DESE Issues Guidance for the Use of AI in K-12 Schools

Earlier in August VDH posted an advisory regarding the July 22, 2025 “Dear Colleague” Letter issued by the U.S. Department of Education (“DOE”). That advisory generally outlines the permissible uses of federal grant funds when state and local education agencies utilize artificial intelligence (“AI”). One permissible use is “training of educators, providers, and families to use AI tools effectively and responsibly.” The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”) through its Office of EdTech now has issued guidelines in its publication Massachusetts Guidance for Artificial Intelligence In K-12 Education related to this use. The publication can be accessed and downloaded at https://www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/ai/ai-guidance.pdf.

Under the topic “Academic Integrity”, the Guidance urges school districts to help students “reflect on their process, make intentional choices, and take ownership of their learning—even when AI is part of it”; “to create cultures where honesty [about use of AI] is normalized and met with trust—not suspicion” and that “reward transparency”; and to minimize the use of AI detection tools, which are “often inaccurate, reinforce punitive mindsets, and undermine a culture of learning.”

Among other suggested steps, the Guidance encourages districts to “[e]stablish a district-wide expectation around when to disclose the use of AI”; promote use of AI “tools rather than as sources of knowledge or facts that are referenced”; “[c]ommunicate expectations in student handbooks, academic integrity policies, syllabi, and classroom norms”; and “[h]elp educators model disclosure by explicitly identifying how they use AI in their own work.” The Guidance also urges measures that foster appropriate learning about how to use AI, including “[e]mbed AI integrity, authorship, and citation topics in ELA, social studies, science, digital citizenship, and other curricula” and “[p]rovide teachers with lessons and materials on how to contrast student vs. AI-generated work.” Finally, the Guidance suggests steps that can foster a culture of “safe disclosure”, including “publicly adopt a district stance that supports honest disclosure and discussion.”

Under the topic “AI Literacy: Teaching With AI”, the Guidance contains a similar list of steps by which a district’s educators can effectively and responsibly teach students using AI.

DESE’s website provides access to a number of related resources as well as links to available trainings during the 2025-2026 school year at https://www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/ai/default.html.

As school districts navigate the development of policies governing the appropriate use of AI in education, questions will undoubtedly arise. We are pleased to provide advice to districts in this and in related areas.

This update is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.