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From Guidelines to Governance: A Study of AI Policies in Education

Aashish Ghimire, John Edwards

TL;DR

Educational adoption of generative AI tools raises policy, privacy, and governance concerns. The study uses a mixed-methods survey of 102 administrators across five US states to map current AI policy landscapes and needs. Findings show higher education is more policy-active than K–12, but many policies lack specificity on LLMs and privacy, with a strong call for iterative, multi-stakeholder governance and targeted resources. The work highlights critical policy gaps and offers actionable directions for flexible governance frameworks capable of adapting to rapid AI advances in schooling.

Abstract

Emerging technologies like generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, are increasingly utilized in educational settings, offering innovative approaches to learning while simultaneously posing new challenges. This study employs a survey methodology to examine the policy landscape concerning these technologies, drawing insights from 102 high school principals and higher education provosts. Our results reveal a prominent policy gap: the majority of institutions lack specialized guide-lines for the ethical deployment of AI tools such as ChatGPT. Moreover,we observed that high schools are less inclined to work on policies than higher educational institutions. Where such policies do exist, they often overlook crucial issues, including student privacy and algorithmic transparency. Administrators overwhelmingly recognize the necessity of these policies, primarily to safeguard student safety and mitigate plagiarism risks. Our findings underscore the urgent need for flexible and iterative policy frameworks in educational contexts.

From Guidelines to Governance: A Study of AI Policies in Education

TL;DR

Educational adoption of generative AI tools raises policy, privacy, and governance concerns. The study uses a mixed-methods survey of 102 administrators across five US states to map current AI policy landscapes and needs. Findings show higher education is more policy-active than K–12, but many policies lack specificity on LLMs and privacy, with a strong call for iterative, multi-stakeholder governance and targeted resources. The work highlights critical policy gaps and offers actionable directions for flexible governance frameworks capable of adapting to rapid AI advances in schooling.

Abstract

Emerging technologies like generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, are increasingly utilized in educational settings, offering innovative approaches to learning while simultaneously posing new challenges. This study employs a survey methodology to examine the policy landscape concerning these technologies, drawing insights from 102 high school principals and higher education provosts. Our results reveal a prominent policy gap: the majority of institutions lack specialized guide-lines for the ethical deployment of AI tools such as ChatGPT. Moreover,we observed that high schools are less inclined to work on policies than higher educational institutions. Where such policies do exist, they often overlook crucial issues, including student privacy and algorithmic transparency. Administrators overwhelmingly recognize the necessity of these policies, primarily to safeguard student safety and mitigate plagiarism risks. Our findings underscore the urgent need for flexible and iterative policy frameworks in educational contexts.
Paper Structure (23 sections, 7 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 23 sections, 7 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Applications and Trends in AI in Education
  4. Ethical Challenges and Frameworks
  5. Accountability, Fairness, and Governance
  6. Policy Guidelines and Implications
  7. Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design
  8. Multidisciplinary Perspectives
  9. Methodology
  10. Data Collection Instrument
  11. Data Analysis
  12. Results
  13. RQ1: What is the current landscape of policies related to Generative AI in educational settings and what do these policies cover?
  14. Existence of current policies
  15. Adequacy of Current Policies
  16. ...and 8 more sections

Figures (7)

  • Figure 1: Categories and Related Survey Questions. Most questions are condensed due to space constraints.
  • Figure 2: Current policy status by institution type
  • Figure 3: Administrators' responses on policy availability and adequacy
  • Figure 4: Administrators' responses on policy necessity and its components
  • Figure 5: Administrators' response in policy focus area and resources needed
  • ...and 2 more figures