Lately, I've been getting a lot of DMs from colleagues asking for advice on which AI tools are best suited for school psychologists. To make things easier, I’ve put together this guide to help you explore the top AI tools out there—tools that can save you time, boost productivity, and help with everything from drafting reports to preparing presentations.

For those short on time, here’s a quick summary:

• ChatGPT: Ideal for brainstorming, drafting emails, and summarizing articles. Free version available; not for PII.

• Claude: Great for rephrasing and making text parent-friendly. Free version available; not for PII.

• Perplexity: Quick research assistant for evidence-based practices and article summaries. Free version available; not for PII.

• NotebookLM: Fantastic for organizing notes, generating summaries from research, and creating podcasts. Free; not for PII.

• Microsoft 365 Co-Pilot: FERPA-compliant options, powerful for secure work with student data. Includes document editing, presentations, meeting summaries, and data analysis, but requires a Business Associate Agreement (BAA).

A quick note: Using these tools effectively requires a solid understanding of prompting—knowing how to phrase requests to get the best results. I’ll cover this topic in more detail in an upcoming blog to help you make the most out of each AI tool.

Now, let’s dive into how each tool can specifically support your work as a school psychologist

ChatGPT: A Conversational Partner for Brainstorming and Drafting

Uses:
ChatGPT by OpenAI is a versatile AI text generator that’s incredibly helpful for brainstorming ideas, drafting text, and creating content for presentations. Whether you need help crafting a letter for a school-wide initiative or summarizing research articles, ChatGPT can provide you with language suggestions and content drafts in seconds.

Best for:

• Drafting letters, emails, and general documents: ChatGPT can help you get a draft started, even suggesting alternative wording to improve tone or clarity.

• Summarizing research articles: If you need a quick overview of an article’s main points, ChatGPT can help summarize content without personal details.

• Generating ideas for presentations: Start with a prompt or outline, and ChatGPT can help expand your ideas into talking points.

Limitations: ChatGPT isn’t perfect and may sometimes create information that sounds plausible but is inaccurate (aka, hallucinate). Always verify the information it generates, and avoid inputting sensitive student information. Note that this tool is not FERPA compliant and should not be used for handling student data.

Claude by Anthropic: Precise and Reliable AI Support

Uses:
Claude is another powerful language model designed by Anthropic. It’s known for being easy to use, especially for drafting, summarizing, and note-taking. Claude can also assist in rephrasing text to make it more accessible for parents or non-psychologist audiences. Claude is my favorite writer.

Best for:

• Rephrasing complex text: Claude can simplify jargon-heavy content, making your communications more parent-friendly.

• Summarizing lengthy documents: From articles to large reports, Claude is useful for creating concise summaries that capture key points without unnecessary detail.

• Checking tone and readability: If you want to ensure your report or document is approachable, Claude’s adjustments can make it feel more inclusive.

Limitations: Like ChatGPT, Claude isn’t perfect and may sometimes create information that is inaccurate. Always verify the information it generates, and avoid inputting sensitive student information. Note that this tool is not FERPA compliant and should not be used for handling student data.

Perplexity: Your Q&A AI for Quick, Research-Based Answers

Uses:
Perplexity AI is known as an answer engine summarizer. It’s an good choice for answering questions quickly, pulling information from research-based sources when possible. It's good for school psychologists looking to find supporting research for interventions, evidence-based practices, or quick facts on psychological principles.

Best for:

• Quick research queries: Get concise answers on specific topics (e.g., “What’s the research on social-emotional learning interventions from 2024?”).

• Background research for presentations: If you’re preparing a PD session or a teacher training, Perplexity can help you gather relevant information.

• Exploring evidence-based practices: Ideal for getting background information on common interventions.

Limitations: Perplexity is generally accurate but can still generate incorrect information. Double-check responses if they’re used in formal reports or presentations. Note that this tool is not FERPA compliant and should not be used for handling student data.

NotebookLM: Organize, Summarize, and Create

Best for:

• Grounded AI model: NotebookLM is a "grounded" model, meaning it relies on reliable, factual sources for its answers, making it less likely to produce incorrect information compared to other AI tools.

• Organizing research notes: Perfect for keeping all your findings in one place and cross-referencing material.

• Drafting summaries from research findings: Helps you synthesize information into clear, concise summaries.

• Generating outlines for reports or presentations: A strong tool for creating structured outlines from research materials.

• Creating podcasts: Generate audio summaries of your notes with the click of a button. The podcasts that you hear on my blog are generated with it!

Limitations: NotebookLM is still evolving and may have limitations in processing complex research. A grounded model means it bases its outputs on reliable sources, which helps reduce the risk of inaccuracies. Like the other tools, it’s not for personal information and works best for non-confidential information. It is less likely to produce incorrect information compared to others, but it's still important to verify. Note that this tool is not FERPA compliant and should not be used for handling student data.

Microsoft 365 Co-Pilot: The FERPA-Compliant (with caution) Assistant for Handling Student Data

For school psychologists who need AI support with student data, Microsoft 365 Co-Pilot with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a powerful, secure option. Co-Pilot integrates seamlessly within the Microsoft 365 suite, meaning it can assist with tasks directly in Word, Excel, Outlook, and more, but it's important to verify with your IT department that your organization has the correct version, as not all implementations may be FERPA-compliant. A BAA is simply an agreement that ensures a third-party service complies with data privacy standards for handling sensitive information. This is my overall pick for a school psychologist wanting to only use a single model (at this time).

Best for:

• Writing and Editing Documents: Create, edit, and summarize documents quickly including reports (with a BAA). Co-Pilot can also suggest more accessible language, insert images, or transform text into tables.

• Presentations: Convert Word documents into PowerPoint slides, start presentations from prompts, and reformat text for clarity.

• Meeting Summaries: For team meetings or IEP discussions, Co-Pilot can summarize key points, track real-time discussions, and generate summaries for those who may have missed part of the meeting.

• Data Analysis: Analyze assessment data, identify trends, and generate visualizations in Excel to support intervention planning or progress monitoring.

• Email and Inbox Management: Co-Pilot can summarize lengthy email threads and suggest replies, helping you stay on top of parent and staff communication.

• Brainstorming Support: Need fresh ideas for behavior interventions? Co-Pilot can help generate a range of ideas based on previous notes or general input.

Compliance and Security: Co-Pilot with a BAA provides FERPA-compliant security, making it safer for handling student data. Always ensure that your organization has established this agreement with Microsoft to maintain compliance with data privacy regulations. In my case, this was as easy as emailing our IT department.

Conclusion:
These AI tools are exciting additions to the toolkit of a modern school psychologist. From brainstorming and drafting documents to summarizing meetings and managing data, these tools offer a range of supports that can enhance efficiency, creativity, and focus on student outcomes. Just remember, while they are powerful, they require cautious handling, especially regarding data privacy. Try the free versions to explore each tool's potential and find the best fit for your workflow—keeping PII safety front and center.