After over a decade of working at the intersection of AI and education, it’s exciting to see educators begin to embrace AI’s transformative impact on teaching and learning.
AI is becoming an integral part of schools, enabling more personalized learning and tutoring and assistance, and enhancing student safety. Teachers are also unlocking the power of AI for classroom management, content creation and administrative support, and boosting student engagement.
I talk to tons of district leaders, and all of my recent conversations have come back to the same theme: “What will AI mean for our schools?” It’s an opportunity they’re eager to embrace for a variety of reasons.
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For some districts, the motivation comes from their teachers, who have been exploring AI tools and championing the potential. In other instances, district leaders themselves see the promise of AI for enhancing district outcomes and supporting their teachers and are excited to introduce it to their staff.
Whatever the reason for exploring AI, almost all leaders are confronting similar questions: Should we embrace AI with guardrails or approach it more cautiously? What best practices should we teach educators before diving in? And how should we evaluate AI tools and capabilities from our vendors?
These questions are important and the good news is there is still plenty of time to establish an AI policy. Here are five key measures we see districts considering as they adopt AI policies for the upcoming school year:
1. Establish a vetting process for AI tools
Whether it is reviewing AI tools already in use, or assessing a potential new AI platform, it is critical everyone is on the same page. AI solutions should be critiqued in the same way by all stakeholders in the decision-making process.
Establishing a set of questions like the following can be a great starting point:
Does the tool align with our district’s values and educational goals?
- How does this tool handle student data and what privacy protections are in place?
- What safeguards prevent misuse or unintended consequences?
- Does the tool comply with applicable data privacy laws?
- How easy is it to train educators to use this tool effectively?
Another suggestion is assigning a rubric or grading scale that will create a clear “pass” or “fail” result, reducing subjectivity. Once you know the tool is something that passes your school or district’s agreed-upon threshold, you can continue the process of further research or implementation.
2. Include strong safeguards for student data
An effective AI policy should define data privacy and security guidelines, including how data is secured and the types of data that can be entered into AI tools. It’s also important to consider how any AI tools you may implement process and host data.
Ask AI vendors how they ensure data is securely stored and, if they rely on third-party hosts, how data is securely transferred.
As a baseline, any AI tools should comply with regulations like the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule or the Student Privacy Pledge, which sets strict guidelines around the collection, maintenance and use of student personal information.
Consider tools from companies that have pledged not to sell, trade or rent students’ personal information and ask how they keep up with new cyber threats and compliance with state and federal laws. Districts should also ensure they maintain control over personal student information and can manage tool settings, including when AI services are active.
3. Clearly define students’ relationship with AI
Setting guardrails for students around technology use is important in creating a culture of accountability. The policy should clearly define the types of AI students are allowed to use and the type of information they are allowed to enter.
It should outline what is considered responsible use of AI for positive purposes as well as AI use that is not permitted (e.g., cheating, plagiarism).
4. Implement training protocols
According to the 2024 Rand research report, teachers cited a lack of professional development around AI tools and products as a key obstacle preventing them from fully embracing AI. This underscores the importance of including training protocols in any AI policy to ensure tools provide value in the classroom.
Implementing training best practices will also ensure your district’s policy and culture around AI permeates into actual day-to-day usage.
5. Keep lines of communication open
An AI policy is only the first step in creating a culture around AI. It’s important to have ongoing conversations about the pros and cons of AI in the classroom among educators, administrators, students and parents so minor issues don’t become major problems.
AI is everchanging and your policy may need to adapt as technology advances, so be prepared to revisit it at least annually.
The one thing we know for certain is AI will continue to evolve, becoming more capable, faster and more pervasive. While we don’t know exactly what the future of AI in education holds, it’s equally important to focus on its potential and the value it can offer when used thoughtfully and intentionally.
AI has the power to play a transformative role in society, enhancing how we work, learn and grow. By defining clear AI policies, you can harness the potential to improve student outcomes and administrative efficiency while also ensuring responsible, ethical AI use that prioritizes student safety.
