School districts explore AI

Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries across the globe, and school districts across Long Island are no exception. Educators and administrators in the North Shore, Locust Valley, and Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School Districts are grappling with how to integrate AI into the classroom while managing its risks.

The North Shore School District is in its second year of actively exploring AI’s potential for enhancing learning, while simultaneously developing policies to address concerns around academic integrity and student well-being.

Chris Zublionis, superintendent of North Shore School District, said the district is enthusiastic about the potential of AI, but are proceeding cautiously.

“Teachers were concerned about academic integrity, whether the work students were submitting was original or AI-generated,” Zublionis said, noting that these concerns arose early in the 2022-23 school year, after the release of popular AI tools like ChatGPT. At the same time, educators saw the promise AI offered for personalizing learning and making it more accessible.

“AI has a lot of promise when it comes to differentiating instruction and making learning more accessible for students who may need additional support,” Zublionis said. However, he stressed that the district has not yet implemented any formal AI tools for students or teachers. “We are still in the exploration stage, experimenting with what’s possible before putting anything into formal practice.”

One tool generating buzz among district leaders is OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4.0, which can perform tasks such as solving complex algebraic equations step-by-step when presented with an image of a problem. Zublionis called the platform’s potential “amazing,” but he also emphasized that any AI-generated content must be scrutinized for accuracy.

“It’s like the internet—it’s not infallible, so you always have to approach it with a healthy skepticism.”

Zublionis acknowledged the risks associated with students using AI to complete assignments dishonestly. While the district employs AI-detection software such as Turnitin to flag potentially AI-generated writing, Zublionis stressed that the real solution lies in creating assignments that can’t simply be completed by a prompt.

“We’re looking to do more deliberate professional development on it and adopt policies at the district level,” he said.

Currently, North Shore High School is working on its own academic integrity policy related to AI, and the district plans to follow suit.

The superintendent also raised concerns about the potential misuse of AI in ways beyond academics, particularly in cyberbullying.

“The idea of students using AI to create deepfakes or other harmful content is very scary,” Zublionis said. He described how easy it is for AI programs to generate fake videos that could be used maliciously, adding that this issue has already surfaced in other parts of the country.
Despite these concerns, Zublionis said that he believes AI, when used responsibly, could help bridge educational gaps. He added that the district’s technology committee, composed of parents, educators, and administrators, is actively researching how AI could be safely integrated into the curriculum, with plans to present their findings to the board in January.

“For students who can’t afford tutors, AI has the potential to level the playing field,” Zublionis said. “It can provide support with homework and help make complex texts more accessible to students with different reading levels.”

A second committee, focused on social media, smartphones, and student well-being, is looking at how AI impacts life outside the classroom. Zublionis highlighted that the district is developing a technology white paper to formalize its stance on AI and inform future policy decisions.

“We can’t ignore this,” Zublionis said. “The wall between what happens in school and out of school is thinner than ever, so we need to address AI both academically and socially.”
Locust Valley and Oyster Bay-East Norwich school districts are also in the early stages of navigating AI’s role in education, though their approaches differ from North Shore’s exploratory focus.

Ken Packert, Locust Valley’s executive director for administrative operations and technology, explained that AI has been quietly integrated into existing applications like Grammarly and IXL, platforms that provide real-time feedback and adapt to students’ individual needs.
“It’s not so much that we’re using AI directly in the form of ChatGPT, but rather, AI is built into the products we already use,” Packert said.

Packert said that he sees great potential in AI’s ability to tailor education to individual students’ interests and needs, including those with disabilities. However, he echoed concerns about privacy, security, and the ethical implications of relying too heavily on AI.
“There’s always the question of bias and misinformation—what are these suggestions based on and are they safe for our students?” he said.

At Oyster Bay-East Norwich, Superintendent Francesco Ianni emphasized that the district is still in the learning phase. The district is focused on providing educators with the necessary professional development to help students use AI responsibly and effectively.

“Right now, teachers are trying to figure out how to use AI in ways that enhance learning, rather than just as a tool for students to complete assignments,” Ianni said.

As AI continues to evolve, the challenge for school districts across the North Shore is to harness its potential while safeguarding academic integrity and student safety. For North Shore, Locust Valley, and Oyster Bay-East Norwich, the goal is to ensure that AI remains a tool for learning, not a crutch for shortcuts or a vehicle for harm.

“We’re working toward a future where AI enhances learning, but doesn’t replace it,” Zublionis concluded.”