Caddo Parish executive committee approves consent agenda including AI, promotion and inventory policy changes

The Caddo Parish School Board Executive Committee voted Sept. 16 to approve the meeting agenda and a bundled consent agenda that included multiple policy and personnel-item changes.

The consent bundle covered the district's proposed artificial intelligence policy; a recommended revision to policy DIC removing the textbook-inventory requirement; updates to promotion criteria for first-grade students; a new librarian evaluation tool to be used as an alternate to the state teacher-evaluation rubric; and other routine personnel and administrative items listed on the agenda.

Superintendent Burton told the committee staff recommended removing the textbook-inventory language from the district's inventory policy because most instructional materials are now subscription-based. "We remove the textbook inventory component of that policy. It's an outdated practice," Burton said during discussion.

District 9 representative Barry Rochelle read and emphasized a portion of the AI policy during the meeting, saying, "Permission must be granted on an assignment-by-assignment basis and clearly communicated to students. AI use is strictly prohibited in all secure testing environments." The policy text presented to the committee states that use of AI for classwork, homework, assessments or tests is prohibited unless an individual teacher explicitly permits it for a specific assignment.

On promotion policy changes, staff said the revision requires that students be passing reading on the report card to be eligible for promotion from first to second grade, in addition to passing at least one other subject area. Miss Henry, who led the work with principals and teachers on the proposal, described the aim as an earlier intervention than the state's third-grade reading law. "We think third grade is too late, but we did not want to say the state's automatic-retention language. We want schools to look holistically at the child," Miss Henry said, adding that diagnostic data and an SBLC (School Building Level Committee) review remain part of the process.

Miss Stanford presented a separate technical update proposing the use of a new library-evaluation rubric so evaluations better reflect librarians' work. The change replaces use of the teacher-evaluation instrument for library staff with a library-specific tool.

The committee approved the agenda and the consent items in a single motion. The motion to adopt the proposed agenda and consent agenda was moved and seconded and carried by electronic vote.

The committee did not separately debate or individually vote in public on each item listed in the consent package; the items were approved together as presented on the agenda.

Looking forward, staff said schools and principals would implement the new promotion guidance and that the district would communicate details to families and update handbooks and parent materials.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve proposed agenda and consent agenda (includes AI policy; DIC inventory revision; first-grade promotion requirement; librarian evaluation tool; other personnel items). Mover: Mister Veil. Second: Miss Yates. Outcome: approved (electronic consent vote). Tally: yes: 3; no: 0; abstain: 0. Detailed roll-call names were submitted electronically and not read into the transcript.

Ending

Committee members and staff said the consent approvals were intended to give schools clearer direction for the academic year and to align district practices with current instructional and administrative realities. Several items (promotion guidance, AI policy and evaluation tools) will be rolled out to schools and parents through standard communication channels.