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New York City public schools issued long-awaited artificial intelligence guidance on Tuesday that encourages teachers to “explore” using the new technology in lesson planning and drafting messages — but prohibits its use in grading, discipline and other decisions about students.
Published years after the city temporarily banned ChatGPT on school networks and devices, the blueprint marked the first time the nation’s largest school district has provided real decision-making support around AI use in the classroom.
“While there is no tool or resource in the world that can replace what our teachers bring to their classrooms every day, AI can be used as a powerful tool to make the work of our educators more efficient, giving them more time to focus on supporting our students as they develop essential critical thinking skills,” Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said in a statement.
“This guidance is designed to empower our educators to choose tools that support our students without compromising on safety or academic integrity, while teaching our children when and how to use AI appropriately.”
After 45 days of public comment, the city is expected to release a comprehensive AI “playbook” in June. The process is likely to elicit strong responses across the city, where multiple school and community boards have passed resolutions calling for an “AI moratorium,” and more than 1,500 New Yorkers have signed onto a petition asking for a two-year freeze.
“This document doesn’t try to kind of ‘paper over’ this controversy,” said Ioana Literat, an associate professor of technology, media and learning at Columbia’s Teachers College. “I just appreciate that stance at this heated public debate.”
“We know that kids are using these tools in school and out of school constantly, so I think that ship has sailed,” she added. “The idea that you can keep AI out of learning by not having a policy is just not realistic. And if you do that, what you get instead is chaos and inconsistency.”
The guidance, as reported by the Daily News on Monday ahead of its publication, features a “traffic light” framework to help teachers and principals make informed decisions about AI in the classroom. It outlines prohibited or “red” and approved or “green” uses — as well as “yellow” applications when schools should proceed with caution.
That said, the blueprint is light on details when it comes to student use of AI, promising more recommendations by the summer.
“Red” applications include using AI to make decisions about students related to discipline, graduation or promotion, or placement in advanced classes. Schools may not use the new technology to develop individualized education plans for students with disabilities, nor can AI be employed for surveillance or mental health counseling.
Student data cannot be used to train AI models, and there is a 10-step data privacy review process before any AI tool can be used in a public school, which follows federal, state and city laws. That review process, however, does not currently evaluate AI tools for algorithmic bias or effectiveness in the classroom, according to education officials, who committed to “building that expanded evaluation capacity.”
On the other hand, the “green” applications encourages teachers to use AI to “explore lesson ideas, approaches and unit planning.” It also can be used for teacher trainings, scheduling, or to support resource planning. Other best practices include drafting nonessential communications, though “critical” emails fall under the “yellow” category.
The guidance also suggests AI can be used as a tool for better educating students with disabilities or who do not speak English at home. At the same time, though, translations and disability accommodations “must be reviewed by qualified staff,” officials wrote.
For students, the guidance said they can use AI for “research, exploration and creative projects,” but that schools should exercise caution — a “yellow” use.
The release did not include recommendations for teachers on how to design instruction so that “AI supports — rather than substitutes for — student thinking.” That guide is still in the works, education officials wrote.
Literat, the Columbia professor, said that should be a top priority for the next phase of guidance — the risk that AI does the intellectual work that students need to do themselves in order to learn — a phenomenon known as “cognitive offloading.”
“The guidance names it as a concern, which I appreciate,” said Literat. “But it totally defers the substance to June, and it’s really hard to get right.”
“When you make learning harder in certain ways, it actually makes it stick better,” she added. “And if AI does away with some of that friction, then that might be resulting in better ‘looking’ work, but actually undermining the development that we’re supposed to be supporting.”
The school system is also still drafting grade-band guidance, recognizing the differences in its appropriate uses for elementary, middle and high school students. Officials have also promised more rules on academic integrity and a full, public inventory of all AI tools used in city schools.
Until now, Kelly Clancy, a Brooklyn mom of three children, said the absence of a citywide policy resulted in her kids’ schools approaching AI very differently — with one principal requiring her approval for any use of the technology, while the other school assigned at least one task that mandated students use AI.
As she grew more concerned, Clancy, whose kids are ages 5, 8 and 12, helped start a group known as Parents for AI Caution in Educational Spaces, part of the coalition pushing for a moratorium.
“One of the things that you hear a lot from the chancellor and other people who are proponents of AI is that we’re trying to get our kids to be ‘future ready,’” said Clancy. “That’s what I want for my kids, too, of course.”
“I am not scared at all that they’re not going to know how to use AI,” she continued. “What I’m scared of is that they’re not going to know how to think.”
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