Perkiomen Valley policy committee previews tailored AI policy, flags classroom integrity and technical controls
May 21, 2024 | Perkiomen Valley SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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Perkiomen Valley School District policy committee on May 2 reviewed Pennsylvania School Boards Association guidance on artificial intelligence (policy 815.1) and heard a staff presentation on generative AI tools and local pilot programs. Administrators said they will draft a district-specific AI policy and administrative regulations for review in the coming school year.
The presentation, led by Mister Ganesh, explained basic distinctions between traditional AI and generative AI and noted rapid growth in adoption. "Artificial intelligence is just a technology where the computers are able to simulate human intelligence and problem solving capabilities," Mister Ganesh said during the slide presentation. Doctor Parr, who addressed classroom uses and pilots, urged trustees and staff to actively explore tools rather than block them: "If you have not played with AI at all yet, I would suggest that you go ahead and explore the one that everyone is talking about, which is ChatGPT."
Why it matters: The board's discussion underscores a common tension for school districts nationwide: how to harness AI's educational benefits while preventing misuse on assessments. Committee members described a recent incident in which a student used AI to complete an assessment (details discussed at the meeting) and pressed administrators on how the district would detect and deter similar cases.
District staff described several mitigation paths. For standardized assessments the district already uses lab Chromebooks that are isolated from the Internet so students cannot browse external sites during tests. Administrators also described a pilot of LineWise/ClassWise management software that "allows teachers to see all of her students, all of their computer screens" and to restrict sites during class or testing periods; that pilot will be expanded and staff will bring a formal proposal to the board in a few months. Mister Ganesh explained network-level options: "If we decided...to lock it down during the testing periods...we are capable of allowing only set number of sites...Everything else be blocked, including Google." These technical measures were presented as complements to teacher-level parameters and revised assessment design.
On policy approach, administrators recommended using PSBA's PNN as a starting point but drafting a district-specific 815.1 and associated administrative regulations. Staff said many classroom rules and building-level guardrails will likely be implemented as ARs rather than as one-size-fits-all mandates for every teacher.
What's next: Administration will continue drafting tailored policy language and administrative regs and return to the policy committee for additional review next school year.
The presentation, led by Mister Ganesh, explained basic distinctions between traditional AI and generative AI and noted rapid growth in adoption. "Artificial intelligence is just a technology where the computers are able to simulate human intelligence and problem solving capabilities," Mister Ganesh said during the slide presentation. Doctor Parr, who addressed classroom uses and pilots, urged trustees and staff to actively explore tools rather than block them: "If you have not played with AI at all yet, I would suggest that you go ahead and explore the one that everyone is talking about, which is ChatGPT."
Why it matters: The board's discussion underscores a common tension for school districts nationwide: how to harness AI's educational benefits while preventing misuse on assessments. Committee members described a recent incident in which a student used AI to complete an assessment (details discussed at the meeting) and pressed administrators on how the district would detect and deter similar cases.
District staff described several mitigation paths. For standardized assessments the district already uses lab Chromebooks that are isolated from the Internet so students cannot browse external sites during tests. Administrators also described a pilot of LineWise/ClassWise management software that "allows teachers to see all of her students, all of their computer screens" and to restrict sites during class or testing periods; that pilot will be expanded and staff will bring a formal proposal to the board in a few months. Mister Ganesh explained network-level options: "If we decided...to lock it down during the testing periods...we are capable of allowing only set number of sites...Everything else be blocked, including Google." These technical measures were presented as complements to teacher-level parameters and revised assessment design.
On policy approach, administrators recommended using PSBA's PNN as a starting point but drafting a district-specific 815.1 and associated administrative regulations. Staff said many classroom rules and building-level guardrails will likely be implemented as ARs rather than as one-size-fits-all mandates for every teacher.
What's next: Administration will continue drafting tailored policy language and administrative regs and return to the policy committee for additional review next school year.
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