AI By Design: Data & Privacy
Why it Matters: The integration of AI in education presents both significant opportunities and responsibilities. As AI systems increasingly rely on student data to personalize learning and inform decisions, schools must establish clear, robust policies to protect privacy and promote ethical use. Without strong safeguards, there is a risk of data misuse, algorithmic bias, or unintentional harm to students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. Ethical AI use starts with transparency, consent, and accountability, ensuring that families, educators, and students understand how data is collected, stored, and used. Protecting student data is not just a compliance issue, it’s a foundational element of building trust and advancing digital equity.
These guiding questions are designed to spark meaningful dialogue and reflection across your leadership team. Use them during planning meetings, workshops, or cross-departmental discussions to ensure your AI implementation strategy is equitable, transparent, and aligned with district goals.
By working through the questions collaboratively, teams can uncover blind spots, surface diverse perspectives, and build a shared vision for how AI can support teaching, learning, and operations, with students at the center of every decision.
- How can AI help us make data use more transparent and understandable for educators, students, and families?
- How can AI assist in making data-informed decisions?
- What safeguards are in place to protect student data used by AI systems?
- How can we ensure students develop AI/data literacy to understand how their data is used? Where are these things taught in our curriculum?
- How do we ensure transparency in AI algorithms?
- What transparency measures ensure stakeholders understand AI decisions?
- Are AI systems compliant with FERPA, COPPA, and/or other state privacy regulations?
- Adopt “Responsible Use” Policies (RUP): These policies address how technology should be used, not just those things that should not be done, as often listed in “acceptable use policies”.
- Develop student-friendly versions of the RUP that explain the responsible use of AI at a given level (e.g., elementary RUP, Middle RUP, High School Level RUP)
- Adopt Privacy Policies: Develop and implement robust policies to secure student data used by AI systems that include the voices and insights from a diverse set of stakeholder groups.
- Audit AI Tools: Regularly review AI systems for compliance with ethical and legal standards.
- Educate Stakeholders: Train educators, students, and families on how AI systems use data and how to safeguard their privacy.
- Partner with Experts: Collaborate with data privacy specialists to create a safe digital environment.
- Require all AI vendors to submit transparency reports and bias-mitigation strategies.
