Readington board committee reviews AI handbook; recommends folding guidance into existing policies

The Readington Township School District committee reviewed an AI handbook and recommended integrating AI guidance into the district's existing academic integrity and acceptable‑use policies, the board heard. Dr. Harper presented the handbook at the committee meeting on April 29, saying the document is intended to be "a fluid document as AI is ever changing."

The committee reported that the handbook stresses transparency, academic integrity, critical literacy, data privacy and safety, fairness, equity and age appropriateness. It outlines teacher protocols (including reference to the SAMR model), classroom guidance for students using AI, a "traffic‑light" system to indicate appropriate use, and expectations for citation and verification when students rely on AI. "AI is a tool," the presentation said, noting the need for clear practices on when and how students should use it.

Committee members described planned next steps: developing a vetting rubric for AI tools, a review cycle for protocols, formal agreements for vendors, and a professional‑development timeline to build staff competencies. Dr. Hart told the committee she is collecting additional input from district leadership before proposing any formal policy language to the full board.

The committee emphasized that no separate, AI‑specific district policy is planned at this stage; instead, proposed language would be folded into the district's existing academic integrity and acceptable‑use policies and revisited as technology and practice evolve. The board is expected to consider the resulting policy language in a future meeting.