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While district and state policies on the use of artificial intelligence in schools continue to vary widely, there are signs that a significant portion of districts are adopting the new technology even without far-reaching policies.
In a Digital Promise Survey In a study released this month, a majority of 31 school districts — which collectively serve over 260,000 students — reported that at least some of their schools use AI in the classroom. In addition, 41% of districts surveyed between May and July reported purchasing AI tools in the past year.
While most districts (75%) currently provide training for teachers on how to use AI safely and effectively, far fewer (25%) have established specific policies or guidelines for the technology, according to Digital Promise, a nonprofit that advocates for equitable learning environments through technology. However, 61% said that development of guidelines is underway.
The lack of official guidance and policies at the district level is due to a widespread push by K-12 organizations and industry leaders to AI frameworks for students and employees.
But some schools are still hesitant to implement this so quickly.
One example of this can be found in California’s Fullerton School District. The district, which has 11,500 students (grades 1-8), has no official policies other than a summer update to include AI in its responsible digital use guidelines for students, said Jeremy Davis, assistant superintendent for innovation and instructional support at the Fullerton School District.
This updated responsible use policy will expect students to disclose AI when they use the tool in school, he said. The policy also states that students must not use AI to demean, bully or harass teachers or students, for example: about deepfakes.
In the case of county-level AI policies, Davis said he was “not thrilled with the idea” of writing a policy for something that is constantly changing. “Policies should be pretty vague and not have to change every six months.”
However, that doesn’t mean the district isn’t training teachers and staff in best practices for using AI, he added.
The district is focusing a lot of energy on training staff in AI through hands-on professional development opportunities, Davis said. In November, the Fullerton School District plans an “all-hands-on-deck” training for teachers. The training will include model lessons on the do’s and don’ts of AI use, and teachers will be expected to incorporate them into their lessons with students.
Additionally, the district discusses the use of AI with all school leaders with the expectation that those conversations will feed into schoolwide discussions with staff. Davis said the district is very supportive of the use of AI, although there is no “one-page document” that explains and lays out the guardrails in detail.
Davis believes these leadership-level discussions with principals are more effective in getting the message across to staff about the appropriate use of AI in schools because they encourage dialogue rather than a document published by the school district.
