Albany schools update board on testing, cybersecurity and classroom AI tools

Albany City School District technology leaders told the Board of Education on a presentation that the district completed its spring New York State computer-based test administration after statewide testing platform disruptions and described plans to expand data-privacy safeguards, cybersecurity and responsible classroom use of artificial intelligence.

The report, delivered by leaders from the Office of Assessment, Accountability and Technology Innovation, said the district completed nearly 13,000 online test sessions in grades 3–8 ELA and math and grades 5 and 8 science, alongside about 1,600 paper-based tests. "The 6 week testing window was extended an extra week due to that CBT glitch, but our testing was completed within the original window," Testing Coordinator Shana Barber told the board.

Why it matters: The shift to New York’s computer-based testing platform gives districts scheduling flexibility but raises logistics and equity questions — notably for English learners and students needing paper-based accommodations. The technology division’s work to standardize devices, expand monitoring and centralize vendor data agreements aims to reduce testing…