The State Department of Education’s Responsibilities
The online platform that the Department must supply to provide guidance on AI to local school systems must:
- promote the safe, responsible, equitable, and ethical use of AI;
- promote AI literacy through computer science education;
- emphasize students and teachers at the center of educational technology;
- prioritize the educational needs of students using evidence-based approaches and methodologies; and
- address how state and federal privacy and accessibility standards apply to the use of AI instruction in schools.
The Department must publish separate guidance for the following groups: students, educators, administrators, and parents and guardians. The guidance shall be reviewed and updated as needed annually. The Department must develop strategies to assist local school systems and county superintendents in implementing the AI guidelines and best practices.
The Department must develop a rubric and other tools to assist local school systems on the evaluation of AI tools used by the school systems. The Department may periodically review and update the rubric as necessary.
On or before June 1, 2027, the Department, with the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, must ensure that AI literacy is a component of workforce preparation standards and computer science standards for K-12 education.
The Department must provide professional development in AI to educators and school leaders that is sufficient in duration and quality to prepare educators and school leaders on:
- the professional use of AI;
- applying AI to instruction;
- the ethical considerations of AI;
- the purpose of AI in education;
- basic AI vocabulary and concepts,
- how AI works;
- effective classroom use cases,
- effective use, privacy, security, academic integrity, and means of avoiding overdependence; and
The instruction must be offered during the employee’s regular workday as part of time designated for professional development or as a course that is eligible for credit toward licensure renewal.
Local School Systems’ Responsibilities
On or before 120 days from the date that the Department releases the guidance, each local school system shall have an AI policy. Each local school system shall designate an AI coordinator to serve as the liaison between the system and the Department. The coordinator must be an individual who is employed at the central office administration level and is noninstructional staff. Each school system must use the rubric created by the Department to review and select AI tools for use.
The Maryland AI Education Collaborative on Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education
AIRSA also creates the Maryland AI Education Collaborative on Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education (the “Collaborative”). The members of the Collaborative are to represent diverse subject areas and licensure areas, including general and special educators. The State Superintendent shall designate the chair of the Collaborative and may establish subcommittees of the Collaborative.
The Department shall provide staff for the Collaborative and may partner or contract with an organization to support the Collaborative. A member of the Collaborative may not receive compensation as a member of the Collaborative but is entitled to reimbursement for certain expenses.
The Collaborative shall study the uses of AI in each local school system; make findings and recommendations regarding the development or updating of the guidance and best practices, the implementation of best practices for relevant professional development, and the adoption of policies and procedures regarding the development, procurement, implementation, utilization, and ongoing assessment.
On or before June 1, 2027, based on best practices across the country, the Collaborative will recommend a process for the state board to update on a regular basis relevant state content standards to address the role of AI.
On or before December 1, 2027, and every December thereafter, the Collaborative will report its findings and recommendations to the state board and the Accountability and Implementation Board and the General Assembly on: professional development offered by local school systems and participants in each professional development activity disaggregated by role; statewide adoption of AI guidance; the use of AI in instruction; the instruction on AI; and the use of AI in administrative tasks.
PK Law’s Education Group serves as a trusted advisor to public school systems, private schools, charter schools, colleges, universities, vocational schools, and childcare centers. Recognized as a Tier 1 Education Law practice in the Baltimore region, our attorneys counsel education leaders on the complex legal issues affecting today’s institutions, including employment, student rights, special education, labor relations, governance, compliance, litigation, and construction matters.
Special thanks to PK Law Summer Law Clerk Michelle Jiang for her assistance in drafting this article. Michelle is a part of the Baltimore County Bar Association Summer Scholars Program and just finished her second year at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey Law School.
