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District 99 outlines classroom uses of AI, PD rollout and plan for academic‑integrity guidance
Summary
District 99 staff described a phased professional‑development rollout for classroom artificial intelligence tools, explained how teachers are using AI for feedback and differentiation, named two district subscriptions (Magic School and DFIT), and said an integrity committee will develop guidance for acceptable classroom use.
District 99 administrators and teachers told the Board of Education they are piloting classroom uses of artificial intelligence, offering professional development, and building guidance to address academic integrity and equity.
Rob (district instructional lead) framed the presentation around two core instructional goals: improving feedback and supporting differentiated instruction. Lisa Lichtman, instructional coordinator at North High, described a “soft rollout” of teacher conversations and building‑level professional development sessions and said the district has subscribed to Magic School and DFIT as district tools.
Teachers gave classroom examples. Ryan Reyes, an English teacher at Downers Grove South, said he uses AI for brainstorming and revision and asks students to record AI outputs as part of their work: “AI might give you a topic, it might give you a really great...starting point, but if you can't answer why are you doing this, then we need to rethink.” Lisa and Ryan both emphasized teaching students prompt design and how to evaluate AI‑generated feedback.
Milanka Vaslij, a social studies and English‑learner teacher, said she uses Magic School and DFIT to make content accessible for newcomers, to interview historical figures in simulated dialogs, and to provide leveled readings and comprehension questions in multiple languages. Diana (Spanish teacher at Downers Grove South) described using AI to generate differentiated reader versions and to transcribe and segment videos for higher‑level classes. Paula (instructional coach) described using AI to draft rubrics and team‑building ideas and summarized the process as “creating the foundation and the framing” and then editing the result.
District staff said listening sessions with teachers revealed five trends: literacy and explicit AI instruction are essential, teachers want clear guidance on when AI is permitted, pedagogy must be rethought for assessment and feedback, teachers want help addressing AI‑driven dishonesty, and some students and teachers remain hesitant. The board was told a reconvened academic integrity/AI committee is being led by Kelly Zurner, associate principal at North, and Kim Bukowski, library department chair at South, to recommend school‑ and district‑level practices aligned with existing board policy.
Administrators also described nonclassroom uses of AI the district is pursuing, including training an HR chatbot to help staff find documents on the intranet and offering summer learning courses that teach students about AI. District staff said the subscriptions are paid products chosen for teacher efficiency after trials and that procurement follows a vetting process that includes privacy review under the Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA).
Board members asked about vendor selection, licensing scope, and how the district will standardize guidance across course teams; staff said work will continue through building committees, PD teams and the integrity committee.
