Top 10 AI Prompts and Use Cases and in the Education Industry in Murfreesboro

As Murfreesboro classrooms join a statewide shift, more than 60% of Tennessee districts report active AI use to reduce teacher workload and personalize learning, turning tools into tutors and time-savers for busy schools; local teams like Rutherford County's Instructional Technology department already list "Use of Artificial Intelligence Programs" and targeted professional development among their priorities (Rutherford County Instructional Technology resources and priorities).

Tennessee coverage of classroom pilots and the SCORE/TDOE survey highlights both promise and risk - privacy, cheating, and equity - so districts need vetted tools and fast PD (Tennessee classroom AI adoption report and educator perspectives).

For leaders seeking practical staff training, a 15-week AI Essentials for Work bootcamp teaches prompt writing and workplace AI skills to help Murfreesboro translate policy into safer, classroom-ready practice (AI Essentials for Work syllabus and course details).

Program	Length	Courses	Early-bird Cost	Syllabus
AI Essentials for Work	15 Weeks	AI at Work: Foundations; Writing AI Prompts; Job Based Practical AI Skills	$3,582	AI Essentials for Work syllabus and curriculum

“People who use AI are going to replace those who don't,” said Dr. Stacia Lewis, assistant superintendent for Sevier County Schools.

Methodology: use cases were chosen by cross-referencing Tennessee-facing guidance, local capacity, and evidence of teacher demand - prioritizing prompts that support classroom instruction, professional development, equity checks, and workforce-readiness.

Priority criteria included alignment with SCORE's policy recommendations for statewide AI literacy and PD (SCORE Tennessee Opportunity for AI in Education memo), practical training pathways and tool checklists documented by Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and MTSU AI resources for learning), and venues for district-scale pilots such as the Tennessee AI in Education & Workforce Development Conference in Murfreesboro.

Use cases were ranked by (1) classroom impact (teacher time saved or student skill gained), (2) feasibility with district data/privacy constraints, (3) alignment to local PD events and university partnerships, and (4) measurable ROI proxies (reduced grading time, targeted interventions).

The result: ten prompts that map directly to Tennessee PD opportunities and address MTSU-flagged limitations (detector unreliability, ethical guidance), so district leaders have concrete, tested starting points rather than abstract “what ifs.”

Event	Audience	Date & Location
What's New In AI?	OpenAI Initiative	9/23/24 - LT&ITC and Zoom
Investing in Human Skills in the Age of AI	TN STEM Education Center	11/12/24 - FAIR 102D
AI in the Classroom Panel	Open	4/11/25 - Miller Education Center Atrium

“Data Science is a set of tools and techniques designed to interpret and communicate complex information,” Gamble explained.

Design a family night that pairs hands-on, age-diverse stations with short, teacher-led demos that demystify AI - use one station for a live, simple AI example (use Engage2Learn 10 AI prompts for education leaders Engage2Learn: 10 AI Prompts for Education Leaders), another for SEL-friendly conversation starters about technology use (Engage2Learn Parent Toolkit for school closures Engage2Learn Parent Toolkit) and a third for low-tech, screen-free activities families can replicate at home (Family Helpers whole-family night activity ideas Family Helpers: Engaging Activities for Whole-Family Nights).

Recruit families with a quick pre-event survey, offer bilingual instructions and staff each center, and send home activity bags so families who can't attend still receive materials and follow-ups; combining practical how-tos with SEL framing turns curiosity into confidence and gives parents one concrete takeaway they can use the next morning at the kitchen table.

“Between the news, social media, other kids, and school announcements, your children are probably more aware of what's going on than you realize.”

Turn student growth from a stack of scores into clear interventions by unifying Tennessee state assessments, local benchmarks, attendance and behavior in one view - Otus centralizes third-party and local data so Murfreesboro teachers can spot which standards or cohorts are lagging, create SMART goals, and monitor progress with consistent formative checks; this lets Professional Learning Communities move quickly from identification to action (for example, making targeted small‑group instruction from standards-based mastery data rather than guesswork).

Practical steps include choosing up to three objective data points, establishing baseline measures at unit start, and using Otus reports to form student groups and track intervention fidelity across weeks rather than months.

For leaders planning pilots or PD, see the Otus guide to data-driven instruction for concrete workflows and try AI prompts that surface students who are “stagnating” or at multi-subject risk to prioritize MTSS supports.

DDI Element	What to Do
Reliable baseline data	Use consistent, comparable measures at unit start
SMART goal setting	Write specific, timebound targets tied to standards
Consistent progress monitoring	Collect the same formative metrics regularly
Professional Learning Communities	Share groups and evidence to refine interventions
Targeted interventions	Differentiate instruction from mastery-based groups

“If you are able to quickly group students by data, that can save a lot of time so that educators around the table can use their brainpower to analyze what the data means, determine inconsistencies, identify when more information is needed and discuss students who might benefit from student services or even grade-level acceleration.” - Becky Mathison

SCORE-style early-warning risk scores in Tennessee rely on aggregating attendance, behavior and academic (“ABC”) data into a single view so districts can flag students who cross evidence-based risk thresholds and move from identification to intervention in days rather than months; platforms that support this workflow - like Branching Minds' MTSS guidance (Branching Minds MTSS guidance on early warning systems) and Panorama's Student Success platform (which lists Tennessee among supported states and offers daily data syncs and intervention tracking - Panorama Student Success early warning system) - combine predictive indicators with role-based reports so teachers, counselors, and coaches share one “whole-student” picture; independent research and practice guidance from AIR further recommends validating local indicators and using a continuous improvement cycle to tune models to state and district patterns (AIR research on early warning systems in education), giving Murfreesboro leaders a practical path to detect risk early and target scarce Tier 2/Tier 3 supports more efficiently.

Core Component	What to Do
Establish a Team	Assign diverse stakeholders clear ownership
Identify Accurate Indicators	Choose attendance, behavior, and course performance measures
Report Design & Usage	Integrate data into shared, actionable reports
Map Interventions	Document assigned interventions, goals, and timelines
Evaluate Progress	Review outcomes and adjust supports via continuous improvement

“To put a system in place by which we can pull in the data, use the data to identify those students who have hit thresholds that would cause concern, that would tell us that they're at risk of falling behind.” - Emily-Rose Barry, Branching Minds

To close persistent subgroup gaps in Murfreesboro, district leaders should pair the IES ESSA guidance on choosing a defensible minimum n‑size with school‑level data teams that translate those rules into usable rosters and interventions; the federal report explains that the chosen minimum n‑size directly controls how many students' outcomes appear in public accountability while protecting privacy, so Tennessee districts must balance inclusion against statistical reliability (IES guidance on determining minimum subgroup size for ESSA accountability reporting).

Practical school practice looks like the NASSP case study: convene a cross‑role data team, generate clear data sets (e.g., not‑likely‑to‑be‑proficient, multi‑subgroup students, both, and “not growing” cohorts), and use those lists to form targeted Tier 2/3 groups and PD so interventions reach the exact students influencing gap metrics (NASSP case study on using data to close the achievement gap).

The so‑what: setting the right minimum n and sharing simple, named data sets lets schools move from vague equity goals to concrete action - identifying who needs extra minutes of instruction or which classrooms need literacy scaffolds within weeks, not years.

Data Set	Purpose
Data Set 1 - NLTBP	Students not likely to be proficient on upcoming state tests
Data Set 2 - Multi‑subgroup	Students in three or more subgroups (IEP, EL, FRL, race, etc.)
Data Set 3 - NLTBP + Multi‑subgroup	High‑leverage students who are both at risk and in multiple subgroups
Data Set 4 - Not Growing	Students showing little year‑to‑year academic growth

“For too long, we've focused on the student as the unit of change, when [their challenges] are symptomatic of all of the other things that are going on in the community. These partnerships make sense because all these entities have some influence on students and their homes.” - Dan Good

Curriculum alignment in Tennessee means treating state standards as the destination and benchmark assessments as the mid-course GPS: translate Tennessee content standards into a prioritized curriculum map, run benchmark checks at multiple points during the year, and use those interim results to validate that classroom assessments actually measure the standards you expect students to master; practical guidance on turning standards into teachable curricula is described by Edutopia's leadership-focused steps for planning backward and structured professional development (Edutopia guide to curriculum and standards: ensuring curriculum achieves standards), while field reports and case studies show benchmark assessments used throughout the year to signal mastery and guide course corrections (WestEd report on benchmark assessments and Common Core math implementation), - for operational detail, a comprehensive guide explains how benchmarks sit between daily formative checks and annual state tests and why their timing and scope matter for pacing and intervention (Classtime comprehensive guide to benchmark assessments).

The so-what: regular, standards-linked benchmarks let Murfreesboro leaders detect misaligned units and reassign targeted PD or instructional minutes before annual state assessments, turning vague “coverage” into evidence-based instructional adjustments that raise the odds of proficiency.

Measure	Benchmark Assessments	State / Summative Assessments
Purpose	Check progress toward standards; guide instruction	Evaluate end-of-year proficiency against state standards
Timing	Multiple times during the year (interim checkpoints)	Typically annual
Use	Adjust pacing, group students, validate curriculum alignment	Accountability, program evaluation

“In states, districts and classrooms, this is the long-term, detailed implementation that will determine whether the standards make a difference for students,” said Kim Anderson, director of the SREB project.

Make professional learning follow the teacher, not the calendar: Tennessee leaders should build 2–3 clear PD pathways (novice 0–3 years, mid‑career 4–10 years, veteran 10+ years) that combine job‑embedded coaching, teacher‑led PLC time, and on‑demand options so growth is visible and rewarded - research shows personalized pathways improve retention and keep veteran expertise in classrooms rather than costing districts replacement expenses (nearly 20% of new teachers leave within five years and turnover can cost roughly $25,000 per teacher) (PD-based teacher retention strategies for improving teacher retention through professional development).

Use an AI prompt to draft individualized plans and goals (personalized professional development plan AI prompt example), embed reflection prompts throughout sessions (not only at the end), and align to evidence‑based dosage - sustained, content‑focused learning with coaching and feedback (30+ contact hours when feasible) (hallmarks of effective professional development and evidence-based PD practices).

The so‑what: a structured PD system that targets career stage and includes coaching can turn one‑off workshops into measurable classroom practice within a semester, saving instructional time and lowering turnover risk.

Career Stage	PD Focus
Novice (0–3 yrs)	Classroom management, core instructional routines, mentorship
Mid‑career (4–10 yrs)	Specialized strategies, leadership roles, action research
Veteran (10+ yrs)	Coaching skills, curriculum design, recognition pathways

Track attendance like a health metric: chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days (about 18–20 days in a 180‑day year), and nationally the rate nearly doubled from 2018 to 2022 - reaching roughly 28% and remaining about 75% above pre‑pandemic levels - so Murfreesboro leaders should treat small, early increases as urgent signals rather than isolated incidents; use consistent digital systems to examine attendance patterns, flag students approaching thresholds, and trigger tiered supports such as family outreach, home visits, community-school coordinators, and targeted transportation or mental‑health referrals (see community schools strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism from the Learning Policy Institute).

Measure with multiple metrics (chronic‑absence rate, average daily attendance, consecutive absences) to spot trends and equity gaps, disaggregate by subgroup, and embed alerts into early‑warning dashboards so teachers and counselors can move from identification to intervention in days, not months (see how to measure chronic absenteeism and key metrics at Panorama).

Practical, on‑the‑ground tactics - walking school buses, flexible schedules, clothing closets, or a credit‑recovery “school within a school” - have lowered absences elsewhere and can be piloted locally to keep students connected and prevent the academic slide that often follows missed time (read how schools are tackling chronic absenteeism for examples and implementation tips).

Metric	Definition / Example
Chronic absenteeism	Missing ≥10% of school days (≈18–20 days in a 180‑day year)
Average daily attendance	Percent of enrolled students attending each day
Consecutive absences	Runs of missed days used as an early‑warning indicator

“The vast majority of kids aren't missing school because they don't care. They're missing school for many reasons…” - Robert Balfanz

Staffing strategy in Murfreesboro should move from ad hoc hires to data-driven reallocations: monitor student-to-staff FTE and prioritize filling the roles that most affect learning - special education teachers, classroom aides, and mental‑health professionals - while using flexible arrangements (part‑time, temporary, job‑sharing) and managed‑service partners to cover spikes in need; national signals matter locally - 86% of U.S. schools reported hiring challenges for 2023–24, and districts nationwide added 121,000 employees even as enrollment fell by 110,000, so Tennessee leaders must weigh sustainability as federal relief fades (NCES report on national hiring challenges and vacancy breakdown, interactive analysis of staffing versus enrollment trends).

Practical moves: adopt flexible staffing models and pre‑vetted substitute pools described by workforce advisors, tag hard‑to‑fill roles for targeted recruiting and competitive pay, and run simple staffing/ROI scenarios (student outcomes per FTE) so one concrete metric - minutes of targeted instruction recovered per reallocated FTE - drives decisions at the school level (guide to flexible staffing approaches and managed service partner support).

The so‑what: shifting to this model can convert vacant seats into stabilized interventions within a semester instead of leaving instruction uneven for an entire year.

Indicator	Key Value / Focus
National hiring challenges	86% of schools reported difficulty hiring (NCES)
Staffing vs. enrollment trend	+121,000 employees, −110,000 students (2023–24 analysis)
Most difficult roles to fill	Special education teachers, classroom aides, mental‑health staff

“Although we see a somewhat smaller share of public schools starting the new academic year feeling understaffed, the data indicate the majority of public schools are experiencing staffing challenges at the same levels they did last school year.” - Peggy G. Carr, NCES Commissioner

A practical communications plan for Murfreesboro's AI rollout pairs transparency with simple supports: launch an AI awareness campaign that publishes an easy‑to‑find FAQ and a one‑page district policy, run summer pilots tied to professional development so staff can try tools in low‑stakes settings, and require clear disclosure whenever AI helps produce official messages so families and teachers know when automation is being used; these steps mirror Edutopia's recommended playbook for supporting reluctant adopters (Edutopia article - 5 Strategies for Supporting AI Adoption in Schools), align with district readiness best practices from PowerSchool (PowerSchool guide - How K–12 Leaders Can Build AI Readiness Now), and respond to NSPRA findings that most communicators already use AI while many districts lack policies or disclosure (NSPRA report - The State of AI in School Communication).

Include a two‑week staff pulse survey after each pilot, highlight an early success in newsletters, and keep a cross‑functional hotline (IT + communications + curriculum) to answer privacy or academic‑integrity questions so morale shifts from anxiety to pragmatic experimentation.

Indicator	Value
School communicators using AI	91% (NSPRA)
Districts without formal AI policy	69% (NSPRA)
Districts not disclosing AI use	61% (NSPRA)
Districts with generative AI initiatives	≈80% (CoSN via PowerSchool)
Districts training admin/support staff	51% (PowerSchool)

“The data tells a compelling story: While school communicators are adopting AI at a rapid pace, many districts have yet to establish the structures, supports or guardrails needed to ensure its ethical and strategic use.”

Estimate ROI for Murfreesboro interventions by pairing a system-level framework with vendor-validated impact data: adopt the five-step System Strategy ROI (SSROI) process to name core needs, build a theory of action, define measurable success metrics, and weigh costs and sustainability so district leaders tie investment decisions to continuous improvement (SSROI five-step guide to return on investment in education); use vendor studies as realistic benchmarks - one MTSS platform's independent analysis reported a 426% ROI over three years and a representative 12,000‑student district recouped its investment in three months, alongside large time‑savings and measurable student growth that districts can use to model local scenarios (Branching Minds ROI findings with Hobson & Company).

Practical next steps: pick 2–3 priority initiatives, map costs and expected outcomes (time saved, students moved to proficiency, fewer unnecessary referrals), run conservative and optimistic ROI scenarios, and embed an ongoing evaluation cadence so Murfreesboro can reallocate realized savings to proven classroom supports rather than one‑off pilots - turning ROI from a finance exercise into a tool for sustainable improvement.

Metric	Reported Finding
ROI (3 years)	426% (Branching Minds / Hobson & Company)
Payback	Investment recouped in 3 months (representative 12,000‑student district)
Operational gains	50% less time creating intervention plans; 40% less time tracking progress; 76% of districts saw more students meeting growth expectations

“Our mission has always been to empower educators to efficiently, effectively, and objectively support all learners to succeed. These findings validate that we are achieving real and measurable impact in saving time, increasing collaboration, reducing unnecessary SPED referrals, and improving teacher retention. In addition to the sizable cost savings that our partner districts are getting from Branching Minds, they are improving operational and educational outcomes.” - Maya Gat, CEO and Co‑Founder

Practical next steps for Murfreesboro schools: adopt a clear roadmap, run a semester‑long pilot in 1–3 schools tied to targeted PD, and measure both educator experience and student signals so decisions are evidence‑driven - not anecdote‑driven; start by using the Panorama AI Roadmap for district leaders to evaluate vendors and craft prompts for MTSS workflows, pair that guidance with SREB responsible AI guidance for K‑12 educators for responsible classroom use, and enroll instructional leaders in a 15‑week prompt‑writing and workplace AI course to make teacher PD practical and job‑embedded (AI Essentials for Work 15‑week syllabus).

Operationalize pilots with a two‑week staff pulse survey after rollout, validate early‑warning indicators against local data, and run conservative ROI scenarios so savings fund sustained supports rather than one‑off tech buys - one concrete move: protect planning time by tying AI tool adoption to a PD cohort and measurable time‑savings targets for grading and lesson prep.

Next Step	Resource
Choose & evaluate AI tools	Panorama AI Roadmap for district leaders
Adopt responsible-use guidance	SREB responsible AI guidance for K‑12 educators
Staff PD: prompt writing & applied AI	AI Essentials for Work 15-week syllabus

“SREB's guidance underscores that AI should be viewed as a partner - not a replacement - for teachers.”