The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently issued Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines for PreK-12 schools. Grab a cup of coffee and nestle in; the guidance is 408 pages long. The Illinois legislature directed ISBE (Public Act 104-0300) to create a statewide framework to help school districts navigate the practical uses and limitations of AI in teaching, learning, and administrative operations.
On a related note, effective July 1, 2027, the Illinois School Code will prohibit school administrators from using AI to assign numerical scores or other qualitative ratings when evaluating teachers (Public Act 104-0565). Teachers are similarly prohibited from using AI to produce ‘evidence of professional practice’ as part of the evaluation process. The statute clarifies that both school administrators and teachers may properly use AI for ‘administrative tasks’ relating to evaluations.
The ISBE AI Guidance focuses on the underlying tenant that teaching and learning are rooted in human interactions and meeting individual student needs, recognizing that public schools serve the concurrent purposes of academic, developmental, and civic teaching. The AI Guidance stresses that AI should be used to inform instruction, not replace core educational objectives.
As technology advances rapidly, we expect to see similar legislation and guidance throughout the country. We are noticing a definite increase in parent/guardian requests to eliminate not only the use of AI in schools, but also electronic devices in general. The only constant is change!
[This AI Guidance] is organized around the enduring educational premise that the teacher-student interaction is the centerpiece of teaching and learning. AI may assist with planning, access, feedback, communication, operations, and resource development, but it must remain a means to inform teaching and learning rather than a substitute for educator judgment, student relationships, or the developmental and civic purposes of public schooling.
