High School Teachers' Guide: Presidential AI Challenge & West Virginia Standards Alignment

How the Presidential AI Challenge Meets WVBE Policy 2520.14 (College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Technology and Computer Science)

Quick Reference: West Virginia Standards Alignment at a Glance

Jump to Full Details Below

Here's what you need to know: The Presidential AI Challenge directly addresses all seven Technology clusters and all five Computer Science clusters required by West Virginia's College- and Career-Readiness Standards for 9-12.

When your students identify a problem, explore it with AI_Challenge_Helper or AI_App_Ideator, design an app, build it, test it, and submit it, they're hitting standards in these categories:

Technology Standards (T.9-12.1 through T.9-12.24)

• Empowered Learner (T.9-12.1 through T.9-12.8)

• Digital Citizen (T.9-12.9 through T.9-12.12)

• Knowledge Constructor (T.9-12.13 through T.9-12.15)

• Innovative Designer (T.9-12.16 through T.9-12.17)

• Computational Thinker (T.9-12.18 through T.9-12.19)

• Creative Communicator (T.9-12.20 through T.9-12.21)

• Global Collaborator (T.9-12.22 through T.9-12.24)

Computer Science Standards (CS.9-12.1 through CS.9-12.14)

• Computer Systems and Computational Thinking (CS.9-12.1 through CS.9-12.2)

• Networks and Cyber Infrastructure (CS.9-12.3 through CS.9-12.4)

• Data and Information (CS.9-12.5 through CS.9-12.7)

• Programming and Algorithms (CS.9-12.8 through CS.9-12.10)

• Impacts of Computing (CS.9-12.11 through CS.9-12.14)

Specific Computer Science Courses: Teachers, in consultation with administrators, may also structure challenge-related activities to count toward completion of specific WVBE-approved courses, in accordance with governing policies and procedures:

• Computer Science in the Modern World (CS.MW standards)

• Computer Science & Mathematics (CS.M standards)

• Computer Science – Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (CS.GIS standards)

• Discovering Computer Science (CS.DCS standards for middle and high school)

Bottom line: This isn't a supplement. This is standards-aligned work that counts toward graduation requirements and college/career readiness.

Why This Matters for Your Program

West Virginia expects all high school students to develop technology and computer science competencies as part of college- and career-readiness. Policy 2510 and Policy 2520.14 make this clear: technology and computer science are not electives—they're foundational skills all students need. West Virginia Standards alignment is key to any initiative.

The Presidential AI Challenge is a rigorous, authentic way to teach these standards while simultaneously preparing students for college, career, and civic participation in a technology-driven world. For high school, the challenge can be integrated into existing courses or stand alone as a capstone project.

Full Details: How Each Standard Gets Addressed

Technology Standards | Computer Science Standards | Specific Course Standards

Technology Standards

Empowered Learner (T.9-12.1 through T.9-12.8)

What the standard says: Students should articulate personal learning goals and manage technologies to achieve them; develop online networks and customize learning environments; utilize technologies efficiently and transfer skills to new platforms; select appropriate tools; explore real-world problems; locate and organize resources; evaluate resources for accuracy, perspective, and credibility; and use effective research strategies.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school students drive their own learning in this challenge. They identify a real-world problem they care about (not assigned by the teacher). They research the problem, explore potential solutions, and evaluate whether those solutions actually work. They select appropriate tools—AI_Challenge_Helper or AI_App_Ideator—based on their project's needs. They locate resources, organize information, and build a solution. Throughout, they're managing their own learning process and seeing where technology accelerates or enhances their thinking. By the end, they can articulate what they learned, how they used technology to solve a problem, and how those skills transfer to other contexts.

What you might say to a colleague or administrator: "The challenge respects high school students' autonomy and maturity. They're not following a worksheet. They're identifying a real problem that matters to them, researching it, designing a solution, and seeing it through. That's what college and career readiness looks like."

Digital Citizen (T.9-12.9 through T.9-12.12)

What the standard says: Students should keep personal data private and secure (understanding encryption, HTTPS, passwords, cookies, viruses, and data collection); manage digital identities and reputations; demonstrate and advocate for positive, safe, legal, and ethical technology use; and demonstrate understanding of intellectual property, copyright, permission, and fair use.

How the challenge addresses it:

This is where high school goes deeper than younger grades. The Presidential AI Challenge requires explicit attention to data privacy and security. Students learn what information is safe to share in a digital tool and what isn't. They understand that the tools they use collect data and have privacy policies. They cite their tools properly, understanding intellectual property. They discuss bias and fairness in AI itself: "Does this AI suggestion reflect fair or unfair assumptions? How might this solution affect different groups?" They're thinking critically about the ethics of technology creation, not just personal online safety.

What you might say: "High school students are old enough to understand that technology has real ethical implications. They're learning that when you create something that uses AI, you have a responsibility to think about privacy, bias, and fairness. That's digital citizenship at the level they need for college and career."

Knowledge Constructor (T.9-12.13 through T.9-12.15)

What the standard says: Students should publish and present content for specific audiences; communicate complex ideas using various digital tools; and create original works or responsibly repurpose digital resources into new creative works.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school students are creating a real digital product—an app that solves a real problem. They're designing it for a specific audience: people who will actually use it. They need to think about usability, accessibility, and clarity. In their demo video and narrative, they communicate complex ideas: the problem, the solution, why it matters, how it works, what they learned. They're using multiple digital tools (chat, video, app development, writing) to express themselves. This is knowledge construction at a sophisticated level.

What you might say: "By high school, we expect students to create complex digital products and communicate about them clearly to different audiences. This challenge does both. They're designing for real users, explaining their thinking to judges, and proving that they can use technology to solve problems and communicate about it."

Innovative Designer (T.9-12.16 through T.9-12.17)

What the standard says: Students should engage in a design process to generate ideas and create innovative products or solve authentic problems, and present ideas using appropriate tools.

How the challenge addresses it:

This is the core of the challenge for high school. Students engage in a full design cycle: Problem identification → Research → Ideation → Design → Development → Testing → Presentation. They're tackling authentic problems—not hypothetical or assigned problems. They're creating innovative products that didn't exist before. They're presenting their work professionally, explaining their design choices, and defending their solutions. They understand that innovation isn't magic; it's a process.

What you might say: "The design process is what engineers, programmers, entrepreneurs, and innovators actually use. This challenge teaches it authentically. Students see that real problem-solving requires research, iteration, testing, and refinement. They're not just learning about innovation—they're practicing it."

Computational Thinker (T.9-12.18 through T.9-12.19)

What the standard says: Students should find or organize relevant data and use technology to analyze and represent it in various ways to solve problems and make decisions, and apply evaluation strategies when using electronic resources.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school students should be sophisticated data analysts. If their app collects data (user feedback, testing results, survey responses), they organize and analyze it. They create visualizations or reports to explain what the data shows. They use data to make decisions about their app: "Does it work? Who uses it? What should we improve?" They evaluate whether electronic resources (including AI suggestions) are credible and useful. They're thinking like data scientists and analysts.

What you might say: "Computational thinking is central to how modern organizations make decisions. This challenge teaches it practically. Students collect data from their testing, analyze it, and use it to refine their product. That's what product managers, UX designers, and data analysts do every day."

Creative Communicator (T.9-12.20 through T.9-12.21)

What the standard says: Students should actively seek performance feedback and select technology to demonstrate learning in multiple ways, and use communication tools to gather information, share ideas, and respond to questions.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school students use multiple tools to communicate: the Poe chat (or equivalent AI conversation tool), the demo video, the written narrative, the working app itself. They seek feedback during testing and incorporate it into their solution. They explain their thinking clearly and defend their design choices. They understand that communication is iterative—feedback makes work better. They're using technology not just to create, but to communicate their creation effectively.

What you might say: "Communication is one of the most important skills employers and colleges look for. This challenge teaches multiple forms of digital communication. Students learn to explain technical concepts to different audiences—judges, peers, teachers. That's real communication skill."

Global Collaborator (T.9-12.22 through T.9-12.24)

What the standard says: Students should use collaborative technologies to connect with others including peers, experts, and community members; use digital tools to develop richer understanding of different perspectives and cultures; and explore local and global issues to develop solutions collaboratively.

How the challenge addresses it:

The Presidential AI Challenge connects high school students to a national (and potentially global) community of young problem-solvers. They see that others are tackling similar issues. When they submit their work, they're part of a larger conversation about how technology can address real problems. If their problem is local (a school issue), they're still connecting to national standards and competing against peers from across the country. They're learning that local solutions can have broader impact and that collaboration happens across networks, not just in classrooms.

What you might say: "This challenge puts students in a national context. They're not just solving a problem for their school—they're part of a movement where young people are using AI to address real issues. They see that their thinking connects to something bigger. That's what global collaboration looks like in practice."

Computer Science Standards

Computer Systems and Computational Thinking (CS.9-12.1 through CS.9-12.2)

What the standard says: Students should develop and apply criteria for evaluating computer systems for a given purpose, and explain how abstractions hide implementation details in everyday computing.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school students should understand how computing systems work at a conceptual level. When they use AI_Challenge_Helper or AI_App_Ideator, they're using an abstraction—they specify what they want, and the system handles the underlying code. They can discuss: "What does this tool do? How does it simplify the process? What's happening 'under the hood' that we're not seeing?" They evaluate whether the tool they're using is appropriate for their problem. They might consider: "Should we use this tool or a different one? What are the trade-offs?" They're thinking like computer scientists.

What you might say: "Computer scientists don't just write code—they think strategically about systems. This challenge teaches that. Students evaluate tools, understand that abstractions simplify complexity, and make informed choices about technology. That's systems thinking."

Networks and Cyber Infrastructure (CS.9-12.3 through CS.9-12.4)

What the standard says: Students should analyze reliable and safe communication methods to transmit information among computing devices over networks, and analyze the utilization of computers and networks.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school students should understand how networks work and what makes them secure or vulnerable. They use internet-based tools (AI_Challenge_Helper, AI_App_Ideator, Poe) and experience how these tools transmit data. They learn about HTTPS, data encryption, and privacy policies. They understand that when they build an app, it might collect user data, and they have a responsibility to protect that data. They think about cloud infrastructure: "Where does my app live? Who has access to user information? How is it protected?" This isn't abstract—it's practical.

What you might say: "Network security and data protection are critical issues in today's world. This challenge makes them real. Students see how the tools they use transmit information and have policies about privacy. They learn that when they build technology, they inherit responsibility for protecting users."

Data and Information (CS.9-12.5 through CS.9-12.7)

What the standard says: Students should store, transmit, and manipulate data electronically; use tools to graphically represent data; and create computational models for simulating real-world systems.

How the challenge addresses it:

If high school students build an app that collects, stores, or manipulates data (user preferences, responses, calculations, etc.), they're working with all three of these standards. They might create dashboards or graphs to show testing results or user feedback. They might build a tool that simulates a scenario (like a decision-maker that helps users navigate options). They're learning that data is a resource, that it needs to be managed, and that visualization helps us understand information.

What you might say: "Data literacy is increasingly critical across all fields. This challenge teaches it practically. If their app uses data, students learn to store it safely, transmit it securely, and present it clearly. That's data science in action."

Programming and Algorithms (CS.9-12.8 through CS.9-12.10)

What the standard says: Students should organize and create modular programs; compare the effectiveness of algorithms; and create computer programs to solve specific real-world problems both independently and collaboratively.

How the challenge addresses it:

The Presidential AI Challenge doesn't require students to write code (unless they choose to), but it teaches the concepts behind programming. When they design their app using AI_Challenge_Helper or AI_App_Ideator, they're specifying algorithms—step-by-step instructions for how the app should behave. They think about modularity: "What are the main functions this app needs? How should they work together?" They compare different approaches: "Should we do this one way or another? Which is more effective?" They create a working program that solves a real problem. If they want to go deeper, they can learn coding languages to extend their app or build something more sophisticated.

What you might say: "Programming is about solving problems step by step. This challenge teaches that principle without requiring syntax knowledge. Students design algorithms, think about how systems should be organized, and build working solutions. If they want to learn coding languages, they'll understand why—not just learn syntax for its own sake."

Impacts of Computing (CS.9-12.11 through CS.9-12.14)

What the standard says: Students should explain the national and global economic impact of cybercrime; analyze positive and negative impacts of technology socially and globally; test and refine artifacts to reduce bias and equity deficits; and use tools for collaboration to increase connectivity across cultures and career fields.

How the challenge addresses it:

High school is where students think deeply about the societal implications of technology. During the challenge, they should discuss: What problems does technology solve? What problems does it create? Who benefits from this technology? Who might be harmed? Is our solution fair to all users? Does it work for people with disabilities? Does it reflect any biases?

They're learning to think like ethical technologists and responsible citizens. When they submit to the national challenge, they're contributing to a conversation about how young people see technology's role in society.

What you might say: "By high school, students need to understand that technology isn't neutral. It has real impacts—economic, social, ethical. This challenge teaches that. They're not just building an app; they're thinking about what that app means for real people. That's responsible innovation."

Specific Computer Science Courses

Teachers, in consultation with administrators, may also structure challenge-related activities to count toward completion of specific WVBE-approved courses, in accordance with governing policies and procedures.

Depending on how advanced the students are and the capabilities they require for their projects, Poe's platform may provide a suitable development environment. Poe's canvas apps run on HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Some bots available on Poe also have the ability to run python code snippets in a mini-sandbox and deliver results back to the chat. However, for the most part, students will be using Javascript libraries for things like GIS, instead of python libraries. This is a constraint of the Poe development environment and a trade-off for building publicly-available multi-agent LLM-based applications without worrying about users creating excessive API costs.

Students and teachers may find that the AI_App_Ideator is useful for the design thinking and designing app specifications that are transferred to a different platform for application development.

Computer Science in the Modern World (CS.MW.1 through CS.MW.48)

What this course is: Designed for all high school students as an overview of computer science and its applications across disciplines and professions. It's the recommended introductory course.

How the challenge aligns:

The Presidential AI Challenge covers all five clusters of CS.MW standards:

• Computer Systems and Computational Thinking (CS.MW.1-11): Students design algorithms, discuss software development processes, understand data representations, and learn about abstraction.

• Collaboration (CS.MW.12-15): Students work in teams, use collaborative tools, and see how collaboration shapes software design.

• Programming and Algorithms (CS.MW.16-27): Students design and implement applications, understand debugging, explore careers, and work with data.

• Computers and Communication Devices (CS.MW.28-37): Students discuss hardware, software, networks, internet infrastructure, and AI/robotics applications.

• Impacts of Computing (CS.MW.38-48): Students explore social networking, cybersecurity, digital divides, intellectual property, and ethical implications of technology.

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How to use it: If you're teaching CS in the Modern World, the Presidential AI Challenge can be one option for a capstone project or a teaching tool. It hits the standards while keeping instruction authentic and engaging.

What you might say: "The Presidential AI Challenge covers the entire scope of CS in the Modern World. Rather than teaching isolated topics, students learn them through a real problem-solving project. They understand why these concepts matter because they're using them to build something that works."

Computer Science & Mathematics (CS.M.1 through CS.M.44)

What this course is: An introduction to programming within a mathematical context. Counts as a fourth math elective. Must be taught by a certified 9-12 math teacher.

How the challenge aligns:

The Presidential AI Challenge addresses the CS.M standards focused on algorithms, problem-solving, and mathematical thinking:

• Computer Systems and Computational Thinking (CS.M.1-19): Students evaluate data representations, work with mathematical bases, understand algorithms, and apply mathematical functions to problem-solving.

• Programming and Algorithms (CS.M.20-25): Students compare programming languages, understand program execution, implement applications with branching, loops, recursion, and testing.

• Computers and Communication Devices (CS.M.26-36): Students understand hardware, software relationships, and network functionality.

• Impacts of Computing (CS.M.37-44): Students discuss appropriate and inappropriate technology use, cybersecurity, and social/ethical issues.

How to use it: If you're teaching CS & Mathematics, the Presidential AI Challenge can demonstrate how mathematical thinking and programming languages solve real problems. Students see that math and computer science are deeply connected.

What you might say: "Math teachers, this challenge shows students why they're learning sequences, functions, logic, and algorithms. These aren't abstract concepts—they're tools for building things that work. This is applied mathematics."

Computer Science – Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (CS.GIS.1 through CS.GIS.21)

What this course is: Teaches geospatial technology, GIS, GPS, and mapping as tools for analyzing real-world problems.

How the challenge aligns:

The Presidential AI Challenge can integrate with GIS if students' problem involves spatial or geographic data:

• Computer Systems and Computational Thinking (CS.GIS.1-3): Students understand cartography, map reading, and spatial analysis.

• Collaboration (CS.GIS.4-8): Students collect data, create mapping projects, and develop solutions to environmental or community issues.

• Programming and Algorithms (CS.GIS.9-16): Students use web-based GIS tools, create maps, analyze environmental and urban problems, and explore career applications.

• Computers and Communication Devices (CS.GIS.17-18): Students work with GPS technology and data layer creation.

• Impacts of Computing (CS.GIS.19-21): Students explore the history of cartography, ethical implications of GIS/GPS, and impacts on society.

  
  

How to use it: If you're teaching GIS and your students' presidential challenge involves a location-based or environmental problem, integrate mapping and spatial analysis tools. Students build their app while deepening GIS skills.

What you might say: "Geospatial technology is one of the fastest-growing fields in computer science. This challenge lets you teach GIS through a real problem. If your students are solving an environmental or urban issue, GIS tools become essential to the solution."

Discovering Computer Science (CS.DCS.1 through CS.DCS.40)

What this course is: Designed for middle school (6-8) and high school. Provides broad exposure to computer science, focusing on computational thinking, collaboration, algorithms, and societal impacts. Can be taught as a single course or divided over three years.

How the challenge aligns:

The Presidential AI Challenge comprehensively covers all five clusters of CS.DCS standards:

• Computer Systems and Computational Thinking (CS.DCS.1-15): Students use algorithmic problem-solving, understand algorithms, work with data representations, abstractions, and connections between math and CS.

• Collaboration (CS.DCS.16-19): Students work in teams, use multimedia tools, demonstrate collaboration skills.

• Programming and Algorithms (CS.DCS.20-28): Students select tools, design applications, implement problems using programming concepts, practice security, and analyze data.

• Computers and Communications Devices (CS.DCS.29-36): Students understand that computers are programmable devices, identify computational processors in everyday objects, understand hardware/software relationships, and explore AI/robotics.

• Impacts of Computing (CS.DCS.37-40): Students discuss legal/ethical behavior, technological change over time, positive/negative impacts on culture, and evaluate information sources.

How to use it: If you're teaching Discovering Computer Science, the Presidential AI Challenge is an option for an instruction method. It naturally teaches content related to the standards while keeping engagement high.

What you might say: "Discovering Computer Science is meant to give students a broad introduction to CS and build computational thinking. This challenge does exactly that. Students see how all these concepts connect through a real project."

How to Use This Guide

For a parent who asks: "Why is my high school student spending time on this instead of 'real' computer science?"

Use this: "This IS real computer science. It covers all the West Virginia standards for computer science and technology. Your student is learning computational thinking, algorithm design, digital citizenship, and how to use technology as a problem-solving tool. These are the skills employers and colleges want. "

For a colleague teaching traditional CS courses: "How does this compare to what we're already teaching?"

Use this: "It hits the same standards, often more comprehensively. The difference is the approach. Traditional CS courses often teach concepts in isolation. This challenge teaches them in context, through authentic problem-solving. If you want to supplement or replace your current units with this approach, it's standards-aligned and it works."

For an administrator who asks: "Is this a graduation requirement? Does it count toward credit?"

Use this: "Depending on how you implement it, the Presidential AI Challenge can fulfill or contribute to computer science course requirements. CS in the Modern World is recommended for all students. CS & Mathematics counts as a math elective. GIS counts as a science elective. DCS can be a standalone course. This challenge can be the primary teaching method for any of these, or it can supplement existing courses. Either way, it's standards-aligned and counts."

For yourself (as you plan): Identify which course standards you need to emphasize. Are you teaching an introductory course? Go deep on the broad standards. Are you teaching a specialized course like GIS? Integrate the challenge with that discipline's tools. Use the standards codes and descriptions to choose your talking points based on your specific context.

What Makes High School Different

The Presidential AI Challenge adapts for high school learners:

Authentic, student-selected problems: High school students choose what they want to solve. They own the problem.

Sophisticated design thinking: Students can explore multiple solutions, defend their choices, and articulate trade-offs. They understand that design decisions have consequences.

Real-world applications: Problems aren't hypothetical—they're issues students see in their community, school, or society. Solutions are built to actually work.

Professional presentation: Students present work like a developer or entrepreneur would. Demo videos, written narratives, and working code demonstrate professionalism.

Competitive and collaborative: The challenge is optional competition, but the core work is collaborative and non-competitive. Students learn from each other.

College and career connection: This challenge teaches skills that transfer directly to college coursework and career fields. It's not just a school project—it's preparation.

The standards reflect this maturity. High school students are expected to work more independently, think more critically about ethics and impact, and tackle more complex problems. The challenge supports this level of sophistication.

The Bottom Line

The Presidential AI Challenge isn't supplemental for high school. It's a rigorous, standards-aligned way to teach technology and computer science in a way that matters to students and prepares them for college and career.

High school students are ready for authentic work, real problems, and genuine impact. This challenge gives them that. They're not filling out worksheets about what computer scientists do—they're being computer scientists, solving real problems, and seeing their work recognized nationally.

That's worth the time investment. West Virginia's standards say so. Employers and colleges will too.

Ready to get started?

• Log into AI_Challenge_Helper or AI_App_Ideator

• Check the Getting Started Guide

• Review the Presidential AI Challenge Official Website

• Questions? Use the chat box on the Hampshire County AI website, or contact your school's technology or computer science coordinator.

Your high school students have real ideas about real problems. West Virginia's standards—and the job market—need what they can create.