Plan Forward’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement
Last Updated: October 2024
Plan Forward recognizes the importance of responsible AI and is steadfastly committed to implementing ethical AI practices that prioritize transparency, fairness, and accountability. For more information regarding how we collect, process and manage information, please refer to our Privacy Policy at https://www.k12planforward.com/privacy-policy .
Purpose of the Plan Forward platform:
Plan Forward's AI-powered platform using large language Models (LLMs) acts as a co-pilot for school and district administrators by organizing, analyzing, and delivering actionable insights from collected data to drive evaluation of initiatives and goal attainment. The tool directly aids in the implementation of comprehensive progress monitoring and evaluation strategies while also providing valuable insights into the successes and challenges associated with targeted programs. Plan Forward fosters improved goal attainment and continuous improvement.
Supported by well-regarded research frameworks, including Mosseri's (2010) data-informed decision-making approach, the Continuous Improvement Cycle of Plan-Do-Study-Act by Shakman et al. (2020), Locke & Latham's (1990) goal-setting theory, and Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory, Plan Forward's methodology ensures that every step is grounded in rigorous, evidence-based strategies focused on continuous monitoring and feedback for mastery.
Compliance & Legal Considerations:
Plan Forward's advanced LLM is trained to qualitatively analyze textual data, including open-ended survey responses and transcripts. This AI system excels in extracting and organizing text into prominent themes based on frequency and relevance.
Leveraging a closed knowledge base, Plan Forward provides well-founded recommendations and actionable steps, grounded in best practices and supported by empirical research from reputable sources such as the What Works Clearinghouse. Source lists and articles referenced will be listed in each report. These capabilities ensure that school districts have access to tailored, evidence-based strategies for addressing their unique priorities and challenges.
Training Data & Model Updates:
Continuous Training: Plan Forward uses an incremental learning approach for our LLMs, continuously integrating new data to adapt to current language usage, ensure hallucination resistance, and improve accuracy. The models are retrained every three months including updated and expanded datasets will ensure the models remain current and relevant.
Our researchers continually develop and integrate new algorithms aimed at improving the models' generalization capabilities from diverse datasets, with a focus on recognizing and reducing bias. Fine-tuning efforts also address specific purposes, such as adherence to ethical guidelines and ensuring fairness.
Feedback Loop: Maintaining a strong feedback loop is essential, Plan Forward incorporates human-in-the-loop systems where experts periodically review and fine-tune the outputs of LLMs to correct errors and biases. Additionally, gathering user feedback is incorporated into the platform which is used to identify and address problematic patterns in real-time.
Ensuring Diverse and Representative Data: We commit to sourcing data from a broad array of domains, languages, cultures, and formats to encompass a wide range of human knowledge and experience. Regular audits of training data will be conducted to identify and rectify gaps and biases. Moreover, diverse teams will review the content to ensure comprehensive representation.
Bias Mitigation Techniques: Plan Forward employs a combination of preprocessing methods, such as data augmentation and techniques to remove biased entries before training. Postprocessing techniques and fairness constraints are applied to detect and reduce biases in model outputs and enforce fairness during training.
Implementation:
To ensure the seamless implementation of Plan Forward in each school district, comprehensive onboarding training that includes hands-on training of the product, and a review of our LLM is available to ensure users are well-versed in both product usage and the underlying educational rigor. Additionally, a structured user feedback mechanism is embedded in the Plan Forward platform, allowing for continuous refinement of the product based on administrators' insights.
A dedicated Planning Partner is a district’s primary point of contact for planning support, consultations, and periodic reviews. Access to 24/7 technical support and ongoing professional development opportunities through webinars and workshops ensures that administrators have the resources needed for sustained success. By adhering to these best practices, districts can fully leverage Plan Forward to create an enriching, efficient, and forward-thinking educational environment.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this AI Statement or our privacy practices, please contact us at info@k12planforward.com