What is Ed?

Ed is a learning acceleration platform that helps promote continuity of learning and improve student achievement. Designed to supplement the instruction and support provided by LAUSD educators and staff, Ed provides additional resources to students beyond the school bell, and it helps parents understand how their children are individually progressing and how they can be supported throughout their schooling. Ed communicates with parents about their student’s progress and serves as a guide through their education journey.

Key features include:

• • Academic Progress Monitoring: Updates about a student’s progress on grades, attendance, and graduation readiness to ensure parents are up-to-date about their student’s academic performance. 
  • Personalized Learning Activities: Interactive learning activities based on a student’s data including reading, math, and other academic skill practice exercises to meet a student’s individual needs.
  • Timely Support and Guidance: Notifications about resources and support, with feedback and guidance to assist their continuous improvement.
  • High-Quality Content Support: District-approved content from curriculum providers.
  • Personalized Alerts and Messages: Actionable steps to support a student’s academic journey with customized alerts and messages for clear actions parents can take to help guide their progress.
  • Multilingual Capabilities: The ability to communicate in multiple languages ensures parents and students can access resources in their preferred language.
  • 24/7 Support: Around-the-clock availability allowing parents and students to use the resource when it is convenient.

What does the platform do?

By combining advanced technology and comprehensive data, Ed provides easy-to-understand reports about a student’s progress. It also creates action plans based on a student’s strengths, weaknesses and goals. Students will be able to access relevant, District-approved, student-centered online tools and resources to support their acceleration, growth, and achievement. The platform is adaptive to meet each student’s needs. This customized approach will make a student's supplemental skills practice more engaging, effective, and aligned with their individual needs.

How does Ed work?

Ed is an AI platform providing updates and timely notifications to inform parents about their student’s progress and to provide resources and support for their student’s learning. Ed uses computer software designed to identify trends in a student’s attendance and academic performance, and it then suggests targeted interventions and activities to support their success.

Does Ed provide access to the internet? For instance, if a student asks Ed a question, does Ed search the internet to provide a response?

No. Ed provides information and support based on what is provided by the District and the approved learning tools. It does not pull information from the internet to provide responses.

What's the timeline for other schools to receive it?

Ed was initially deployed to students and families at 101 select schools across the District. However, Ed will be made available to all Los Angeles Unified students and families at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.

Who is piloting the platform?

Currently, 101 select elementary, middle and high schools throughout all four regions are piloting the platform?

How do I access Ed?

Students log into the platform at ed.lausd.org with their (mymail) Single Sign On (SSO) to gain access to Ed. Parents will need to have an active Parent Portal account to access Ed. Parents who have an account may log into the platform at ed.lausd.org with their parent portal SSO. 

For assistance with your SSO account, please contact your school site or the Los Angeles Unified Family Hotline at 213-443-1300.

I'm most comfortable using a language other than English. Can I communicate with Ed in my preferred language?

Ed is able to communicate in multiple languages. You can select which language you want to use and can change it at any time.

How does Ed work for students with visual impairments or disabilities?

Ed meets the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. It is also compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 AA), which define the criteria that agencies are obligated to meet to ensure that individuals with visual and audible disabilities are provided equal accessibility to electronic information and data comparable to those that have no disabilities. Individuals with impairments may use assistive technology native to the device they are using to experience Ed.

Can a student access Ed at home or just at school?

Ed is available anywhere, any time.

Can students chat with Ed?

Parents and guardians are able to web chat with Ed to ask questions about topics such as their child’s attendance, academics, and college readiness. Students over age 13, who have completed the Digital Citizenship: Artificial Intelligence Course, may access Ed’s web chat features with parent/legal guardian consent. These students will also be required to complete the "Digital Citizenship in the Age of AI" course available in Schoology.

What if we don't agree with what's being taught to our students?

Students can access District-approved instructional and enrichment resources through Ed. Ed is an optional tool for additional personalized learning resources.

Are students supposed to use Ed in class?

Since Ed connects students to District-approved educational apps a teacher may already be using, teachers may choose how they might incorporate those learning tools during the school day or after school hours, similar to other Los Angeles Unified learning tools.

Will parents be able to access Ed after hours/around their work schedules?

Yes. Around-the-clock availability allows parents to use the resource when it is convenient for them.

Does a parent have to purchase Ed?

The Ed tool is available without charge to all LAUSD students and parents.

Can parents chat with Ed?

Parents and guardians are able to web chat with Ed to ask questions about topics such as their child’s attendance, academics, and college readiness. Students over age 13, who have completed the Digital Citizenship: Artificial Intelligence Course, may access Ed’s web chat features with parent/legal guardian consent. These students will also be required to complete the "Digital Citizenship in the Age of AI" course available in Schoology.

Will AI replace teachers or counselors?

No. While Los Angeles Unified embraces the enhanced communication and personalization that artificial intelligence can facilitate, Ed is not meant to serve as a substitute for or replace any human educators or staff members. By integrating the District’s many instructional resources in a single platform, Ed is designed to supplement the instruction students receive in the classroom each day by providing access to adaptive skill practice driven by their individual needs. Similarly, Ed helps streamline communication with parents to provide them with additional support as they help their child(ren) navigate their educational journey. Los Angeles Unified will continue to work with educators to identify ways Ed may be further leveraged to support students and families.

Why don't educators or administrators have access to Ed?

Ed has been designed to support families and students with additional District resources, but soon school-based staff will have access to Ed to see the student view of the dashboard, resources and activities.

When will school-based staff have access to Ed?

School-based staff will have access to Ed to see the student view of the dashboard, resources and activities. This is coming soon!

How can teachers get support using Ed?

Teachers do not have direct access at this time. However, schools can determine how they may want to incorporate the Ed tool into their school day.

Will teachers or schools have to monitor the use of Ed?

No, Ed is designed to be a supplemental tool for supporting students with resources and activities to their needs.

What data about a student does Ed have access to?

Students and families can get access to information about student grades and academic progress, as well as AI-driven personalized recommendations for District-approved digital resources that can help accelerate student learning.

Ed also provides information on community and nearby activities that students and families may want to participate in as a means of enriching a student’s educational experience. It should be noted that resources or information regarding community and nearby activities are merely suggestions and should not be interpreted as endorsements by LAUSD. 

What if a student asks Ed about a controversial topic?

The scope of Ed is limited to school-related questions, and a multitude of safety and security measures are present in Ed. Users who ask questions about controversial topics will receive a response redirecting them to District or school offices or to ask another question. 

Can Ed potentially expose a student to violent or age-inappropriate content?

The scope of Ed is limited to school-related questions, and the same settings that apply to the District’s content filters that restrict the content students can access apply to Ed.

Who is monitoring how Ed interacts with students? Is there a real person involved?

Ed uses Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) technology, which is a method that ensures humans are involved in the decision-making process for AI technology and is considered an industry best practice. The system utilizes advanced AI algorithms to generate chatbot responses and recommendations for educational and support purposes. Meanwhile, as users engage with the chatbot, human review of the exchange will flag concerning content, like student safety issues, and notify the appropriate District offices to respond and support. 

If a student shares information that could indicate bullying or self-harm, will their parent be notified?

Ed escalates sensitive topics and emergency situations to the District to handle according to District protocols. 

What is the District doing to protect personal data from being shared through Ed to those other than the student and their parents?

The protection of student and parent data remains among LAUSD’s highest priorities. The District has several measures in place to protect personal data. First and foremost, LAUSD retains ownership of all District data. Other security measures include multi-factor authentication (MFA) for students and parents, and security monitoring by the 24/7 Security Operation Center.

LAUSD also adheres to all state and federal laws and regulations applicable to student data privacy and confidentiality, which includes, but is not limited to, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Additionally, the administration and security of the Ed platform adhere to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which requires the restriction of student access to explicit online content. Further, LAUSD abides by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which ensures that student information is protected through the monitoring of document access, editing, and downloading, and the prevention of user login tracking.