Olathe district outlines AI rules: blocked consumer models for students, vetted instructional tools for classrooms

Jennifer Kennedy, Olathe’s director of technology and advancement and training, briefed the board on the district’s multi-year approach to artificial intelligence in schools: Kennedy described adding AI-detection capabilities to Turnitin in 2023, blocking open-access generative models for student accounts because of age and data-privacy concerns, and establishing an internal ops AI toolkit and classroom resources.

Kennedy said the district differentiates between high-risk generative AI (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and similar tools) — which are blocked for students — and vetted, secure instructional AI products that keep a human educator ‘‘in the loop.’’ Examples of approved or vetted instructional tools named in the presentation include Nearpod‑style question-authoring features, curated platforms (described generically in the briefing) and a small set of AI tools that provide dashboards for teacher oversight.

The district has adopted an AI assessment scale (a stoplight-style rubric) to guide teachers on permissible classroom use ranging from no-AI to collaborative partner to student-driven AI exploration. Kennedy said the security and vetting rubric evaluates data privacy, ethical considerations, safety, accessibility, educational value and cost-effectiveness. She also described steps the district has taken to remove or restrict extensions that overreach (for example, de‑deploying a writing-assistant extension considered overly intrusive) and the ongoing technical work to limit other off‑platform AI features.

Why it matters: The board heard that structured, vetted classroom use paired with robust staff training can allow teachers to leverage generative features safely while protecting student data and reducing cheating risk. Kennedy emphasized human oversight and annual compliance training as the district’s next steps.

What’s next: The district plans to include AI in annual compliance training, develop a student integrity pledge and publish AI literacy lessons for fall implementation.