{"id":9065,"date":"2025-06-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-01-05T15:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T23:00:01","slug":"wichita-public-schools-ai-adoption-how-it-started-how-its-going","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2025\/06\/wichita-public-schools-ai-adoption-how-it-started-how-its-going\/","title":{"rendered":"Wichita Public Schools\u2019 AI adoption: How it started, how it\u2019s going"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With AI becoming more integrated into education, schools are realizing the power and opportunity to transform learning, engagement, administration, and operations. These advancements are paving the way for innovative practices and improved outcomes. As you build your own AI initiative, it’s valuable to look at real-world examples and gain insight around the use of AI in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wichita Public Schools (WPS), an early adopter of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, has thoughtfully integrated AI into their district. Through this ongoing journey, they\u2019ve uncovered practical ways that AI can support accessibility, personalize instruction, and help reduce administrative workload. Their experiences highlight both the potential, and the planning required\u2014from aligning tools with instructional goals to helping ensure educators feel supported and prepared. In May 2025, WPS was honored<\/a> with the ISTE+ASCD Distinguished District Award\u2014a testament to the district\u2019s ongoing leadership and innovation in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you explore your own AI journey, WPS offers a valuable example of how sustained, intentional AI adoption can create meaningful impact. Try Copilot Chat today and discover the impact AI can have on your school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try Copilot Chat <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Driving innovation through AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Educators at WPS began their journey<\/a> with Copilot Chat in 2023, using it in a variety of ways to support teaching and learning. This included creating instructional materials tailored to their students’ needs and translating content to support inclusive learning across the over 100 languages spoken by their diverse student body. <\/strong>This foundational work paved the way for a broader integration of AI throughout the district. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wichita Public Schools: Watch the video<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Building on their early efforts, WPS has started using more advanced AI tools. That includes Microsoft 365 Copilot<\/a>, which brings AI into apps like Word, Excel, and Microsoft Teams to help amplify creativity and boost productivity for educators, staff, and leaders alike. In addition, the district has developed custom agents<\/strong> tailored to meet specific needs across departments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The district also welcomed its first<\/strong> AI specialist<\/strong>, Katelyn Schoenhofer, whose role includes training staff, supporting AI policy development and responsible use, maintaining data integrity. She also helps district leaders, educators, and students understand the role of AI in the future of education. Her work helps ensure that AI is introduced with clarity, consistency, and accountability\u2014and that it’s aligned with the district’s goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover the potential of AI<\/a> to help enhance learning, equip students for the future, boost efficiency and cybersecurity, and free up time for what matters most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intentional AI integration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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At WPS, AI adoption is not about chasing trends. It’s a deliberate strategy grounded in human-centered design and professional learning<\/strong>. For WPS, human-centered means prioritizing the needs, values, and well-being of students and educators throughout the process of AI integration, helping to ensure technology enhances\u2014not replaces\u2014human connection and judgment. Staff receive role-specific training before gaining access to Copilot Chat, supporting safe, responsible, and effective use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We just wanted to have that human approach. We want to make sure that it’s human centered, with human oversight.<\/p>\nKatelyn Schoenhofer, AI specialist, Wichita Public Schools, United States<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n When a school adopts Copilot Chat, educators and staff begin with practical training before gradually progressing to more advanced uses\u2014a phased approach shaped by early experiences. This structured rollout helps to build confidence and encourages experimentation, especially in areas like special education and academic resource development. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WPS\u2019s intentional approach to AI literacy<\/strong> and professional development strategy helps empower educators and administrators to use tools like Copilot Chat confidently to improve instruction, streamline operational processes, and enhance student outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AI is going to enhance our lives. It’s going to change our lives. And so how do we make sure that we understand that and be methodical, and you know, just intentional about it?<\/p>\nKatelyn Schoenhofer, AI specialist, Wichita Public Schools, United States<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To help your team build competency with Copilot, explore the AI for educators learning path. It provides guidance on how to use AI tools responsibly and effectively in educational settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Start the AI for educators learning path<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Practical AI use cases in education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lesson planning and instructional support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Educators in WPS have embraced Copilot Chat for the assistance it provides in efficient lesson planning and increasing student engagement. Copilot Chat supports differentiated instruction, facilitates creative brainstorming, and helps adapt content to student interests, supporting accessible learning. WPS educators are using Copilot Chat to customize lessons based on student interests\u2014for example, using pop culture themes to make math concepts like ratios more relatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WPS AI team has extended this even further by developing a collection of custom agents\u2014AI assistants designed to help with specific tasks. These agents assist educators in innovating further by enhancing brainstorming and fostering dialogue <\/strong>to generate meaningful instructional ideas. They identified special education as an area of opportunity for innovation. Special education teams now use a custom agent to help Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) meet both legal requirements and each student\u2019s unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice<\/strong>: <\/strong>Special education teams also use the custom agent to translate IEP accommodation justifications into plain language that educators can use to help parents and caregivers understand complex concepts\u2014a game changer for supporting student success.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore more possibilities with the Copilot Scenario Library for education<\/a>, a collection of real-world examples that demonstrate how educators and leaders can easily use AI to assist with everyday tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operational and administrative benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Outside of the classroom, administrators have also integrated Microsoft 365 Copilot into their workflow to help improve everything from daily tasks to communication to marketing. Leaders and staff throughout the district use Copilot for a range of tasks to help increase their creativity and efficiency\u2014a more recent and evolving use case that extends AI\u2019s impact beyond instruction. Here are some common ways that WPS administrators use Copilot:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n