Greenville County Schools has begun to integrate artificial intelligence into the classroom.
The school system is rolling out new AI resources and testing courses for students this academic year. GCS’s board of trustees received an update on these efforts during the Aug. 19 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Susan Stevens, GCS’s associate superintendent for academics, said the district’s objective is to create a safe and controlled environment in which students can engage and practice with vetted AI resources. According to GCS, AI technology has the potential to enhance classroom instruction and improve student learning.
“It is not just another opportunity for students to search content,” Stevens said. “It is really a tool that is specific to allow students to challenge their thinking and engage in content differently.”
Pilot programs
GCS launched pilot programs at Rudolph Gordon School and Fountain Inn High School in the spring to test MagicSchool AI as a new student-learning resource.
MagicSchool AI is an educator-built, generative AI platform for teachers and students. Generative AI can be trained to create content based on a prompt or dataset. All teachers in GCS have received training on MagicSchool AI.
During the pilot, MagicSchool AI was predominantly used in English and language-arts courses as a writing analysis and debate-prompt tool. Students’ access to MagicSchool AI tools was controlled and monitored by teachers. Stevens said students cannot use the platform for free search like other generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT.
“Teachers define and specify the tools that students have access to in the system,” Stevens said. “Teachers control when and how MagicSchool is made available to students, (and) where they can access the resource.”
Following the pilot program, middle and high school teachers can now utilize MagicSchool AI in classrooms this academic year. Students must complete digital citizenship training and the required MagicSchool training to access the learning resource. Digital citizenship training involves educating students on how to use technology ethically and securely.
Stevenson said information about MagicSchool AI and the school system’s utilization of this tool was also sent home to parents and guardians.
Course offerings
A new course, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, is also being offered at Riverside and Woodmont high schools this academic year. The South Carolina Department of Education selected the two schools to pilot the course for ninth- and 10th-grade students.
Students taking the course will learn about AI concepts through hands-on learning with advanced technology hardware and software. Stevens said the curriculum aligns with South Carolina artificial intelligence standards.
The course will also explore how AI can be used in different careers and fields such as entertainment, health care, agriculture, manufacturing and more. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, AI technology is a critical job skill expected to further increase in importance by 2030.
“Our recent graduates who are entering the workforce or college with digital literacy or AI proficiency are at an advantage right now,” Stevens said. “We do know from market analysis that those skill sets are going to be a requirement for college and career readiness in the very near future.”
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence is being taught at Riverside High School this fall and will be available at Woodmont High School in the spring 2026 semester. Stevens said the AI courses could be expanded to other high schools in the future, depending on the pilot and continued student interest.
For more information, visit greenville.k12.sc.us/Parents/main.asp?titleid=ai.
