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This edLeader Panel is presented by CoSN and AASA
Sponsored by ClassLink

AI has been around for a long time, even before there were book recommendations from Amazon and chess games with computer opponents. The recent leap forward in both tools and capabilities, however, has driven industries to integrate AI on a broader scale. That means that schools, which are preparing students for their future employment, need to figure out the place for AI in education.

During the edLeader Panel “AI in K-12 Education: Help, Hindrance, or Highway to the Future?,” three superintendents, along with CoSN’s AI Project Director, had a wide-ranging conversation about how their school districts are approaching the issue and the next steps to understanding how AI can support student learning.

Official Policies and Guidance

Of the three, only Dr. Michael Lubelfeld’s district—North Shore School District 112 (IL)—is close to an official policy, having recently received an official draft. These guidelines were born from a committee of parents, students, staff, and community members who want to make sure that, if students and staff are using AI, it’s helping move them forward.

While neither Alma School District (AR) nor St. Francis Public School District (WI) has official policies, they do offer general guidance and refer to their acceptable use policies. Right now, they are in the phase of asking questions, dealing with issues as they occur, and encouraging staff to be curious and investigate the technology.

Primary Goals for AI Integration

All three districts fell along the same lines: how can we help students and staff use AI to enhance their learning and teaching? The focus of Alma, said Superintendent Dr. Bryan Duffie, is to use the tool as a thought starter.

Alignment with Strategic Plans

Again, the superintendents feel that AI falls under the goal of helping teachers and students reach their learning goals. For St. Francis Superintendent Dr. Deborah Kerr, this translates to looking at how AI can be a driver of change and transformation while making sure everyone is using it ethically and responsibly. Instead of mandates right now, the three districts are working on letting teachers explore how they would use it.

Professional Development

Many of the districts’ administrators are using AI in some capacity, like for help writing challenging emails or analyzing aggregated data. For both teachers and administrators, all of the superintendents advocate for letting them teach each other about what they’ve discovered. Whether that means regular chats among administrators about how they’re using AI, to Lunch and Learns where educators model AI integration for each other, the key is collaboration across the district. In addition, encourage them to attend workshops, talk with teachers outside their schools, and share any reading or research they’ve done.

Balancing Progress with Concerns About Privacy, Safety, and Equity

First, said Dr. Lubelfeld, everyone in your district should understand why you are working with AI. It’s not because it’s new and shiny but because you see it as an essential part of educating students for the future. Moreover, just as there are discussions about potential uses, there should be frequent conversations about staff concerns. Instead of shying away from these topics, bring them into the open so that school leaders can help staff develop strategies to mitigate the concerns.

Most importantly, any AI tools need to comply with all local, state, and federal data privacy laws and regulations. No personally identifiable information should ever be shared with the AI tools.

Community Education

As with any other district initiative, communicating with constituents is essential. Demonstrate appropriate use of AI for the board, the parents, and the local community. Engage them in the conversations, listen to their concerns, and make them a part of the journey.

Operational AI in Education

Bookending the superintendents’ discussion, Pete Just, CoSN’s AI Project Director, presented findings from a new report, Operational AI in Education: Readiness, Realities, and the Road Ahead. Just stated that the major themes in the report reflect the superintendents’ experiences with AI.

• Operational AI adoption is underway, but it’s shallow.
• Most leaders tend to be engaged but don’t have a lot of direction and governance.
• Cybersecurity and AI have an intersection, and there is a lot of concern there.
• The biggest barriers are often people and training rather than technology.

With resources, experience, and mandates varying among states and districts, the panelists felt the best path forward was to continue the discussions. Instead of trying to ignore or put off AI instruction, school leaders need to keep learning about the technology and learning from each other.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, AI in K-12 Education: Help, Hindrance, or Highway to the Future?, presented by CoSN and AASA, and sponsored by ClassLink.

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Join the Community

Super-Connected is a free professional learning community for school superintendents, district leadership, and aspiring district leaders.

AASA is the premier association for school system leaders and serves as the national voice for public education and district leadership on Capitol Hill.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community, best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education.

ClassLink is a global education provider of identity and analytics products that create more time for learning and help schools better understand digital engagement. As leading advocates for open data standards, we offer instant access to apps and files with single sign-on, streamline class rostering, automate account provisioning, and provide actionable analytics. ClassLink empowers 19 million students and staff in over 2,500 school systems. Visit classlink.com to learn more.

Article by Stacey Pusey, based on this edLeader Panel