Education
Speech therapy association proposes eliminating ‘DEI’ in its standards
Scores of speech therapists across the country erupted last month when their leading professional association said it was considering dropping language calling for diversity, equity and inclusion and “cultural competence” in their certification standards. Those values could be replaced in some standards with a much more amorphous emphasis on “person-centered care.”
“The decision to propose these modifications was not made lightly,” wrote officials of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in a June letter to members. They noted that due to recent executive orders related to DEI, even terminology that “is lawfully applied and considered essential for clinical practice … could put ASHA’s certification programs at risk.”
Yet in the eyes of experts and some speech pathologists, the change would further imperil getting quality help to a group that’s long been grossly underserved: young children with speech delays who live in households where English is not the primary language spoken.
“This is going to have long-term impacts on communities who already struggle to get services for their needs,” said Joshuaa Allison-Burbank, a speech language pathologist and Navajo member who works on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico where the tribal language is dominant in many homes.
Across the country, speech therapists have been in short supply for many years. Then, after the pandemic lockdown, the number of young children diagnosed annually with a speech delay more than doubled. Amid that broad crisis in capacity, multilingual learners are among those most at risk of falling through the cracks. Less than 10 percent of speech therapists are bilingual.
A shift away from DEI and cultural competence — which involves understanding and trying to respond to differences in children’s language, culture and home environment — could have a devastating effect at a time when more of both are needed to reach and help multilingual learners, several experts and speech pathologists said.
They told me about a few promising strategies for strengthening speech services for multilingual infants, toddlers and preschool-age children with speech delays — each of which involves a heavy reliance on DEI and cultural competence.
Embrace creative staffing. The Navajo Nation faces severe shortages of trained personnel to evaluate and work with young children with developmental delays, including speech. So in 2022, Allison-Burbank and his research team began providing training in speech evaluation and therapy to Native family coaches who are already working with families through a tribal home visiting program. The family coaches provide speech support until a more permanent solution can be found, said Allison-Burbank.
Home visiting programs are “an untapped resource for people like me who are trying to have a wider reach to identify these kids and get interim services going,” he said. (The existence of both the home visiting program and speech therapy are under serious threat because of federal cuts, including to Medicaid.)
Use language tests that have been designed for multilingual populations. Decades ago, few if any of the exams used to diagnose speech delays had been “normed” — or pretested to establish expectations and benchmarks — on non-English-speaking populations.
For example, early childhood intervention programs in Texas were required several years ago to use a single tool that relied on English norms to diagnose Spanish-speaking children, said Ellen Kester, the founder and president of Bilinguistics Speech and Language Services in Austin, which provides both direct services to families and training to school districts. “We saw a rise in diagnosis of very young (Spanish-speaking) kids,” she said. That isn’t because all of the kids had speech delays, but due to fundamental differences between the two languages that were not reflected in the test’s design and scoring. (In Spanish, for instance, the ‘z’ sound is pronounced like an English ‘s.’)
There are now more options than ever before of screeners and tools normed on multilingual, diverse populations; states, agencies and school districts should be selective, and informed, in seeking them out, and pushing for continued refinement.
Expand training — formal and self-initiated — for speech therapists in the best ways to work with diverse populations. In the long-term, the best way to help more bilingual children is to hire more bilingual speech therapists through robust DEI efforts. But in the short term, speech therapists can’t rely solely on interpreters — if one is even available — to connect with multilingual children.
That means using resources that break down the major differences in structure, pronunciation and usage between English and the language spoken by the family, said Kester. “As therapists, we need to know the patterns of the languages and what’s to be expected and what’s not to be expected,” Kester said.
It’s also crucial that therapists understand how cultural norms may vary, especially as they coach parents and caregivers in how best to support their kids, said Katharine Zuckerman, professor and associate division head of general pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University.
“This idea that parents sit on the floor and play with the kid and teach them how to talk is a very American cultural idea,” she said. “In many communities, it doesn’t work quite that way.”
In other words, to help the child, therapists have to embrace an idea that’s suddenly under siege: cultural competence,
Quick take: Relevant research
In recent years, several studies have homed in on how state early intervention systems, which serve children with developmental delays ages birth through 3, shortchange multilingual children with speech challenges. One study based out of Oregon, and co-authored by Zuckerman, found that speech diagnoses for Spanish-speaking children were often less specific than for English speakers. Instead of pinpointing a particular challenge, the Spanish speakers tended to get the general “language delay” designation. That made it harder to connect families to the most tailored and beneficial therapies.
A second study found that speech pathologists routinely miss critical steps when evaluating multilingual children for early intervention. That can lead to overdiagnosis, underdiagnosis and inappropriate help. “These findings point to the critical need for increased preparation at preprofessional levels and strong advocacy … to ensure evidence-based EI assessments and family-centered, culturally responsive intervention for children from all backgrounds,” the authors concluded.
Carr is a fellow at New America, focused on reporting on early childhood issues.
Contact the editor of this story, Christina Samuels, at 212-678-3635, via Signal at cas.37 or samuels@hechingerreport.org.
This story about the speech therapists association was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
Education
Americans split over use of AI in schools, poll reveals deep uncertainty about education’s future
Across the United States, a silent standoff is unfolding in classrooms. It is not about curriculum wars or partisan mandates, but a deeper reckoning over the role of artificial intelligence in shaping young minds. According to a new NBC News Decision Desk poll powered by SurveyMonkey, Americans are almost evenly split on whether AI belongs in schools. Yet, unlike most national debates, this one cuts cleanly through age, party, and ideology.Fifty-three percent of respondents said that incorporating AI tools in classrooms would better prepare students for the future. Meanwhile, 47 percent believed the opposite, asserting that banning such tools would serve students better. This narrow margin reveals a country caught between fear and fascination, between clinging to traditional instruction and racing toward an automated tomorrow.
AI in education without a political script
Remarkably, there are no significant differences in opinion across political lines. Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike are nearly equally divided. This political neutrality is unusual in a country where even textbook content and reading lists have become ideological battlegrounds. Yet AI’s disruptive potential has produced a rare bipartisan ambiguity.Fourteen percent of Republicans, 14 percent of Democrats, and 15 percent of independents said they use AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini “very often.” An additional 28 to 31 percent across all parties reported using them “sometimes.” On questions about AI’s impact on the future, responses remained similarly aligned, with no dramatic variations across party lines.This even-handedness, however, has not translated into regulation. President Donald Trump has reversed many of the oversight mechanisms introduced by the Biden administration. The result is a largely unregulated AI sector, with companies freely embedding tools into educational platforms while Washington remains mostly passive.
Educators sound the alarm
While policymakers hesitate, educators are speaking out. Many teachers and college professors have voiced concerns about the growing use of AI by students. Some fear that AI tools undermine the learning process by encouraging dependency rather than critical thinking. Others worry that AI will accelerate inequality in education, favoring those with access to advanced tools and leaving others behind.In response, schools across the country are taking different paths. Some have returned to handwritten assignments to prevent misuse of AI, while others have adopted AI as a teaching aid, hoping to harness its potential to personalize learning and boost student engagement. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Edu, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Gemini are being piloted in colleges. Khan Academy and other platforms have also introduced AI-powered tutors designed to work alongside human educators.The lack of consensus among educators mirrors the broader public divide. This uncertainty is not just about technology but about what kind of thinking schools are meant to cultivate.
A nation unsure of its digital destiny
The poll also explored how Americans perceive AI’s long-term impact. Forty-four percent believe AI will make their lives and their families’ lives better, while 42 percent believe it will make things worse. Only 7 percent see AI as a force that will make life “much better,” while 16 percent fear it will make life “much worse.” These responses reflect a public still trying to grasp the full implications of artificial intelligence.In education, that uncertainty becomes even more pressing. Schools are not simply places of content delivery. They are crucibles of cognitive development, where students learn not just information but how to think, question, and create. If AI replaces the struggle of writing or problem-solving with instant answers, what happens to that deeper intellectual growth?
An unfinished policy conversation
The classroom debate around AI is no longer theoretical. It is playing out in real time, often without guardrails. The current vacuum of policy leaves schools and teachers to make decisions without clear guidance. While federal lawmakers debate broader AI regulation, there is little national dialogue specifically about its role in education.This neglect may come at a cost. Without thoughtful integration, AI could widen learning gaps, diminish student effort, and erode the core mission of education. At the same time, rejecting AI entirely could leave American students ill-equipped for a job market increasingly shaped by automation and digital reasoning.
The future is watching
The choices educators and policymakers make now will define not only the role of AI in classrooms but also the values embedded in American education. The debate is no longer about whether AI will shape learning, but how and on whose terms.Artificial intelligence will not wait for consensus. It is already rewriting how knowledge is accessed, how assignments are completed, and how skills are developed. If the United States fails to develop a coherent vision for AI in education, it risks falling behind, not in technology, but in wisdom.The future of learning is being forged today. The question is whether America will lead with clarity or follow with confusion.
The AI in Education Market is estimated to be valued at USD 5.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach approximately USD 39.7 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 24.1% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2033.
📄 AI in Education Market Overview:
The AI in Education Market is rapidly expanding as institutions embrace digital transformation to personalize learning and improve administrative efficiency. AI-powered tools such as adaptive learning platforms, virtual tutors, and intelligent content creation are revolutionizing traditional education systems. These solutions offer real-time feedback, tailored learning paths, and data-driven insights, enhancing both student engagement and teacher performance. The growing demand for online education, especially post-pandemic, along with advancements in natural language processing and machine learning, is fueling market growth. Governments and ed-tech firms are investing heavily in AI infrastructure to improve accessibility and outcomes. However, concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, and lack of digital infrastructure in developing regions remain key challenges.
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The report further explores the key business players along with their in-depth profiling
IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Google LLC, Amazon Web Services Inc., Pearson PLC, Carnegie Learning Inc., Blackboard Inc., Cognii Inc., DreamBox Learning Inc., and Century-Tech Ltd.
AI in Education Market Segments:
By Component:
Solutions, Services
By Technology:
Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision
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By Application:
Virtual Facilitators, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Smart Content, Learning Platforms & Management Systems, Fraud & Risk Management
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Report Drivers & Trends Analysis:
The report also discusses the factors driving and restraining market growth, as well as their specific impact on demand over the forecast period. Also highlighted in this report are growth factors, developments, trends, challenges, limitations, and growth opportunities. This section highlights emerging AI in Education Market trends and changing dynamics. Furthermore, the study provides a forward-looking perspective on various factors that are expected to boost the market’s overall growth.
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» North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
» Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)
» Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of APAC)
» South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of SA)
» Middle East & Africa (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Africa, Rest of MEA)
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This release was published on openPR.
Abu Dhabi: Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational curricula has become a crucial step in keeping pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape. The goal is to prepare a generation equipped to meet future challenges with confidence and competence.
According to academic experts, early exposure to AI fundamentals provides students with a competitive edge, enhances career prospects, and aligns their learning with the demands of tomorrow’s job market.
Collaboration with Google
The UAE Ministry of Education has announced the launch of an advanced AI training session for Cycle 3 students titled “AI from Google.” Developed in partnership with INJAZ UAE and Google, the initiative commenced on Wednesday.
The program forms part of a broader strategic framework aimed at equipping students with in-depth knowledge of Generative AI, distinguishing it from traditional machine learning techniques. It also highlights the transformative impact of AI across key sectors such as education, employment, and the economy.
The training includes hands-on practical applications, allowing students to interact directly with Google’s AI tools. It places strong emphasis on the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence within a supervised learning environment.
Upon successful completion, participants will receive official certificates of participation issued jointly by INJAZ UAE and Google. The program is completely free of charge, and registration can be completed via the following link: https://forms.gle/FUabzGuA1Yxnhbjh7.
The Ministry of Education reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to providing students across the UAE with advanced learning opportunities, fostering interactive digital environments, and empowering them with Fourth Industrial Revolution tools through strategic partnerships with global technology leaders such as Google.
AI as an official subject
Beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year, public schools across the UAE will officially introduce artificial intelligence as a core subject. AI education will be offered from kindergarten through Grade 12, making the UAE one of the first countries globally to incorporate AI across every stage of a student’s learning journey.
This groundbreaking initiative, announced by the Ministry of Education, marks a significant leap toward preparing students for a technology-driven future.
Empowering the innovators of tomorrow
The AI curriculum aims to provide students with the necessary tools to understand and utilise artificial intelligence in daily life while supporting the UAE’s broader national mission of nurturing and developing future-ready talent.
To realise this vision, the program is being developed in partnership with leading tech and educational institutions, including:
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Pre sight (a G42 company)
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AI71
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Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)
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Emirates College for Advanced Education
Together, these partners are working to build an educational ecosystem where students evolve from passive consumers of technology to active innovators and problem-solvers.
A forward-thinking vision
The Ministry emphasised that integrating AI into all educational levels is a fundamental step in modernising the national curriculum. The initiative aims to raise a generation that understands the dimensions of emerging technologies and is capable of creating locally relevant smart solutions for future challenges.
This move reflects the UAE government’s forward-looking vision, solidifying its global leadership in innovation-driven education and supporting the nation’s goal of building a knowledge-based society and a competitive digital economy powered by skilled national talent.
A curriculum designed for a digital world
The AI curriculum covers seven core areas:
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Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
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Data and Algorithms
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Software Tools
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Ethical Awareness
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Real-world Applications
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Innovation and Project Design
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Engagement in Political and Societal Issues
The program equips students with age-appropriate knowledge and skills at each academic level, ensuring that all public school graduates possess a solid understanding of AI and can apply it effectively in everyday life.
Curriculum design is carefully aligned with student developmental stages:
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Kindergarten: Introduction to AI through stories, visuals, and play-based activities
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Cycle 1 (Grades 1–4): Comparing human and machine capabilities and developing digital thinking
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Cycle 2 (Grades 5–8): Exploring AI design, algorithmic bias, and ethical considerations
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Cycle 3 (Grades 9–12): Tackling real-world challenges and learning advanced AI concepts such as prompt engineering
Seamless integration without additional hours
What sets this initiative apart is its full integration into the existing school schedule. AI will be delivered through the subject “Computing, Creative Design, and Innovation,” requiring no adjustments to school hours or added academic burden.
The Ministry will also provide educators with detailed guidance, hands-on activities, and customized lesson plans to support effective teaching.
A major transformation in education
The integration of AI into curricula marks a significant transformation in the education sector. It aims to personalize learning experiences, streamline administrative tasks, and enhance engagement and educational outcomes.
Key benefits of integrating AI in education:
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Personalised learning: AI can analyse student data and deliver tailored educational experiences.
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Enhanced engagement: AI-powered tools such as interactive games and simulations make lessons more engaging.
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Streamlined administrative tasks: AI automates grading and report generation, freeing up teachers to focus on students.
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Immediate feedback: Real-time insights help students improve more efficiently.
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Diverse multimedia content: AI facilitates access to rich, varied educational materials.
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Improved assessment: Accurate and comprehensive performance evaluations.
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Global learning access: AI supports online learning for students anywhere in the world.
Examples of AI applications in education:
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Adaptive learning platforms: Custom-tailored content based on student ability levels
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Content creation tools: Assist educators in designing interactive and diverse materials
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Data analytics tools: Help teachers assess performance and offer targeted support
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Educational chatbots: Provide instant answers and academic assistance
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Virtual reality simulations: Deliver immersive, interactive learning experiences
Challenges of AI integration in education:
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Resource limitations: Significant investment in infrastructure and technology may be required
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Skills gap: Shortage of trained teachers proficient in AI tools
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Ethical concerns: Addressing data privacy, security, and responsible use
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Human interaction: Ensuring meaningful engagement between teachers and students
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Overreliance on technology: Encouraging critical and analytical thinking beyond automation
Examples of AI integration in curricula:
-
UAE Ministry of Education: Announced AI as a subject for all public school levels starting next academic year
-
HST School of Applied Technology (Egypt): The first school in Egypt specialized in AI technology
Towards more effective education
Incorporating AI into the curriculum presents an opportunity to transform education into a more personalized, efficient, and future-oriented system. By addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities, schools and educators can offer exceptional learning experiences and empower students to succeed in an AI-driven world.
Frequently asked questions:
What subjects are taught in an AI college?
AI colleges typically include four main departments:
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Machine Programming and Information Retrieval
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Robotics and Intelligent Machines
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Embedded Network Systems Technology
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Data Science
The undergraduate program spans four years, culminating in a Bachelor’s degree in AI Sciences.
How many years does it take to study AI?
AI undergraduate programs usually take 3–4 years. Master’s degrees may require an additional 1–2 years, while PhDs typically span 3–4 years.
What courses are included in an AI curriculum?
Key subjects in an AI curriculum often include:
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Advanced Technology Courses
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Machine Learning
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Decision-Making and Robotics
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Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing
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Human-AI Interaction
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AI Ethics
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Functional Programming
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Data Analysis
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Algorithm Engineering
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