Burrillville School Committee adopts AI policy after discussion on training and classroom use
February 01, 2025 | Burrillville, School Districts, Rhode Island
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On Feb. 11, 2025, the Burrillville School Committee approved a second reading of Policy 34-21, an artificial intelligence (AI) policy intended to set parameters for student and staff use of generative AI tools.
The policy, moved by Member Donison and seconded by Member Sylvia, passed on a voice vote with all members present saying “Aye.” It includes grade-level limits on student use and references an accompanying protocol for faculty and staff that the district will distribute after final approval.
Superintendent Dr. Solito told the committee the district has begun professional development on AI: “I think we had about, 25 to 30 teachers that attended,” he said, describing a recent PD day that included industry and educational experts. He said the district will continue such opportunities and that the protocol will clarify “what is and isn't in the case of the policy we'll definitely use in the classroom and what's age appropriate.”
Committee members asked about platforms and privacy. The superintendent said the policy intentionally does not name specific vendors so the district is not limited as platforms evolve; he identified ChatGPT and Bard as commonly used tools and said use of Google’s workspace features can keep prompts and results “in house” under some enterprise settings. A student representative described constructive classroom uses: “I used it today...it can output code for me and debug code for me,” he said, recounting how generative AI helped him generate and refine code for a SkillsUSA engineering project.
During discussion members raised the need for rubrics and teacher guidance. One committee member said rubrics and careful assignment design shape how students use AI, and that teachers can use AI to create templates or exemplars which students then revise.
The committee approved the policy as presented and the superintendent said the district will issue the protocol to staff once the policy is formalized. The policy and protocol are framed as living guidance: the superintendent noted the district expects AI practice to evolve and that the policy will help establish initial boundaries and training.
The policy, moved by Member Donison and seconded by Member Sylvia, passed on a voice vote with all members present saying “Aye.” It includes grade-level limits on student use and references an accompanying protocol for faculty and staff that the district will distribute after final approval.
Superintendent Dr. Solito told the committee the district has begun professional development on AI: “I think we had about, 25 to 30 teachers that attended,” he said, describing a recent PD day that included industry and educational experts. He said the district will continue such opportunities and that the protocol will clarify “what is and isn't in the case of the policy we'll definitely use in the classroom and what's age appropriate.”
Committee members asked about platforms and privacy. The superintendent said the policy intentionally does not name specific vendors so the district is not limited as platforms evolve; he identified ChatGPT and Bard as commonly used tools and said use of Google’s workspace features can keep prompts and results “in house” under some enterprise settings. A student representative described constructive classroom uses: “I used it today...it can output code for me and debug code for me,” he said, recounting how generative AI helped him generate and refine code for a SkillsUSA engineering project.
During discussion members raised the need for rubrics and teacher guidance. One committee member said rubrics and careful assignment design shape how students use AI, and that teachers can use AI to create templates or exemplars which students then revise.
The committee approved the policy as presented and the superintendent said the district will issue the protocol to staff once the policy is formalized. The policy and protocol are framed as living guidance: the superintendent noted the district expects AI practice to evolve and that the policy will help establish initial boundaries and training.
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