School leaders weigh appropriate AI use as Ohio rolls out K-12 model policy

Making AI Work in K-12: A Practical Playbook as Ohio Releases a Model Policy

Ohio's model policy is a useful signal: AI belongs in schools, but it needs clear rules. If you lead a district or a building, your staff wants guardrails, your students need guidance, and your community expects transparency.

The goal isn't to block AI or give it free rein. The goal is responsible use that improves learning, protects students, and saves teachers time.

What a strong AI policy should accomplish

• Protect student privacy and comply with laws (FERPA, COPPA, state rules).
• Uphold academic integrity while teaching AI literacy.
• Support staff with vetted tools, clear expectations, and training.
• Promote equitable access and accessibility features for all learners.
• Define who approves tools, how risks are managed, and how the policy is reviewed.

Core principles to anchor decisions

• Transparency: Students and staff disclose AI assistance when it influences work or decisions.
• Human oversight: Educators remain responsible for instruction, grading, and final judgments.
• Age-appropriate use: Stricter limits for younger learners; scaffolded use for older students.
• Privacy by design: Minimize data sharing, prefer tools with district accounts and admin controls.
• Academic honesty: Teach citation and originality; address misuse with learning-focused responses.
• Equity and access: Provide school-supported tools so opportunities don't depend on home access.

Approved, conditional, and prohibited uses

• Approved: Lesson planning, rubric design, question generation, language support, accommodation features (summaries, read-aloud), teacher feedback drafts.
• Conditional (with disclosure/guardrails): Student brainstorming, outlines, code review, translation, grammar help, formative feedback. Educators verify accuracy; students note AI assistance.
• Prohibited: Uploading PII without a signed agreement; AI grading without teacher review; tools with unclear data practices; content that violates academic integrity or copyright.

Sample policy language you can adapt

• "Staff and students may use district-approved AI tools for instruction and learning. AI output must be verified for accuracy and bias by the user."
• "No student PII may be entered into AI systems unless the vendor has a district contract meeting FERPA/COPPA requirements."
• "Students must disclose significant AI assistance in submitted work. Teachers will provide assignment-specific rules and examples."
• "Final grades and high-stakes decisions require human review and professional judgment."
• "This policy will be reviewed each semester by the AI Steering Committee and updated as needed."

Classroom use that builds skills-not shortcuts

• Literacy: Compare AI summaries with student summaries; fact-check claims; identify bias.
• Writing: Use AI for outlines and vocabulary options, then draft without AI; submit process notes.
• STEM: Ask AI to explain code step-by-step; students annotate where the explanation helped or failed.
• Career/CTE: Mock interviews and resume feedback with teacher-approved prompts.
• Accessibility: Simplified text and multilingual support under teacher supervision.

Academic integrity and assessment

• Design "process-visible" tasks: proposals, drafts, checkpoints, oral defenses.
• Use mixed assessment: in-class writing, project artifacts, and reflection on AI use.
• Teach citation of AI assistance (e.g., "Assistance: ChatGPT for outline and examples, verified by student").
• Address misuse with reteaching, revised submissions, and restorative consequences where appropriate.

Privacy, safety, and procurement

• Centralize approvals via IT/Legal. Require data maps, retention limits, and student-data segregation.
• Prefer enterprise or education editions with admin controls and logging.
• Keep PII out of public AI tools. Use anonymized or synthetic data for demos.
• Align with FERPA and COPPA. See Student Privacy Policy Office (FERPA/COPPA).
• Use federal guidance to shape professional learning and safeguards. See U.S. Department of Education AI guidance.

Infrastructure and access

• Whitelist approved tools; block known high-risk sites on student devices.
• Provide single sign-on and log activity for safety and auditing.
• Ensure content filtering and classroom management tools reflect new AI use cases.
• Plan for bandwidth and device needs if AI tools become core to instruction.

Professional learning that sticks

• Start with job-embedded workshops: lesson redesign, prompt patterns, verification techniques.
• Share district prompt libraries and model lessons by grade/subject.
• Coach leaders on policy enforcement, parent communication, and change management.
• For structured upskilling, see role-based options at Complete AI Training: Courses by Job.

Governance and 90-day rollout

• Days 0-30: Form an AI Steering Committee (Curriculum, IT, Legal, SPED/ELL, Teachers, Students, Parents). Draft policy and classroom guidance. Identify 3-5 approved tools.
• Days 31-60: Pilot in limited grades/subjects. Collect evidence: student work, teacher time saved, issues found. Run PD cycles.
• Days 61-90: Revise policy, expand access, publish a community FAQ, and set review dates. Establish help channels and escalation paths.

Metrics to watch

• Teacher time saved on planning/feedback.
• Student outcomes on targeted skills (writing, problem solving, language growth).
• Incidents of academic integrity concerns and their resolution.
• Tool usage patterns, access equity, and support tickets.

Parent and community FAQ (short answers)

• Will AI replace teachers? No. It's a tool. Teachers make the decisions.
• Is my child's data safe? We only approve tools with privacy protections and do not allow PII in public tools.
• What about cheating? We teach responsible use, design better assessments, and address misuse directly.
• Can I opt out? We provide alternatives on request and explain how AI supports learning goals.

Quick checklist for leaders

• Adopt core principles and communicate them widely.
• Publish approved/conditional/prohibited uses with examples.
• Stand up procurement and privacy controls before expansion.
• Invest in PD and coaching tied to real lessons, not theory.
• Measure impact and update the policy on a set schedule.

Resources

• U.S. Department of Education: AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning
• Student Privacy Policy Office (FERPA/COPPA) Guidance
• Complete AI Training: Latest AI Courses

AI policy is a leadership opportunity. Set clear expectations, teach smart use, and keep students at the center. The rest becomes straightforward.