North Dakota Department of Public Instruction releases AI guidance for schools

FARGO — As schools work through how to handle artificial intelligence, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is giving them tools to navigate the rise of AI.

On Monday, July 8, guidelines providing resources and road maps for developing classroom policies and implementing AI into day to day work were released.

An eight-month process of talking with educators and other stakeholders across the state led to the comprehensive set of guidelines to help districts big and small with the process.

“What are we going to do today to implement AI in our school systems? How are we going to implement AI tools next week? What are we going to do to implement AI tools next month?” said NDDPI Office of School Approval and Opportunity Staff Officer Kelsie Seiler.

It has everything from definitions of key terms and links to online resources, to a history of AI and recommendations by grade level.

Those recommendations range from teaching kindergartners through second graders that AI isn’t a real person, to focusing on how AI works and its limitations with high school students.

One of the key aspects is an implementation road map and a checklist for people in different roles. For example, it asks administrators to consider how AI can be used to take on mundane tasks.

Steve Snow with the NDDPI Office of School Approval and Opportunity says the checklist also advocates evaluating AI tools for ethical issues.

“AI uses a lot of internet stuff so what do we do with FERPA, which is the restriction on student data, are we compliant with HIPAA, do we have policies in place kind of from that realm as well?” Snow said.

For Fargo Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Rupak Gandhi says they don’t have a specific policy for AI, instead focusing on behaviors like cheating, regardless of how it’s done.

“We don’t have a policy on Google, or searching, or using an internet search engine, but we do have a policy on misportraying information as your own. And it would work the same way with artificial intelligence,” Gandhi said.

Because of his familiarity with the topic, nothing in the guidelines was new information to Gandhi, but he’s excited about what the implementation checklist can bring to schools across the state.

“That kind of just tells you over time how will AI continue to play in education, how it will continue to evolve? But different things you can make sure you’re checking to ensure you are using it in a safe way and an ethical manner,” Gandhi said.

Snow says they will add to the guidelines as technology continues to develop.

You can find the full guidelines here:

www.nd.gov/dpi/policyguidelines/north-dakota-k-12-ai-guidance-framework