Haverford board eyes School AI and Brisk after pilot, with limits on student use

The Haverford Township School District board heard a detailed update June 11 on the district's instructional technology plan and an AI pilot that recommended two platforms for classroom use.

District staff told the board they narrowed an initial list to two vendors after a structured rubric that weighed instructional impact, ease of use, data privacy, output quality and alignment to district goals. "School AI and Brisk clearly emerged as the strongest winners," Meredith Hearn, the district's technology integration coordinator, said, adding that both vendors contractually state student data is not used to train their models.

Why it matters: The presentation matters because it outlines how the district will allow students and teachers to use generative and adaptive tools while seeking contractual protections for student data and teacher control of instructional content. Presenters emphasized that AI is meant to enhance, not replace, teaching and that teachers retain final authority over content sent to students.

How the tools differ: Hearn described School AI as a student-facing platform in which teachers create a bounded 'space' that sets learning goals, allowable interactions and guardrails. "Students cannot interact with the AI outside of that learning space their teacher has created," she said, and flagged content is routed to the teacher.

Brisk, the district said, is a teacher-focused tool that integrates with Google Workspace to help generate lesson materials, rubrics and feedback drafts. A recorded teacher testimonial from Keith McConnell, the high school librarian, illustrated the use case: "I'm a big believer in using AI to make teachers more efficient and productive," McConnell said. "With Brisk, the judgment about what students need still comes from me." His video stressed that teachers must edit AI-generated feedback so it sounds like their own voice.

Board concerns and responses: During a lengthy Q&A, board members pressed staff on cost (pricing is per-user and district staff said they would provide exact figures in a follow-up), rollout strategy and classroom impact. Several board members urged a phased approach that starts with high school and moves to younger grades only after lessons learned. "I have a lot of concern about it being used in the middle school," one member said, noting the importance of students' "productive struggle" with writing.

On privacy, Hearn said enterprise contracts offer administrative controls and, she reiterated, both School AI and Brisk state they do not use student interactions to train underlying AI models. "These platforms limit the amount of student information that's collected," Hearn said.

Implementation steps: Staff outlined several next steps: provide the board with vendor pricing, finalize district acceptable-use rules and administrative regulations, expand AI literacy lessons for grades 612, and continue an AI working group to audit use. Teachers will be allowed to opt in; staff said they will not mandate classroom AI lessons.

What's next: The board asked staff to return with formal contract terms, cost breakdowns and a plan to phase student-facing features starting with older students. The district also plans additional PLC time next year to ensure digital assignments have a clear pedagogical advantage.