The Office of Education Technology (OET) creates and shares information regarding AI in KY K-12 education as it relates to guidance, information, standards for KY K-12 districts, as well as feedback from districts.
Content, guidance and actions directly related to AI in KY K-12 education
AI Guidance for KDE staff and KY K-12 districts:
Feedback from KY K-12 districts on AI in March 2023, March 2024 and June 2024:
Districts have been provided regular guidance from KDE and opportunities to provided feedback to KDE and each other. KY K-12 was one of the earliest states that provided AI guidance to all its public school districts. An extremely high percentage of KY K-12 districts have already implemented AI policies and guidance within their districts.
EdTech: June 2024 | KDE MEDIA PORTAL
The 2024-3030 Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS) Master Plan, a regulation by reference, has an area of emphasis that includes AI:
Donnie Piercey's book on the 50 strategies of constructive ways for teachers to use AI in a classroom. Donnie Piercey was the 2021 KY K-12 Teacher of the Year. His book was one of the top selling education books on Amazon when it was first released.
The KY K-12 Early Warning System Tool for districts is an example of how AI-type technology can benefit KY K-12. This tool is designed to help chronic absenteeism and promote persistence to graduation.
September 2024, all KY K-12 school districts were provided a link to watch an AI presentation to a KY legislative committee by Doug Robinson, the Executive Director of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). Doug provided the collective feedback received from each state government level chief technology information officer (CIO). Doug formerly worked at the KY Commonwealth Office of Technology (COT). He is from and currently lives in KY. The YouTube link to Microsoft and NASCIO's presentation is below.
KDE's Office of Education Technology (OET) was chosen to present to all other KY state agencies on the topic of AI during KY's annual Digital Government Summit in May 2023 and June 2024.
Other content, guidance and actions that impact AI in KY K-12 education
The 2024-3030 KETS Master Plan, a regulation by reference, has areas of emphasis on KY K-12 student technology skills.
KY K-12 Academic Standards for Computer Science:
KY K-12 Computer Science Plan: KY K-12 Annual Computer Science Report:
The annual report on K-12 computer science in the United States published by
Code.org provides an update on national and state-level computer science education policy, including policy trends, maps, state summaries, and implementation data:
KY K-12 Academic Standards for Technology. On 5 April 2019, Kentucky's minimum high school graduation requirements became law, 704 KAR 3:305. One of the stated requirements is centered on a students' demonstrated performance-based competency in technology prior to graduating.
Conclusion
How much AI is or isn't used in schools will be the comfort that that each has or doesn't have in AI as it relates to the educational goals and values of the district.
We do recommend that each KY K-12 teacher, leader and staff member gets familiar with using AI to help them properly weigh the pluses and minuses of AI.
AI will with certainty be part of every KY K-12 student future as well as adult's future, so we need to constantly adapt as AI continues to evolve at a fast pace each year.
Districts can choose to block or not block ChatGPT-type products when KY K-12 students use the KY K-12 Internet service and/or a KY K-12 computer.
Products that all students and adults use daily will use AI to have their product be more efficient and effective (e.g., summaries and minutes).
Avoid things like well-intended K-12 researchers putting in sensitive data in open AI systems.
Overall, AI will have its biggest positive impact in the educational and medical fields.
However, beyond education, AI requires safe boundaries, especially when combined with robots that can move and act independently.
Supporting Documents
Office of Education Technology
Division of School Technology Planning and Project Management
300 Sower Blvd., 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-2020
Fax (502) 564-1519