As district and state guidance for artificial intelligence use in schools continues to vary widely, there are signs that a sizable proportion of districts are implementing the new technology even without widespread guidelines in place.
In a Digital Promise survey released this month, a majority of 31 school districts — collectively serving over 260,000 students — reported that at least some of their schools are using AI in classrooms. On top of that, 41% of the districts surveyed between May and July said they have purchased AI tools within the last year.
While most districts (75%) are currently offering professional development for teachers on the safe and effective use of AI, far fewer (25%) have set specific policies or guidance on the technology, according to Digital Promise, a nonprofit that advocates for equitable learning environments through technology. However, 61% noted that guidance development is underway.
The lack of official guidance and policy at the district level comes amid a widespread push by K-12 organizations and industry leaders to roll out AI frameworks for students and staff.
But some schools are still hesitant to quickly do so.
One example of this can be found at California’s Fullerton School District. The 11,500-student K-8 district does not have official guidance beyond a summer update to include AI in its digital responsible use policy for students, said Jeremy Davis, assistant superintendent of innovation and instructional support at Fullerton School District.
In that updated responsible use policy, students are expected to attribute AI when they use the tool in schoolwork, he said. The policy also states that students may not use AI to demean, bully or harass teachers or students, for instance, via deepfakes.
In the case of district-level AI guidance, Davis said he doesn’t “love the idea” of writing a policy for something that’s constantly changing. “Policies should be pretty vague and shouldn’t have to be changed every six months.”
But that doesn’t mean the district isn’t training teachers and staff on the best practices of AI use, he added.
The district focuses a lot of energy to guide staff on AI through hands-on professional development opportunities, Davis said. In November, Fullerton School District plans to do an “all-hands-on-deck” training for teachers. The training will involve model lessons on the do’s and don’ts of AI use, and teachers will be expected to incorporate it into their instruction with students.
Additionally, the district discusses AI use with all of its principals under the expectation that those conversations will carry into schoolwide discussions with staff. Davis said the district is highly encouraging of AI use, though there isn’t a “one-page document” thoroughly explaining and outlining guardrails.
For Davis, those management-level discussions with principals are more effective in getting the message out to staff on proper AI use in schools because it’s more likely to foster dialogue than a document released by the district.
