Artificial Intelligence In Education

Information Technology (IT) experts from K-12 school districts, including Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), shared how they are crafting Artificial Intelligence (AI) policies to ensure responsible adoption at the 2026 CoSN Annual Conference in Chicago. 

ACPS Chief Information Officer Dr. Emily Dillard explained how she and her colleagues made a deliberate decision not to rush into a stand-alone AI policy. “In 2023 we wrote the phrase, ‘evaluate technologies with curiosity and skepticism,’ and for us, that has really been our driving force for how we think about AI work,” Dillard said. 

She explained they developed a set of guiding principles for AI that sit alongside existing academic honesty and acceptable use policies. Those principles emphasize teaching and learning, human‑centered design, data privacy and security, transparency, respect and continuous improvement. 

ACPS also draws a clear line on AI’s role in assessments. “Our parents want to know that we have professionals in each classroom who know their child,” Dillard said. “AI will never understand the nuances that a teacher does.” AI may help teachers work more efficiently, but human educators are still making the decisions that matter most for students’ progress, she said.