Boyertown Area SD staff recommend district AI policy that limits student tools to district‑approved resources

Boyertown Area School District officials presented a draft policy on use of generative artificial intelligence in schools and asked the board to consider a multi-step adoption process that would include annual review, an administrative regulation for tool approval, and limits on student access to district‑authorized tools.

The discussion centered on a draft based on PSBA policy 8.15.1 brought by Stephanie Landis, Director of the Office of Teaching and Learning, and Dave Feit, Director of Technology. Landis said the policy would require that “generative AI tools and resources used in district schools and programs shall be evaluated and authorized on an ongoing basis,” and listed evaluation factors including age appropriateness, bias, accessibility and data security.

Landis and Feit described existing protections already in place: district single sign‑on through the Clever platform, a Google Apps agreement limiting shared student data under COPPA and FERPA, routine phishing/security training, and professional ethics training for staff. Feit said the district would “contain the data that the app or the application or the website uses through our Clever instance,” so students do not create accounts or provide personal data.

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