Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are evolving quickly, and with those advances come many opportunities and challenges for TK-12 schools. Whether it’s from a policy or curricular perspective, governing board members are looking for support, which is why CSBA created its AI Taskforce: Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. After nearly a year of work, the taskforce hosted its first webinar, “Artificial Intelligence in Schools: Promise, peril, policy and performance,” on Oct. 30.
The webinar featured CSBA experts and district leaders outlining the major considerations for local educational agencies as they seek to leverage AI’s significant potential to benefit students, staff and community while also safeguarding against potential downsides. It showcased the AI Taskforce’s online library, which features a Resources and News page to learn the basics of AI, review relevant research, reports and articles, get updates on legislation and find events; a page for Scenarios and Resolutions to peruse resolutions LEAs have already passed and explore a list of AI-related scenarios that board members have experienced (including policy implications); and a Promising Practices and Policies page, which includes details on successful practices in California LEAs and relevant CSBA sample policies available in GAMUT.
CSBA’s AI Taskforce was convened “to help board members make sense of this technology from a governance perspective,” said Andrew Keller, CSBA Senior Director, Executive Office Operations & Strategic Initiatives. “The taskforce focused on what was missing for board members, specifically. The big gap the taskforce uncovered was this key question: How do you actually figure out and put in place the policies that you need for this new technology?”
Policies
When it comes to adopting policies there is good news, Keller explained. “You already have most of the relevant policies in place. AI isn’t something so new and different that it requires a new, separate set of policies, but it is something that needs to be integrated into the policies you already have.”
The taskforce worked with Josh Daniels, CSBA Chief of Policy and Governance Technology Services, to identify policy areas that would be affected by the use of AI in schools. The five most relevant sample policies have been updated in GAMUT and are available to subscribers now:
- BP 4040 – Employee Use of Technology
- BP 5131.9 – Academic Honesty
- BP 6154 – Homework and Makeup Work
- BP 6162.5 – Student Assessment
- BP 6163.4 – Student Use of Technology
Daniels reminded the audience that sample policies should serve as starting points for LEAs. They are expected to review each policy and customize it within the confines of the law or adopt as is.
AI Taskforce Chair, CSBA Immediate Past President and Pacific Union Elementary School District trustee Susan Markarian emphasized the important role policymaking plays in school governance, especially in a small district with fewer resources.
“I am from a small, rural, agricultural area in Fresno County. We serve about 340 TK-8 students; we are just one school site,” Markarian said. “At my small LEA, we do not have any technology experts on staff. Integration of AI into the district is very important. Policy adoption is one of the most important duties of board members. It’s important for board members to understand their policies. It’s important to establish a regular routine to review your policy content.”
With each quarterly policy release update from GAMUT, the Pacific Union ESD board schedules time at a meeting to either review and make suggestions or to adopt a new or revised policy. “Many times, we change the language based on what is best for our students and staff members,” Markarian said. “It’s important in my district to know that policies are being adopted and that the manual is staying current. We regularly adopt policies to ensure the LEA is protected and has the infrastructure to ensure smooth operations.”
Resolutions
Los Angeles Unified School District Chief Information Officer and AI Taskforce member Soheil Katal talked about creating resolutions on the use of AI in schools. While policies and administrative regulations set direction and implementation, resolutions may be needed when there is a gap in existing polices, he explained. “In a larger organization, a resolution can help create a uniform conversation between the board members that ultimately create the framework,” he said.
Katal identified five pillars to focus on when crafting a resolution about AI use in school — data and security, access and equity, academic integrity, accuracy and credibility, and addressing bias.
AI scenarios
The taskforce created an extensive list of scenarios they had already encountered when integrating AI into school systems, along with related policy areas. Reed USD Superintendent and AI Taskforce member Kimberly McGrath shared how her district is utilizing the scenarios to consider areas like proactive planning and policy development, staff professional development, effective communication and community engagement, and ethical considerations and bias mitigation.
“In our district, we’re starting with celebrating the ways AI can create efficiencies, individualization, the ability to meet student needs, and also identifying potential challenges by looking at the scenarios to anticipate issues that may arise from Al implementation,” Reed said. “The scenarios can be used to inform the integration of AI within policies. I would also encourage thinking about the scenarios and how they can inform allocating resources.”
Her district is also using the scenarios to think about staff professional development, how to encourage a culture of innovation, and how they can be used to communicate the potential benefits and risks of AI to students, families and the community.
“If you’re proactively addressing AI-related issues using the scenarios to spark ideas, then school boards and administrators can really harness this positive side and the power of AI to enhance student learning, to improve your operational efficiencies and really prepare students for the future they are walking into,” Reed concluded.
