Virginia Beach board hears tech and AI update; division keeps student AI access limited, emphasizes balance
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Summary
Instructional-technology leaders told the school board about historical evolution of technology, screen-time data collected Sept. 1, 2024–Jan. 8, 2025, and a cautious, controlled plan to explore AI with high school students while keeping marketplace LLMs blocked on Chromebooks.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools presented an instructional-technology update Feb. 2025 that covered the history of classroom technology, current device usage data, digital-literacy and computer-science rollouts, and a cautious approach to student access to artificial intelligence.
Danielle Colucci, chief academic officer, introduced Dr. Sharon Schubridge, director of instructional technology, who led the presentation. Dr. Schubridge traced the division's technology evolution from computer labs in the 1990s to the current one-to-one device environment and emphasized a post-pandemic shift toward “balance” in classroom technology use.
Dr. Schubridge reviewed device-usage metrics collected Sept. 1, 2024–Jan. 8, 2025, showing higher average active Chromebook engagement at middle-school grade levels than at elementary or high school. She said the district measures “active engagement” (for example, 0.5 equals a half hour of active engagement) and clarified how monitoring works: brief mouse or keyboard activity is counted but idle time after the last interaction is not.
On artificial intelligence, Dr. Schubridge described a deliberate division approach. “None of our students currently, when they're on their Chromebook, can access any of the marketplace things. They can't get to ChatGPT. It blocks them,” she said. She said the division began internal AI work in spring 2023 and limited student access during 2023–24 to controlled, staff-only exploration. “When we do open something for students, it will be in a controlled space,” she said, citing Gemini (Google's model) as an example of a tool that better fits the district’s “walled garden” because student inputs would not be used to train external models.
The presentation described several digital-literacy and computer-science actions: the Virginia Board of Education approved new computer-science standards to be implemented in the 2025–26 school year; VDOE and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents ran regional professional learning labeled the Virginia Gen AI Year of Learning; and the division received two VDOE grants this school year to support mathematics and computer-science integration. Planned next steps include integrating computer-science standards into K–8 instruction (math, science and social studies) and developing a rigorous high-school digital-citizenship curriculum; the division also plans to monitor legal developments and finalize professional learning for staff on AI tools and ethical use before expanding student access.
Board members pressed on practical effects. School Board Member Callan asked whether district AI offerings would be marketplace products or division-controlled packages; Dr. Schubridge answered that Chromebooks currently block ChatGPT, any student access would be for high school only, and access would be in controlled environments. School Board Member Cummings asked whether screen-time metrics include at-home usage; staff said the slides used school-day data only. School Board Member Rogers said she worried about students arriving at college accustomed to high-school practices that may be considered cheating at the next level; Dr. Schubridge and Colucci said a rigorous high-school digital-citizenship curriculum and clearer classroom-level policies are part of the plan.
Several board members raised questions about middle-school device use and K–2 one-to-one devices. Dr. Schubridge and Colucci emphasized the division's expectation of “balance,” described district tools (ClassLink single sign-on, Securly Pass for monitored access, Canvas and online textbooks) and said many K–2 uses are short rotations (about 35–40 minutes per day on average in early grades, per staff comment). Colucci and Dr. Schubridge also noted hands-on, low-tech instruction (binders, AVID strategies, maker spaces, STEM activities) remains a priority.
Why it matters: The presentation clarifies that the division will continue to block open-market large language models on student Chromebooks but will explore controlled AI access for older students and is investing in digital-literacy and computer-science standards. The material will inform future policy and professional-development work that affects curriculum, assessment, and classroom practice.
The workshop did not adopt new policy or authorize immediate expanded student access to external AI systems; it outlined steps and asked for further staff development and legal monitoring before broad rollout.
