Collaborator or Accomplice? A National Examination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in School District Discipline Policy

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a regular part of K-12 education, being used by students and educators. While AI has many potential benefits, there are concerns that AI may be misused—from academic dishonesty to inappropriate technology use—resulting in school disciplinary responses. This study reports the findings of a nationally representative study of school district student handbooks and their codes of conduct. The findings show that nearly two thirds of school districts do not reference AI in their student handbooks, leaving students without clear guidance on the appropriate use of and potential discipline of misuse of AI. References to AI in handbooks vary across district demographics, with more racially diverse and economically disadvantaged districts less likely to reference AI. The study concludes with a discussion of exemplar integrations of AI into handbooks and a discussion of the legal and policy impetus to integrate AI into discipline policy.