Staff presented proposed agreement for students and teachers that will be up for approval at the next district meeting

PASO ROBLES — Trustees were presented with a possible new update to the staff and student agreement regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies at the March 12 Paso Robles Joint Unified School District meeting.

In the proposed updated agreement for students, staff note that AI has become increasingly popular in many areas, especially within education. If used properly, staff said that AI can be helpful to students by providing news ways to support learning, independent reasearch, and critical thinking.

Staff presented the following AI guidelines for the student use of AI in the classroom:

  1. Any use of AI in the classroom or on class assignments must align with the teacher’s instructions and use expectations.
  2. Any student use of AI on schoolwork must be cited to as any other source and may not be submitted as the student’s original work.
  3. Students should not rely on AI tools as a fact-checker to confirm their work or research as the AI may not always provide accurate or up-to-date information.
  4. Students are prohibited from using any AI system to access, create, or display harmful or inappropriate matter that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, or sexually explicit or that could be construed as harassment or disparagement of others based on their race/ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or political beliefs or interact with the AI in a manner that supports any of the above.
  5. Students shall not share confidential information or personally identifiable information with the AI system of another student, staff member, or other person. AI information should not be shared with the intent to threaten, intimidate, harass, or ridicule any person. Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to, a person’s name, address, email address, telephone number, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information.

The agreement also says that the student use of AI is not permitted unless granted and approved by a teacher. Unpermitted use may lead to penalties for academic misconduct.

For staff and teachers, the proposed agreement says that AI can be used as a “system of machine learning” and used as a general support tool for teachers in the classroom.

Staff proposed the following guidelines for teachers using AI in the classroom:

  1. Before allowing students to use a specific AI platform in the classroom and before using an AI tool as a resource, such as AI notetaking tools, employees will have the AI system vetted and approved by the district’s IT department or responsible staff member.
  2. When applicable, the district will attain parental consent before offering certain AI services to students or using it as a tool to manage student education records.
  3. Ensure the any use of AI complies with state and federal data privacy laws including, but not limited to, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
  4. Teachers shall clarify whether students are prohibited from using AI on an assignment. Teachers shall guide and monitor student use of AI, ensuring that it aligns with the district’s guidelines and policies.
  5. Employees must be cognizant of the information they are sharing with any AI system and shall not share any confidential information or personally identifiable information of another student, employee, or other person. Personally identifiable information includes but is not limited to, a person’s name, address, email address, telephone number, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to, information in a student’s education record, such as their grades and information pertaining to an Individualized Education Plan.

The agreement, which includes the use of other technologies, will be up for approval at the next Paso Robles Joint Unified School District meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 26.