Empowering Education Leaders: A Toolkit for Safe, Ethical, and Equitable AI Integration
Key Points
Given AI’s evolving and increased presence in classrooms, the U.S. Department of Education has released a guide intended to help educators and education leaders integrate AI into education ethically and equitably.
Mitigating Risk: Safeguarding Student Privacy, Security, and Non-Discrimination
Awareness of applicable federal laws, rules, and regulations is an essential first step when planning for the use of AI in schools and classrooms. Educational leaders should know how existing federal policies apply to the use of AI in their specific situations.
Module 1: Understanding Federal Policies
Educational leaders should learn about privacy and data security requirements; how civil rights, accessibility, and digital equity relate to AI; and a close consideration of the opportunities and risks associated with the use of AI.
Module 2: Addressing Student Safety, Privacy, and Security
Proactively addressing student safety, privacy, and security can help shape plans to use AI.
Module 3: Non-Discrimination and Accessibility
Educational leaders should consider how AI can support or hinder non-discrimination and accessibility in education.
Building a Strategy for AI Integration in the Instructional Core
New forms of AI have already permeated educational settings widely, and exploring AI firsthand is necessary to understanding it. Educators in our listening sessions strongly recommended that districts use the knowledge they have gained from past advances in edtech to build a clear and coherent strategy tied to the instructional core.
Module 4: Exploring AI-Enabled Tools
Educational leaders should explore AI-enabled tools firsthand to understand their capabilities and limitations.
Module 5: Building a Clear and Coherent Strategy
Educational leaders should build a clear and coherent strategy tied to the instructional core.
Module 6: Informing the Strategy
Educational leaders should inform their strategy with multiple sources of evidence on the use of AI-enabled tools.
Module 7: Prioritizing and Pacing
Educational leaders should prioritize and pace their community’s strategy for the effective use of AI-enabled tools.
Maximizing Opportunity: Guiding the Effective Use and Evaluation of AI
Although exploration and building coherent strategy are important early steps, the toolkit urges educational leaders to be active in guiding the effective use of AI to enhance teaching and student learning.
Module 8: Developing AI Literacy for Educators
Educational leaders should develop AI literacy for educators to ensure they can effectively use AI-enabled tools.
Module 9: Revising Responsible Use Policies
Educational leaders should revise responsible use policies to ensure AI-enabled tools are used responsibly.
Module 10: Building a System-Wide Plan
Educational leaders should build a system-wide plan to guide the effective use of AI-enabled tools.
Conclusion
The U.S. Department of Education’s AI guidance provides a timely direction for schools considering how best to integrate AI. By focusing on privacy, equity, and bias mitigation, this document offers a grounded framework that addresses educators’ and administrators’ priorities for using AI responsibly and effectively to serve all students.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the U.S. Department of Education’s AI guidance?
A: The purpose is to help educators and education leaders integrate AI into education ethically and equitably.
Q: What are the three categories of the AI guidance?
A: The three categories are Mitigating Risk, Building a Strategy, and Maximizing Opportunity.
Q: What is the importance of building a clear and coherent strategy for AI integration?
A: Building a clear and coherent strategy is essential for ensuring the effective use of AI-enabled tools in education.
Q: What is the role of AI in education?
A: AI’s role is to enhance teaching and student learning, not replace the human element.
