Campfire Session — Crafting AI Policies

Discussion of best practices and examples for creating a school AI policy.

Lulu Gao, Head of Teacher Experience at Flint | LinkedIn

Video Summary

Our team at Flint has consistently gotten questions regarding the creation of AI policies. Many schools wanted to know what other schools were doing with their policies. We noticed hesitation from schools, teachers, and students to implement AI due to a lack of guidelines on acceptable AI use.

There seemed to be a lot of general advice online about forming committees and iterating on guidelines, but a lack of real examples of AI policies schools had adopted. As such, we created the first AI policy library full of real examples of K-12 policy resources, guidelines, and more.

This session covered the resources shared there and facilitated conversation between school leaders. Topics covered included:

Statistics on AI policy use in K-12 schools
Summary of recommended policy creation process
Policy examples
Shareout and advice from school leaders

Slides from the presentation can be found here.

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Chapters

Introduction • 00:00

Lulu Gao introduces the session on AI policies. The library of examples from schools is mentioned.

Ice-breaking stats • 02:47

Statistics from a survey about AI use in schools are shared. The data highlights a lack of clarity regarding AI policies among educators and students.
Over half of independent schools have AI guidelines. Many schools prefer the term 'guidelines' over 'policies.'

Questions to consider before starting • 04:49

Concerns about AI policies include their rigidity.
Schools are encouraged to audit existing policies for relevance.

Summary of recommended policy creation process • 07:26

Sync with your school leaders. Meet with key stakeholders (board members, leadership, department heads, etc.) to talk about the goals of establishing a strategy for generative AI integration. Also, decide what goals your task force should strive to achieve (e.g. write a policy, test the policy, explore AI platforms, etc.).
Gather an AI task force. Make sure the teachers involved vary in subject and grade level taught, and that you have varying opinions on AI. Their goal is to represent the community as a whole to have the tough conversations about how AI should be integrated. Some schools have also made student AI task forces. Involving the student voice for an ever-changing technology like this can bring fresh perspectives and ideas.
Create a set of working guidelines. You don't need too many cooks in the kitchen to design the actual guidelines, but everyone should be involved in testing them in various classes and grade levels, both for teacher and student use. You should encourage people to find gaps in its coverage and ask lingering questions.
Roll out and monitor reactions. Share it with your community—teachers, students, parents, and more. The key here is to maintain an open feedback cycle. Many of the administrators we've talked to continue to have committee meetings, set up 1:1s with department chairs or individual teachers, and collect feedback from students to make sure the community feels heard.

Policy examples • 12:35

Examples of AI policy libraries from schools are presented and unique design decisions from them are highlighted:
- Kinkaid’s menu (which they actually adapted from Woodward) is based on personifying AI’s role as a thought partner, editor, analyst, or co-creator.
- Woodward’s policy included the commitment to PD and ongoing review.
- Wesleyan’s poster is based on SAMR to help teachers visualize different levels of using AI.
- Brophy’s been very student-forward and also made a prompting guide.
- Yokohama made different posters for lower school versus middle and upper school.
- Stony Brook included a checklist of AI academic integrity, and an essay wheel (though not specific to AI) that has been helping focus on the writing process, not the product.
- International School of Paris included dos and don’ts based on their guiding principles for each type of individual: students vs teachers vs admins and staff.
- Merion Mercy also outlined proper vs improper use and included a prompting framework “CREATE”.
Teaching resources are created alongside AI policies. Educators are encouraged to explore positive AI applications in the classroom.

Advice from admin • 27:05

Advice from admins who weren't able to make it to the session is shared. The importance of involving students in AI policy creation is discussed. The need for academic ownership in guidelines is emphasized.
Another version of the policy creation process is shared as well.

Shareout and Q&A • 29:07

Friska Titi Nova raises concerns about assessing student authenticity with AI usage. The challenges of relying solely on citation practices are highlighted.
Lulu Gao suggests focusing on the process of learning rather than just the end product. The evaluation of student thinking processes is proposed as a solution.
A focus on social homework is introduced. Students are encouraged to engage in dialogue rather than just complete assignments.
A five-point list for academic integrity is outlined. The process for addressing suspected violations is described as objective and supportive.
Concerns about AI detection tools are raised. The limitations of these tools and alternative assessment methods are discussed.
A discussion on AI policy integration occurs. The need for standalone AI policies is emphasized.
Durham Academy's approach to AI policy is shared. The focus on teacher innovation and flexibility is highlighted.
One admin expresses concerns about AI policies. The lack of confidence in AI checking solutions is noted.
Concerns about AI policy implementation are shared. Individual teachers are currently setting their own policies.
Examples of sharing AI policies with students are discussed. Methods include posters, presentations, and quizzes.
Data protection concerns regarding AI usage are emphasized. Teachers are encouraged to consult IT departments before implementing AI tools.
A story about a class on AI Ethics and Engineering is shared. Students will create a draft policy for AI use within the course.
Students are actively demonstrating AI tools to teachers at another school. This showcases their understanding and creativity in using technology.
A Flint activity template for academic integrity and AI use is mentioned. This template integrates core values and existing policies.