Educational institutions are used to being in the spotlight, especially when it comes to politics and the priorities of state legislators. Education will continue to be a hot topic for state legislators in her 2024, as the summary of pending bills and legislation below shows.
At the top of the list is artificial intelligence (AI). As explained in another article in this edition, academic advisorIn December, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act of 2023, which has the overall goal of developing AI skills in schools. Meanwhile, 29 bills regulating AI have been enacted in 17 states in the past five years, according to the Council of State Governments. In the absence of legislation, some states, including California, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia, have issued AI guidance for schools, and other states have AI efforts underway.
Other bills in development include bills to help with teacher recruitment and retention and related workforce shortages in Missouri, New York, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Indiana. Addressing learning loss and reading comprehension in Indiana, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Establish a school choice tax credit program like the one available in Ohio.
Certain states within the Spielman region have recently introduced the following legislation and guidelines:
florida
- Senate Bill 1344 would add computer science skills to the academic standards for the 2025-26 school year and create an AI Education Task Force within the Florida Department of Education.
- SB 1044/House Bill (HB) 931 would authorize public school districts and public charter schools to have volunteer school chaplains and require parental consent for related student services.
- SB 1472 would require certain public school classrooms with special needs students to have video cameras and a retention period to allow for investigations into allegations of abuse or neglect.
- SB 344/HB 1521 would require instruction on African American history.
- HB 1355 would repeal a 2023 law that restricts the use of preferred pronouns, books in public schools, and discussion of gender identity and sexuality in classrooms.
north carolina
- The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recently released guidelines for the use of AI in public schools. (For a detailed review, see Recommendations and considerations for implementing generative AI for PK-13 public schools in North CarolinaPlease see the article below for this point. academic advisor. )
Virginia
- HB 1088 would require the Virginia Board of Education to provide educational materials on climate change and environmental literacy to local school boards.
west virginia
- SB 143 would allow school boards to hire independent contractors for armed security on school campuses.
- SB 280 would allow intelligent design to be taught in schools and would require schools and universities to display the national motto under certain conditions.
- SB 152 would require educational institutions to display the national motto, “In God We Trust,” along with images of the U.S. and state flags, in some cases, in each classroom.
- SB 253 would create enrollment quotas in county schools for the tuition assistance system.
As a result of the state Legislature's focus on education, schools must remain nimble and responsive in developing policies and procedures that, if enacted, address the requirements of these diverse categories. In particular, unless or until federal law trumps it, schools should expect state regulations on the use of AI to come, even if they haven't already been established, and will require technology teams, faculty, and legal expertise to come. You will need to work with your home on related compliance measures.
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