AI Policy and Guidelines

AI Policy Development

School districts can establish AI policies to guide the ethical and responsible use of AI by students, staff, and other stakeholders. These policies can address legal, ethical, and data privacy considerations. Some things to consider when developing AI policies for school districts include:

Privacy
AI tools should not access personally identifiable, confidential, or sensitive information without explicit district approval. They should also comply with relevant privacy laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Data security
AI tools should have strong security measures to protect user data from unauthorized access.

Bias and discrimination
AI systems should be free of bias and discrimination, and should not disadvantage students based on race, gender, socio-economic status, or ability.

Plagiarism
Students should not submit AI-generated work as their own, and should not copy from any source without prior approval and documentation. Teachers can restructure assignments to reduce opportunities for plagiarism by requiring original arguments, personal context, or original data collection.

Informed consent
AI should not be used to collect, store, or analyze student data without explicit consent and a clear educational purpose.

Algorithmic transparency
Policies should address algorithmic transparency and accountability issues. In short, algorithmic transparency helps ensure trust and fairness by making sure the use of AI in schools is explainable, fair, and subject to human oversight.

AI District Policy Example

This document serves as a sample district AI policy, intended as a guide for developing your own policy. Districts are encouraged to copy and modify it to meet their specific needs and requirements.

Houston ISD AI Guidebook

AI Policy Development Resources

How to Write your School's AI Policy (with examples)

AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning - Office of Educational Technology

Planning Guide for AI: A Framework for School Districts - Virtual Arkansas

Taliaferro County School AI Policy for Teachers and Students