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Committee approves AI policy to take effect in 2025–26; members ask for clearer protocol, transparency and appeal safeguards
Summary
After extended discussion and suggested amendments on transparency, human review and appeals, the North Providence School Committee approved a district artificial intelligence policy and protocol to take effect for the 2025–26 school year. Members said the policy will be refined as the protocol and training are developed.
The committee considered a new policy and protocol governing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in district schools. Superintendent Goho described the packet as a template developed with legal counsel; David McNally, the district’s data director, and Attorney Scudgio explained the intent and legal framing.
Attorney Scudgio told the committee that AI’s rapid change requires a flexible policy: “This policy is intended to address the issues of academic integrity, prevent plagiarism and cheating, and also enable teachers to consider how they can use AI as a teaching and learning tool.” He said districts should treat the document as a starting point and revise it as the field evolves.
Committee members raised process and student‑rights concerns. School Committee member Mrs. Picotte recommended additional safeguards: transparency about how AI tools will be used and evaluated in classrooms; a clear statement that AI detection flags are not conclusive evidence of misconduct and must trigger further review; a human review that compares flagged work to a student’s prior writing and performance; discussion with the student before reaching conclusions; and an appeals process that allows review by a neutral third party.
David McNally said the protocol “kind of aligns it to how we're dealing with plagiarism now” and that many procedural details would be implemented at the protocol level and in training. Multiple committee members said they supported a baseline policy but asked that the protocol, school‑level teams and legal counsel continue to refine procedures before the policy takes effect.
Outcome: after debate and an unsuccessful motion to designate the meeting discussion as a first read, the committee approved the AI policy in a final motion. The policy was adopted for implementation in the 2025–26 school year; members directed the administration to continue developing and vetting detailed protocols, training, transparency measures and appeals procedures prior to implementation.
