Perkiomen Valley forms AI work group, eyes academic‑integrity guidance and PD

Perkiomen Valley SD administrators told the education committee on Oct. 10 that an internal AI work group has drafted guidance for staff, students and families and will expand professional development and tool curation this school year.

Dr. Parr, an administrator, said the district met four times in 2024–25 to create an AI guide that includes a position statement, academic‑integrity considerations, role‑based use examples and assignment guidance. "One of the main goals of our AI work group is really to talk about how we can leverage this powerful tool for learning and flip the conversation so it's not always about how do we keep kids from cheating," Dr. Parr said.

Administrators said the guide has been shared with principals and posted on the district website; some high‑school teachers have placed guidance into course syllabi. The work group plans to reconvene for PD planning and to curate recommended tools (examples cited included ChatGPT, NotebookLM, MagicSchool and curriculum vendors such as HMH and Padlet that now embed AI features).

District leaders said they will evaluate whether to update existing academic‑integrity policy language rather than draft a separate AI policy. "We moved away from an AI‑specific policy previously and would rather focus on academic integrity," an administrator said, noting administration will check current policy alignment and suggest revisions if needed.

Administrators described planned classroom instruction at multiple grade levels: targeted lessons at the high school, digital‑literacy activities at middle school, and staff PD. No formal policy changes were proposed at the meeting; administrators said the work group will return with recommendations and resources for the board and staff.