Fox Chapel Area High School earns AI-related accolade

Fox Chapel Area High School has earned the Responsible AI (artificial intelligence) in Learning (RAIL) Endorsement in AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics from the Middle States Association (MSA). The purpose of RAIL, and of this endorsement in particular, is to help schools “stay safe and stay ahead” with AI. Fox Chapel Area High School is among the first 50 schools worldwide to receive this endorsement.

According to an email from the MSA AI professional peer review team, “As a member of RAIL’s ‘Founding Fifty,’ you are a pioneer as the world of education grapples with the implications of generative AI. Your commitment to this work has set a powerful example for how schools can lead in adopting AI responsibly and ethically. Your work is … a signal to your community that your school is proactively shaping the future of learning.”

In order to be RAIL endorsed in AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics, Fox Chapel Area High School met requirements for practices (evidence of AI literacy and training materials and resources), program (plans to implement responsible AI), infrastructure (descriptions for those who will lead school AI efforts), governance (handbook statements and policies on AI), and culture & identity (aligning the district’s mission, vision, and values statements to responsible AI use).

Fox Chapel Area School District Superintendent Dr. Mary Catherine Reljac says the RAIL Endorsement is evidence of the district’s diligence in teaching the use of AI in a responsible manner.

“The Fox Chapel Area School District centers its work on learning and teaching while preparing its students for their futures. Being a future-focused district means using technology and artificial intelligence tools in ways that enhance learning, teaching, and working. By co-creating our approach with students and staff, the district is finding ways to responsibly use artificial intelligence to enhance innovation and opportunities, and is also identifying areas where artificial intelligence may not be as effective for the desired goals,” said Dr. Reljac. “The RAIL endorsement complemented our efforts to provide students and staff with a framework for using artificial intelligence at appropriate times, in appropriate ways, and within ethical guidelines for learning.”

The RAIL endorsement for Fox Chapel Area High School covers two years, from July 2026 through July 2028. The endorsement is the world’s only comprehensive implementation framework for AI in K-12 schools and systems.

The MSA is a Philadelphia-based, non-profit educational accreditation organization that evaluates and accredits public, private, and faith-based schools (pre-K through secondary), and higher education institutions to ensure rigorous standards and continuous improvement.