Most districts in the country have not released guidance for the use of artificial intelligence in schools, despite the increasing use of such technology, according to Education Slice.
Only five states have provided AI guidance: California, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia.
Others, including Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming have declined due to local control rules.
Tennessee is among the first states to require districts to create AI policies.
Some organizations have already stepped into that void. The Council of Great City Schools and the Consortium for School Networking have released a list of 93 questions for schools to consider when using AI. The questions are specific for superintendents or executive leaders and operations teams, officials working with data, as well as questions around technical readiness, security, and risk management. The work was done in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National School Public Relations Association, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association.
A sampling of the questions:
Does your district have a dedicated point person on the role of artificial intelligence in K-12 education?
Are you requiring vendors that use AI algorithms in their products to ensure they are free from bias?
Do you have employees with the right skills to evaluate, procure, and operate generative AI?
Teach AI, an initiative launched by a cadre of nonprofits to help schools think through AI guidance and policy, offers a toolkit of principles to review and consider when crafting AI guidance. The toolkit recommends schools consider:
- Purpose: How can AI help achieve educational goals?
- Compliance: How does AI fit with existing policies?
- Knowledge: How can schools advance?
- Balance: What are the benefits and risks of AI?
- Integrity: How does AI fit into policies on things like cheating?
- Agency: How can humans stay in the loop on AI?
- Evaluation: How can schools regularly assess the impact of AI?
Education Slice
