PowerSchool launches AI assistant PowerBuddy for K-12 education

PowerSchool, a provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, has announced the launch of PowerSchool PowerBuddy, a generative AI powered assistant designed for the educational sector. This new addition is pitched as a significant step in PowerSchool's journey to integrate AI across its product and data platforms.

PowerBuddy aims to provide personalised assistance to students, parents, educators, counsellors, and administrators. It offers secure access to individualised guidance, information, and resources, aiming to enhance the social, emotional, and academic support for students.

This tool shows a growing approach in the educational technology landscape, with an increased focus on bringing AI into schools. 

Set for pilot testing, PowerBuddy will be available for the 2024-2025 school year. It will initially integrate with Schoology Learning, aiming to assist students with assignments and providing tailored learning pathways.

For teachers, PowerBuddy claims it will be able to support in the creation of lesson plans, quizzes, assessments, and personalised homework, thereby saving valuable time for student interaction. 

Additionally, PowerBuddy will provide personalised college and career guidance through Naviance CCLR and support parents through My PowerSchool, offering academic performance insights and proactive alerts. 

Administrators (senior leadership teams in the UK) can utilise PowerBuddy for data driven decision-making within Analytics & Insights and PowerSchool SIS.

Shivani Stumpf, Chief Product and Innovation Officer at PowerSchool, highlighted the significance of PowerBuddy in personalising education, stating, "Today heralds an exciting chapter in the realisation of personalised education – a milestone that was previously beyond reach, at scale, until now."

PowerBuddy's development is rooted in responsible AI principles, ensuring a secure approach to integrating AI within K-12 education. Unlike other AI solutions that require data sharing, PowerSchool's model brings AI to districts’ data, providing a high level of security for student information.

In a separate announcement, PowerSchool revealed its partnership with River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. RETSD has selected multiple PowerSchool products, including PowerSchool SIS, Ecollect Forms, Student Analytics, and Document Management, to enhance data-driven decision-making and administrative operations. These solutions, part of the PowerSchool Student Information Cloud, are scheduled for implementation in summer 2024.

Jason Drysdale, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services and Planning at RETSD, commented on the partnership, "PowerSchool's presence in Canada and Manitoba and strong support network were key factors that inspired us to implement their solutions."