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Since ChatGPT was introduced three years ago, artificial intelligence services have swarmed the market, leaving school districts to grapple with what place AI-assisted has in the classroom.
In 2024, the Mississippi Department of Education released guidelines for K-12 school districts and the best uses of AI, but the department did not release a universal policy to implement within districts.
Have Golden Triangle school districts implemented their own policies when it comes to AI usage? How are teachers and students allowed to use AI? What are some ways school districts are looking to address AI usage in the future?
Do local districts have AI policies?
West Point Consolidated School District has had an AI policy in place since November 2024, Superintendent Jermaine Taylor said.
“Our policy outlines the do’s and don’ts,” Taylor told The Dispatch. “… We encourage them to use it, because that’s the way we’re going, but we just have to use it smartly and carefully.”
The policy prohibits sharing confidential information related to a district student, faculty or staff member on an AI service, sharing sensitive district information on a service, using AI to bully or harass another person or in any way that would disrupt the classroom.
Columbus Municipal School District, Lowndes County School District currently do not have formal AI policies in place. Haley Montgomery, communications director for Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, declined requests for the district’s AI policy. There are no policies specific to AI in the student handbook or school board policy manual.
CMSD Interim Superintendent Craig Chapman said the district is exploring several options for creating a policy with the Mississippi School Boards Association.
Until then, usage is guided by acceptable use policies the district has in place, which prohibit any “illegal” uses or uses that violate board policies, including those that prohibit harassment, bullying, violence or any “use that harms the reputation of the school district or its employees or disrupts the educational environment.”
“We encourage our faculty and students to use district technology resources responsibly and purposefully to enhance the learning process, while adhering to the guidelines outlined in the Acceptable Use Policy they must sign before accessing a district device or network services,” Chapman said in a statement to The Dispatch.
Similarly, LCSD Superintendent Sam Allison said AI usage is guided by district expectations and practices, which instruct students to use AI to enhance work they’ve already done rather than using it to do the work for them.
“AI is a big resource to help them,” Allison said. “… And I think the thing that’s probably one of the hardest things is thinking outside the box, or thinking and figuring things out. That’s what we don’t want (AI) to replace.”
In what ways are teachers and students allowed to use AI?
At WPCSD, AI usage is allowed as a supplemental tool for students when permitted by teachers, the school’s policy said. However, any usage must be approved by the district, and teachers must disclose when AI is used.
Improper use of AI by students can result in suspension or expulsion, and staff members can be subject to disciplinary action, the school’s policy said.
“Our policy basically says that if they misuse it for academic purposes, it is basically considered cheating,” Taylor said. “… So basically (students should be) using it within the confines of what it’s assigned for, not to do your assignment.”
At LCSD, teachers set the expectations for what is deemed acceptable AI usage in class and for which assignments. Allison said students are encouraged to use AI to help with brainstorming, studying or revising drafts of other work to get familiar with the program since it seems that it is becoming ingrained in real-world use outside of schools.
The primary goal through this use though is not to rely on AI to replace creative thought but rather to use it as a tool, similar to a calculator or a computer, Allison said.
“If you teach a kid how to use a calculator, they’re not going to make careless mistakes on their addition and subtraction, and that’s what it helps,” Allison said.
To ensure students aren’t misusing the technology, district-issued MacBooks students use come equipped with filters and monitoring systems that help to avoid improper or inappropriate site visits by students, Allison said.
If a teacher in the district has concerns about improper usage of AI, Allison said the district can use the monitoring systems to investigate to see if a student used AI entirely to complete an assignment.
“If a teacher came to me and they needed us to go and look at a kid’s computer and find out if they wrote that, we could do that,” he said. “We have the capabilities to see what you’re searching for, what you typed, how you got it, and that’s something I know we can do, but we haven’t. We haven’t used that.”
How are school districts looking to address future usage of AI?
As technology continues to evolve, Chapman and Allison agreed they will look to implement district-wide AI policies in the future.
Allison said the primary reason LCSD hasn’t developed a policy yet is the potential it has to box the district in specific guidelines when the technology seems to be changing by the day.
“We’re realistic, not alarmist, about AI. We understand the risks, but we also recognize the benefits,” Allison said. “… We probably had people (who) wanted us to just block it, and at first, that was probably our first inclination … about three years ago, but we’ve got to teach our kids to use it because if they don’t, they’ll be behind.”
Taylor said WPCSD will likely adjust or make changes to the policy as AI technology expands, but he said the core principles will remain the same as what is already established in the policy.
“I think we have to, cause we don’t know where it will be in a couple years down the road,” Taylor said. “So we (will) have to revisit the policy every now and then. I don’t think we have a choice.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
