East Aurora School District 131 may soon be implementing a policy on the use of artificial intelligence in the district.
At a meeting of the school board’s Curriculum Committee in February, the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessments Ami Engel discussed the status of a planned AI policy for the district.
Engel noted that, in the fall, the school board had expressed interest in the district forming guidelines on the use of AI. In response, she explained, the district formed a team of elementary, middle and high school staff, which met and formed a set of “Responsible Use Guidelines.”
The use of AI in schools has raised considerable questions as these tools’ usage has proliferated. AI has forced schools to reconsider what constitutes cheating, the Associated Press has reported, and determine how to adapt for the future, including how AI tools can be used by students to support learning.
AI has also begun to shape the teaching profession, offering educators new tools for their work.
And while the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 initially led schools to ban the technology outright, according to the Associated Press, views have begun to shift toward schools implementing policies regulating the use of such tools and determining how AI can be incorporated into the classroom.
The issue is also getting state attention. In Illinois, a recent state law now means the Illinois State Board of Education is required to provide guidance to districts and educators on the use of AI in K-12 settings.
As for East Aurora, a memo from Engel refers to a need for the district to “be intentional” about how AI is used. Engel’s memo notes that district guidelines are intended to provide clear expectations to help the district community “see AI as a tool that can enhance learning and productivity, not replace thinking, effort or high-quality work.”
The district’s proposed guidelines for students include, for example, provisions that AI can help with brainstorming, practicing skills and clarifying confusing topics, but that it may not be used to complete assignments or write major portions of essays. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of verifying information generated by AI.
The proposed student guidelines also indicate that students should only use AI tools approved by one’s teacher or by the district, and instruct students to ask if the use of AI is allowed on an assignment. They also instruct students not to share personal information or private conversations, images or data with AI tools.
As for staff, the district’s proposed guidelines similarly encourage them to verify the output of AI-generated information and not input sensitive information into tools not approved by the district. They indicate that AI can help district employees with things like streamlining routine tasks, but that staff should not use AI to misrepresent one’s work and should cite the support of AI when it “meaningfully contributes” to work products.
The proposed guidelines also emphasize that teachers should not use AI to “evaluate, discipline or make high-stakes decisions about students or staff” without doing one’s own review first, and that the use of AI tools in school should be “developmentally appropriate and accessible to all.”
These guidelines from the district, however, are meant to function more so as general rules for acceptable use, the district’s spokesperson explained on Wednesday, noting that the district does not yet have an enforceable policy on the books.
But an official policy can be brought forward for approval in the future, as the board could revisit its policy on access to electronic networks, according to Engel.
An official policy is being reviewed, the district spokesperson confirmed, to be brought forward for a vote by the school board at a later date.
The Associated Press contributed.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
