for Custom AI, designed to personalize learning and empower teachers through responsible AI tools.

PowerBuddy for Learning operates within PowerSchool Schoology Learning, assisting teachers in creating high-quality assignments and providing students with personalized support. PowerBuddy for Custom AI allows users to access district-specific information through natural language prompts. Tomball ISD, recognized as the No. 1 district in Harris County for five consecutive years, also uses several other PowerSchool products to enhance their educational operations.

Positive

• First district in Texas to implement PowerSchool's AI assistant PowerBuddy
• Integration of AI tools expected to lighten teacher workload and enhance student learning
• PowerBuddy operates within existing systems, promoting better security and privacy
• Tomball ISD recognized as No. 1 district in Harris County for five consecutive years

Negative

• None.

Insights

Education Technology Analyst

The adoption of PowerBuddy by Tomball ISD marks a significant step in integrating AI into K-12 education. This move could potentially enhance PowerSchool's market position and drive revenue growth. The AI assistant's ability to personalize learning and assist teachers aligns with the growing demand for EdTech solutions that improve educational outcomes.

Key points to consider:

• PowerBuddy's integration with existing PowerSchool products could increase customer retention and upselling opportunities.
• Being the first district in Texas to adopt PowerBuddy may lead to increased interest from other districts, potentially expanding PowerSchool's market share.
• The focus on responsible AI and data privacy addresses important concerns in the education sector, which could be a competitive advantage.

While the immediate financial impact may be , this pilot program could pave the way for broader adoption and long-term growth in the EdTech market. Investors should monitor the success of this pilot and any subsequent expansions to gauge PowerSchool's potential in the AI-driven education space.

AI and Data Privacy Expert

PowerSchool's approach to AI implementation in education is noteworthy for its focus on data privacy and security. By processing AI within the existing Schoology Learning environment, PowerSchool addresses a critical concern in EdTech: data protection. This strategy could give PowerSchool a significant edge over competitors who rely on external AI processing.

Key considerations:

• The on-premises AI approach may reduce legal and regulatory risks associated with student data handling.
• PowerBuddy's ability to provide district-specific information through natural language prompts demonstrates advanced AI capabilities tailored to educational needs.
• The emphasis on "responsible AI" aligns with growing concerns about AI ethics in education, potentially enhancing PowerSchool's reputation and trustworthiness.

This responsible AI approach could become a significant differentiator for PowerSchool in the competitive EdTech market, potentially leading to increased adoption rates and customer loyalty. Investors should consider this as a long-term strategic advantage that could contribute to sustained growth and market leadership.

Tomball Independent School District and PowerSchool partner to leverage the full power of Artificial Intelligence.

FOLSOM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, today announced Tomball Independent School District (Tomball ISD) in Tomball, Texas has partnered with PowerSchool to pilot PowerBuddy, PowerSchool’s AI-powered assistant. This pilot includes access to PowerBuddy for Learning and PowerBuddy for Custom AI, which enhances the district’s ability to personalize learning for students and empowers teachers to educate more effectively through PowerSchool’s responsible artificial intelligence tools designed for K-12. Tomball ISD was recognized as the No. 1 district in Harris County for five years in a row by Niche.com and is the first district in Texas to pilot PowerSchool’s PowerBuddy.

“PowerBuddy will lighten the load on our teachers, give our students a helping hand, and save time for everyone so that deeper learning can occur within each lesson,” said Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Superintendent, Tomball Independent School District. “PowerSchool’s commitment to responsible AI and its natural integration with our existing edtech products made the decision to add PowerBuddy an easy one for our district.”

PowerBuddy for Learning operates within PowerSchool Schoology Learning as a personal assistant for both teaching and learning. PowerBuddy for Learning saves teachers time by assisting in their creation of contextual, high-quality assignments and instructional content. Simultaneously, in Tomball ISD students will be able to benefit from an always-available personalized assistant to support them in the way they choose to learn. Students can interact in a conversation with PowerBuddy, asking questions and getting real-time responses that do not give the answer, but guide them in the right direction. This is especially helpful in supporting student progress at times when a student may otherwise be lost or confused about a new concept, such as when they are completing an assignment at home without a teacher or parent’s support.

PowerBuddy will bring AI to Tomball ISD’s existing data within Schoology Learning instead of requiring the district to send its data to the AI. This promotes a more robust experience for students and teachers and heightens the security and privacy of the district’s AI usage while delivering personalized insights, fostering engagement, and creating a more supportive teaching and learning environment.

PowerBuddy for Custom AI is a cutting-edge AI assistant allowing users to ask specific questions and receive accurate, approved answers, providing unencumbered access to district-specific information through natural language prompts. Users can more effortlessly find important details from district and school information such as policy manuals, athletic schedules, after-school programs, student handbooks, district calendars, lunch menus, job postings and more with the help of PowerBuddy for Custom AI.

In addition to PowerBuddy for Learning and PowerBuddy for Custom AI, Tomball ISD also partners with PowerSchool to provide members of their district with several additional products, including Applicant Tracking, Employee Records, eSchoolPlus SIS, eFinancePlus, and Predictive Enrollment Analytics.

Tomball Independent School District is in Harris County, Texas, northwest of Houston. The district includes 22 schools plus two specialty academies and educates more than 23,000 students. Tomball ISD consistently ranks as a top school district in the Houston area and among the 20 best school districts in Texas.

To learn more about the PowerSchool AI and PowerBuddy visit, https://www.powerschool.com/powerschool-ai/.

About PowerSchool

PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America. Its mission is to empower educators, administrators, and families to ensure personalized education for every student journey. PowerSchool offers end-to-end product clouds that connect the central office to the classroom to the home with award-winning products including Schoology Learning and Naviance CCLR, so school districts can securely manage student data, enrollment, attendance, grades, instruction, assessments, human resources, talent, professional development, special education, data analytics and insights, communications, and college and career readiness. PowerSchool supports over 60 million students in more than 90 countries and over 18,000 customers, including more than 90 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States.

© PowerSchool. PowerSchool and other PowerSchool marks are trademarks of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. PowerSchool marks are registered trademarks in several countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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Media Contact

WE Communications for PowerSchool

WE-PowerSchool@we-worldwide.com

(503) 443-7155

Source: PowerSchool Holdings, Inc.

FAQ

What is PowerBuddy and how is Tomball ISD using it?

PowerBuddy is PowerSchool's AI-powered assistant. Tomball ISD is piloting PowerBuddy for Learning and PowerBuddy for Custom AI to personalize learning for students and empower teachers with responsible AI tools designed for K-12 education.

How does PowerBuddy for Learning benefit teachers and students in Tomball ISD?

PowerBuddy for Learning assists teachers in creating high-quality assignments and instructional content, saving them time. For students, it provides personalized support, offering real-time responses to questions and guiding them in the right direction without giving direct answers.

What is PowerBuddy for Custom AI and how does it help Tomball ISD?

PowerBuddy for Custom AI is an AI assistant that allows users to access district-specific information through natural language prompts. It helps users find important details from policy manuals, schedules, programs, handbooks, calendars, and more, making information retrieval more efficient.

How does PowerSchool (PWSC) ensure data security with PowerBuddy in Tomball ISD?

PowerBuddy operates within Tomball ISD's existing data in Schoology Learning, rather than sending data to external AI systems. This approach enhances security and privacy while still delivering personalized insights and fostering engagement.