ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Artificial intelligence is already finding a place in Orange County classrooms, but new Florida requirements are poised to change how schools decide which tools students can use \u2014 and whether parents allow their children to use them at all.<\/p>\n
Orange County Public Schools is working to update its policies after the State Board of Education adopted Florida\u2019s AI rule on Sept. 16. The rule now contains 18 requirements, expanded from 15, and gives school boards until July 1, 2027, to adopt and implement policy changes. <\/p>\n
Among the most significant changes is a requirement for parental consent when students directly use certain AI instructional tools.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the student will be directly using the tool,\u201d parents must be given the option to opt their child when AI instructional tool is used in class, according to materials OCPS presented during an Oct. 6 School Board work session. Families that do not opt in must be offered a non-AI instructional tool that is \u201csubstantively comparable\u201d in instructional quality and access.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow we have to figure out how to make this happen in the deadline,\u201d Gallo, an OCPS board member, said during the discussion.<\/p>\n
Some parents said the consent process itself could become burdensome.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t keep up with the amount of messages and opt ins,\u201d one parent said.<\/p>\n
She also questioned how schools would balance AI use with limited classroom time.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdding that into the mix is like, \u2018Oh great, let\u2019s investigate that\u2019 … but if it requires five more minutes out of instruction time, then what are we sacrificing?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The rules also establish new safeguards around how artificial intelligence can interact with students. AI designed or configured to meet students\u2019 social or emotional needs is prohibited, as are systems that simulate friendship or companionship or use relationship-building features intended to encourage continued interaction. Instructional tools also cannot conduct undisclosed behavior monitoring, social scoring or psychological profiling.<\/p>\n
One parent whose child will be attending OCPS in a few years said schools should teach students how to use AI while continuing to develop independent judgment and critical-thinking skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want my daughter to be able to critically think and [know] when is a good time to use AI and understand if this is an actual beneficial resource,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That concern is reflected in other portions of the rule. District materials say policies must address academic integrity and authorship verification and, when appropriate, require students to demonstrate mastery without AI. The requirements also call for training for teachers and administrators and human review when AI contributes to decisions involving areas such as grading, evaluations, promotion, discipline, threat assessments, counseling and referrals for exceptional student education. \u201cAI may assist. A person must decide,\u201d the district\u2019s presentation says.<\/p>\n
OCPS officials said much of the district\u2019s existing AI policy already addresses issues including approved tools, protected data, academic integrity and human review. But the district identified areas that must be clarified or expanded, including mandatory training, additional decision-making safeguards and restrictions involving commercial AI models. <\/p>\n
The changes leave district leaders with practical questions about implementation \u2014 including how schools will manage different experiences for students whose parents opt in and those whose parents do not.<\/p>\n
For families, the debate is increasingly moving beyond whether artificial intelligence belongs in schools. The question now is under what conditions students should be allowed to use it \u2014 and how schools can embrace emerging technology without allowing it to replace the human judgment, instruction and critical thinking at the center of education.<\/p>\n
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