District outlines responsible AI guidance, teacher training and plans for clearer policy
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Summary
Director Donna Roper briefed the board on district work to integrate AI into classrooms responsibly: a 'human‑AI‑human' framework, teacher professional learning (Dec. 5 changemaker sessions and Jan. 20 application day), priorities on data privacy and verification literacy, and plans to review MSBA policy guidance.
Donna Roper, director of research, assessment and AI integration, described the district’s approach to integrating generative AI into teaching and assessment: grounding decisions in learning science, piloting a 'human‑AI‑human' framework, and prioritizing teacher professional learning and data privacy.
Roper said the district’s work is not about hyping technology but about protecting learning: "Does this AI support or bypass the essential mental work that fuels learning?" she asked, framing the district’s central instructional question. Roper said the district is emphasizing when AI should be used to support learning tasks and when it would shortcut essential cognitive work.
The district ran a Dec. 5 professional learning day (the Changemaker Hub) that included teacher‑led sessions; Roper said 24–25 district teachers led sessions and that feedback will inform a January 20 follow‑up focused on application and practice. Teachers reported they valued colleague‑led learning and wanted more applied time and differentiated sessions for special education staff.
Roper identified three consistent feedback themes: the need for clearer policy/guidance (staff sometimes want stricter rules rather than guidelines), concerns about student data and privacy, and a need for 'verification literacy' to evaluate AI outputs. She said the district is collaborating with statewide and national partners (Minnesota Generative AI Alliance, MSBA, EdSafe) and that MSBA will issue AI policy guidance the district will review.
Board members raised questions about bias and detection of AI misuse. Roper and other staff described teacher strategies to detect and address misuse (process‑oriented checks, asking students to explain how they composed work, and redesigning assignments to reveal student thinking). Roper said the district would measure learning impacts and spotlight practitioners who demonstrate measured improvement with AI tools.
The board discussed the need for state‑level leadership on standards and for cross‑sector collaboration. Roper asked for continued board support for the district’s change‑management timeline and for time and resources for staff to reflect and apply new learning. No formal policy was adopted; Roper said MSBA policy language is expected and the district will return with recommended policy actions when appropriate.