Rye district outlines AI literacy plan, proposes 9th‑grade course and classroom safeguards

District technology and curriculum staff told the Rye Board on March 3 that AI literacy will be integrated across grades, backed by teacher professional learning and selective, teacher‑supervised classroom use.

"It is not all day. It's not every day," said Caitlin Sasson, who described the district's two‑year rollout of AI literacy and classroom pilots in elementary library/media classes. She said the district has prioritized tools that provide teacher visibility and support rather than open, unmonitored language models. "We want to have that visibility into the environment. We call it bowling with bumpers — we're teaching how to use it responsibly," Sasson said.

Administrators said students in grades 4–5 have completed two lessons this year on responsible AI use and that the district uses platforms such as Magic School and Gemini in pilot classrooms. Staff said they would continue professional learning with instructional coaches and consultants and plan a 2027–28 timeline for designing a potential ninth‑grade AI literacy course as a touchstone for a district baseline.

Board members pressed for concrete usage data. A member asked for a percentage estimate of how often students encounter AI; staff replied that use is intermittent and purpose‑driven and that district tools' backend integrations (for example, Gemini with Google Workspace) let administrators see utilization patterns and spikes tied to units of study.

Administrators emphasized that AI will be offered as an instructional resource, not a replacement for teachers. They also noted that a district AI guidance document created previously provides the baseline for classroom practice and would inform course development.

Next steps include continued piloting, monitoring of tool utilization and planned discussions on course design during the spring and summer curriculum meetings.