Black and brown students represent over half of U.S. K-12 enrollment, yet many AI-driven educational technologies overlook their needs, according to the Aspen Institute’s Edtech Equity Project launched in 2020. The project, led by Aspen Fellows Nidhi Hebbar and Madison Jacobs, addresses inherent racial biases in educational tools, focusing on equity in ed-tech. Key outputs include the AI in Education Toolkit for Racial Equity, designed for ed-tech firms to align their methodologies with equity principles, and a product certification via Digital Promise that ensures compliance with racial equity standards. Additionally, the School Procurement Guide offers schools critical evaluation questionnaires to assess the equity of ed-tech products before implementation. The initiative emphasizes transparency among AI vendors, urging them to eliminate biases that could worsen existing disparities affecting Black and brown students. Awareness and proactivity in addressing these challenges are vital for promoting equitable educational tools that truly serve all students.
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