AI Steering Committee 25-26

Group 3- Guidance/AI Concerns

Recommendations:

• Policy, Governance & Privacy
  • The focus is on establishing a legal and administrative "safety net" for the district before full enablement.
  • AUP Updates: Revise the Acceptable Use Policy to explicitly define allowed vs. forbidden AI behaviors.
  • Data Privacy First: Establish a "Privacy-First" mandate—absolutely no Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Personal Health Information (PHI) is to be shared with AI tools.
  • Action Step: Audit current handbooks to insert AI-specific governance and legal compliance language regarding Deepfake reporting and safeguarding.
• Instruction, Pedagogy & Cognitive Safety
  • This group emphasizes protecting the "intellectual labor" of students and the professional integrity of staff.
  • Supervised Access: Due to the lack of long-term research on AI’s impact on behavioral development (and risks like "jailbreaking" or harmful affirmation), AI should only be used under adult supervision.
  • Action Step: Implement an Assignment Categorization System (Red/Yellow/Green) to give teachers autonomy over when AI is permitted.
•  Ethics, Equity & Environmental Impact
  • Bias Monitoring: Actively educate students on algorithmic bias and the "moment-in-time" nature of AI data scraping.
  • Action Step: Research and license lower-impact AI models based on energy benchmarks (renewable sources/water consumption) to minimize the district's ecological footprint.
• Professional Standards
  • Vetted Tools Only: Use only district-approved AI platforms (Gemini via school accounts). Do not use private accounts for school work.
  • The "Personal Element": Maintain a Human-in-the-Loop standard. AI may assist with initial feedback, but you must provide the final assessment and personal touch.
  • Privacy Mandate: Never input student PII or PHI into an AI prompt.
• Label Your Assignments: Use the Red/Yellow/Green system to clearly communicate AI expectations:
  • Red: No AI allowed.
  • Yellow: AI allowed for specific tasks (e.g., brainstorming).
  • Green: Full AI integration encouraged.
• Safety & Vigilance
  • Supervision: AI tools should be used by students only under direct teacher guidance to mitigate risks of "jailbreaking" or inappropriate content.
• Protect Your Growth
  • The "CPU" Rule: Your brain is the "CPU." AI is just an external drive. If you let AI do the "intellectual labor" (outlines, conclusions, analysis), you are robbing yourself of the brain connections needed to solve future problems.
  • Equity of Effort: You are responsible for the accuracy of your work. AI can be biased, outdated, or flat-out wrong. Always double-check facts against expert sources.
• Safety & Privacy
  • Privacy Guardrails: Never tell an AI your full name, address, birthday, or any private health information. Once you type it, you lose control of it.
  • S.H.I.E.L.D. against Deepfakes: Use the district's S.H.I.E.L.D. framework to respond to synthetic media or cyberbullying. If you see something suspicious, report it to a trusted adult immediately.
• Responsible Use
  • Check the Label: Before starting an assignment, check if it is Red, Yellow, or Green. Using AI on a "Red" assignment is an academic integrity violation.
  • Skepticism is a Superpower: AI aggregates the internet, including its biases and mistakes. Treat every AI answer with a "healthy dose of skepticism."