OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington became only the fifth state in the nation to issue guidelines for educators, administrators, students and parents regarding how to implement the use of generative AI in schools.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released the document on Thursday, noting how the technology is already easily accessible to both educators and students, and will inevitably impact the learning environment. Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said education isn't always at the forefront of implementing new tools, but he sees AI as a new opportunity.
"This guidance is to really tell districts, 'You're probably already using it, and lots of students are already using it, so let's integrate it into the way we think about teaching and learning,'" he said in an interview with KING 5.
Reykdal said the state wants to actively encourage the adoption of AI in schools, operating off the notion that the technology will dramatically alter the way students engage with the world in the future.
"This is an embrace. This is us saying 'Let's run toward this," he said. "By raising the consciousness, getting students to really understand (AI), our kids will be the innovators of it in the future, they will create entire companies and entire ideas and concepts. If it's going to dominate global productivity, Washington kids should be the best in the world at it."
The state's guidelines acknowledged the importance of striking a balance between taking advantage of the functional applications of the technology while accounting for the concerns that inevitably come along with it: plagiarism, over-reliance, student data privacy, bias which may be inherent to some AI programs and equitable application of the tool in classrooms, to name a few.
The document emphasizes the importance of centering human decision-making when using AI programs, saying schools should take an "H-AI-H" approach: Begin with human inquiry, see what AI produces and close with human reflection, edits and understanding of what was produced. The guidelines plainly state: "AI is not a replacement for human intelligence or humanitarian presence in education."
"You never just use AI to produce a paper and turn it in, it's always got to have that student connection," Reykdal said.
The guidance suggests educators consider the following to support a human-centered learning environment that utilizes AI technology:
- Developing students’ AI literacy by helping them understand the concepts, applications, and implications of AI in various domains, and empowering them to use AI as a tool for learning and problem-solving
- Ensuring ethical, equitable, and safe use of AI by protecting the privacy and security of data, addressing potential biases and harms, and promoting digital citizenship and responsibility
- Providing professional development and support for teachers by helping them integrate AI into their pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment, and by facilitating their collaboration and innovation with AI
- Applying human-centered design principles to the development and implementation of AI solutions, such as involving stakeholders in the design process, testing and iterating the solutions, and evaluating the impact and outcomes
- Aligning AI solutions with the best practices and principles of learning, such as supporting student agency, fostering collaboration, enhancing feedback, and promoting critical thinking
- Avoiding sole reliance on the use of “AI detection” tools in checking for student plagiarism. These tools often use data that is biased against students who are multilingual/English language learners
Reykdal said the state's guidance will continue to change as the technology develops and they learn more about it.
"Our guidance will continue to turn around how we expect educators build this into their practice," Reykdal said.
Multiple school districts around the state have already found ways to integrate AI, including the Peninsula School District, Brinnon School District and the Yakima School District.