Part of the AI for Families resources for schools developed as part of the online professional development course The AI-Empowered Teacher, this activity gives families and school staff a chance to explore the use of AI in school and build a shared understanding of trust, clarity, and mutual respect.

Activity

Purpose: This conversation gives families and school staff a chance to co-explore how AI tools may be used in the school setting and how transparency can support trust, clarity, and mutual respect. Together, you’ll reflect on scenarios, share perspectives, and begin shaping how disclosure around AI might look in your own community.

Scenarios (Discussion Handout)

Instructions: Read each scenario below and/or add your own. Each shows a possible use of AI in school communication or student learning.

Scenario 1: Teacher Feedback AI Drafting

A teacher uses an AI tool to draft feedback responses for student writing, then edits before sending.

Prompt Questions: Would you want to know AI assisted? Why? What would you want included in a disclosure?

Scenario 2: Parent Newsletter Draft

School leadership uses AI to generate the first version of a monthly newsletter, then staff finalize it.

Prompt Questions: What do you expect in terms of transparency? How would you trust the message?

Scenario 3: Student Brainstorm Tool

Students in class are asked to use an AI-based brainstorming app to generate ideas before refining them.

Prompt Questions: How would you explain that to your child? What disclosure would support your trust?

Scenario 4: Survey Summaries by AI

The school uses AI to analyze and summarize family survey responses to guide decision-making.

Prompt Questions: Should families know AI was used? How would it be communicated?

Add Your Own

Design your own district or school-based scenario to share with families.

Guiding Discussion

• What helps you trust information when you know AI was involved?
• What kinds of disclosures would feel clear and respectful?
• When might a disclosure feel confusing or unnecessary?
• How might families and school staff partner to make transparent practices meaningful and manageable?

Co-Designed Disclosures: Blueprint Template

Provide participants with a template to fill in, such as:

“This [newsletter / assignment feedback / summary] was first drafted with the support of an AI tool. It was reviewed, edited, and finalized by school staff to ensure accuracy and alignment with our values. If you have questions, we welcome hearing your feedback.”

Ask each co‐design group to adapt or build their own version for the scenario they worked with.

About This Activity

This resource was developed with support from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) through a collaboration with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and the Kentucky Department of Education, New Mexico Public Education Department, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and Wyoming Department of Education. The materials reflect shared priorities across the four states while allowing schools and districts to adapt them for their local communities.