Florida Atlantic University is leading a three-year, $5.7 million project to raise reading and math scores in high-need schools and teach educators how to use artificial intelligence. The program, called LEAP-AI, includes the Florida Department of Education, Broward County Public Schools and Miami Dade College.
The effort targets 18 high-need schools in Broward County. Broward already outperforms the state on one measure: 64% of third graders scored at or above grade level on the FAST English Language Arts test in 2026, compared with 60% statewide. LEAP-AI aims at the remaining gaps in reading, English for speakers of other languages, math and school leadership.
The project has three parts. Assistant principals will take a two-year leadership pathway toward Florida Level 2 Principal Certification. Classroom teachers will earn AI and literacy micro-credentials and receive coaching. A Registered Educator Apprenticeship will let paraprofessionals and aspiring teachers earn credentials while they keep working.
Daniel Reyes-Guerra, an FAU professor of educational leadership who is the project’s principal investigator, said teachers cannot improve what they are not equipped to teach. Education Commissioner Henry Mack and FAU President Adam Hasner also praised the program.
By the end of the grant, at least 100 educators are expected to finish the micro-credentials, 18 assistant principals should complete the leadership pathway and 18 apprentices will work toward certification. FAU also plans a toolkit that other districts can use to copy the model. The money comes from the federal Supporting Effective Educator Development program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education through the U.S. Department of Labor.
