The state’s model is just a beginning.
“We fully anticipate the need to continue to come back and revise this policy,” said Chris Woolard, DEW’s chief integration officer, at a Thursday meeting. “This is a quickly evolving space.”
The model does not contain many specifics. It is guide that Ohio’s school districts and charter schools can use as a starting point, borrowing part or all when forming their own AI policies tailored to their specific needs.
Lawmakers included a requirement in the state budget that local boards and schools adopt formal AI policies by July 1.
The state has not established learning standards for AI at this point. Learning standards specify the knowledge and skills a student needs to know in each grade in a subject.
DEW’s model policy outlines expectations for ethical AI use, bans AI tools for bullying or harassment, and limits student use of AI to situations where teachers explicitly allow it.
“AI implementation should be human-centered and should empower students, educators, and communities,” the policy states. “It is a tool to support learning and teaching, not a substitute for student effort or the role of the educator.”
“Users must also follow the terms of service, including appropriate age limits,” the policy states.
AI may be used for brainstorming or limited research, but it cannot be used to generate work that replaces student effort. Districts should set procedures to investigate suspected misuse, though the policy does not prescribe specific methods.
“No assignment shall require the use of a tool that cannot be provided” by the district, the model states.
Schools must also communicate with families about how AI is used in classrooms and the skills students need for future workplaces. They must also warn parents about the risks of unsupervised AI use, the policy states.
The model policy requires compliance with federal privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The document bans using AI for bullying, harassment or intimidation, including creating harmful images of students or staff. It also points districts to existing state laws on non-consensual intimate imagery and mentions House Bill 531, known as Braden’s Law, which makes sexual extortion a felony.
The model policy builds on the statewide AI Toolkit released in 2024 and highlighted recently at a White House Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force meeting, where Ohio officials shared details of the new policy.
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