A Beacon from the Ocean State
How Rhode Island Developed America's Most Educator-Driven AI Policy
A Beacon from the Ocean State
How Rhode Island Developed America's Most Educator-Driven AI Policy
A Beacon from the Ocean State
How Rhode Island Developed America's Most Educator-Driven AI Policy
Overview
Through a highly competitive bidding process, The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) selected Improve LLC under the leadership of Nona Ullman to support the creation of their state AI policy. Ryan Goble, of Mindblue Education, was a lead collaborator with Improve LLC for this partnership.
Over the course of a year, RIDE collaborated with Nona, Ryan and a variety of stakeholders to create: an unprecedented comprehensive 52-page AI guidance document developed through authentic stakeholder involvement. Their team collaborated with over 1,300 educators, students, parents, and administrators across Rhode Island. This collaborative approach resulted in guidance that educators actually shaped rather than had imposed upon them, creating a replicable model for how states can develop technology guidance that serves real classroom needs.
Highlights
- 1,250+ stakeholders participated in comprehensive surveys about AI across all educator and community groups
- 5 lunch-and-learn events with hundreds of attendees, featuring national and international leaders from the US Department of Education, Thomson Reuters Labs, and the Annenberg Institute at Brown University
- Comprehensive 52-page guidance document providing flexible framework for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to develop AI policies
- Featured in The Boston Globe highlighting Rhode Island’s balanced approach to AI adoption in schools
- Established Rhode Island as national model for educator-driven AI policy development
Overview
Through a highly competitive bidding process, The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) selected Improve LLC under the leadership of Nona Ullman to support the creation of their state AI policy. Ryan Goble, of Mindblue Education, was a lead collaborator with Improve LLC for this partnership.
Over the course of a year, RIDE collaborated with Nona, Ryan and a variety of stakeholders to create: an unprecedented comprehensive 52-page AI guidance document developed through authentic stakeholder involvement. Their team collaborated with over 1,300 educators, students, parents, and administrators across Rhode Island. This collaborative approach resulted in guidance that educators actually shaped rather than had imposed upon them, creating a replicable model for how states can develop technology guidance that serves real classroom needs.
Highlights
- 1,250+ stakeholders participated in comprehensive surveys about AI across all educator and community groups
- 5 lunch-and-learn events with hundreds of attendees, featuring national and international leaders from the US Department of Education, Thomson Reuters Labs, and the Annenberg Institute at Brown University
- Comprehensive 52-page guidance document providing flexible framework for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to develop AI policies
- Featured in The Boston Globe highlighting Rhode Island’s balanced approach to AI adoption in schools
- Established Rhode Island as national model for educator-driven AI policy development
How we used Mindblue Education’s 3P Framework
Purpose
Create comprehensive AI guidance that empowers local education agencies to develop smart policies embracing AI's potential while mitigating risks through authentic stakeholder (student, parent, teacher, administrator, community) input
Play
Design interactive stakeholder engagement through lunch-and-learn sessions with national experts, virtual town halls for real-time feedback, and collaborative workshops that transformed policy development from top-down mandates into educator-driven solutions
Paradox
Navigate AI's complexity by organizing guidance around eight key domains, balancing possibilities with pitfalls while recognizing that simple answers would mislead districts navigating this emergent technology
The Challenge
As artificial intelligence rapidly entered classrooms across America in 2024-25, Rhode Island faced a critical policy gap. Students were already using AI tools independently—20% for schoolwork compared to only 6% of educators using it professionally. Without clear guidance, districts were left to navigate complex questions about academic integrity, equity, privacy, and pedagogical best practices on their own.
Traditional top-down policy development would have created guidance disconnected from classroom realities. The challenge was developing a comprehensive AI policy that would be both educationally sound and practically implementable across Rhode Island’s diverse districts, while ensuring it addressed the real concerns and opportunities that educators were experiencing daily.
Key Insights
- Authentic Stakeholder Engagement: Extensive surveys and focus groups with 1,252 respondents revealed that 78% of educators expressed concerns about academic dishonesty, while 36% of students reported that AI helped them learn more effectively
- Framework-Driven Approach: Organizing guidance around “Possibilities, Pitfalls, and Pathways” provided practical structure that moved conversations from fear to action planning
- Cross-Stakeholder Collaboration: National experts from organizations including the US Department of Education, Thomson Reuters Labs, Brown University’s Annenberg Institute, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, The National Parents Union, and Digital Promise elevated the conversation beyond local concerns
- Flexible Implementation Design: Creating guidance that districts could adapt rather than rigid mandates ensured buy-in and practical application across varied contexts
- Educator-Driven Solutions: When superintendents began responding to the framework by moving from ‘We need to ban everything’ to ‘Here’s our pilot plan,’ the team knew they had found a strong approach
The team discovered that effective AI policy development required genuine stakeholder engagement, not token consultation. By conducting extensive surveys, focus groups, and town halls with 1,252 respondents, many insights were revealed including:
- 78% of educators expressed concerns about academic dishonesty
- 36% of students reported that AI helped them learn more effectively
- 60% of parents and families believe AI can reduce educational disparities for disadvantaged student populations, while only 31% of educators and administrators share this belief
- 60% of respondents feel RIDE should play a role in providing guidance on AI use in schools, with 26% requesting AI PD
The data revealed a critical insight: the gap wasn’t just between student adoption (20%) and educator use (6%), but also in understanding AI. One-third of students didn’t use AI at all, and another third were unsure how it could help their learning. This pointed to the need for comprehensive AI literacy rather than blanket policies.
The Challenge
As artificial intelligence rapidly entered classrooms across America in 2024-25, Rhode Island faced a critical policy gap. Students were already using AI tools independently—20% for schoolwork compared to only 6% of educators using it professionally. Without clear guidance, districts were left to navigate complex questions about academic integrity, equity, privacy, and pedagogical best practices on their own.
Traditional top-down policy development would have created guidance disconnected from classroom realities. The challenge was developing a comprehensive AI policy that would be both educationally sound and practically implementable across Rhode Island’s diverse districts, while ensuring it addressed the real concerns and opportunities that educators were experiencing daily.
Key Insights
- Authentic Stakeholder Engagement: Extensive surveys and focus groups with 1,252 respondents revealed that 78% of educators expressed concerns about academic dishonesty, while 36% of students reported that AI helped them learn more effectively
- Framework-Driven Approach: Organizing guidance around “Possibilities, Pitfalls, and Pathways” provided practical structure that moved conversations from fear to action planning
- Cross-Stakeholder Collaboration: National experts from organizations including the US Department of Education, Thomson Reuters Labs, Brown University’s Annenberg Institute, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, The National Parents Union, and Digital Promise elevated the conversation beyond local concerns
- Flexible Implementation Design: Creating guidance that districts could adapt rather than rigid mandates ensured buy-in and practical application across varied contexts
- Educator-Driven Solutions: When superintendents began responding to the framework by moving from ‘We need to ban everything’ to ‘Here’s our pilot plan,’ the team knew they had found a strong approach
The team discovered that effective AI policy development required genuine stakeholder engagement, not token consultation. By conducting extensive surveys, focus groups, and town halls with 1,252 respondents, many insights were revealed including:
- 78% of educators expressed concerns about academic dishonesty
- 36% of students reported that AI helped them learn more effectively
- 60% of parents and families believe AI can reduce educational disparities for disadvantaged student populations, while only 31% of educators and administrators share this belief
- 60% of respondents feel RIDE should play a role in providing guidance on AI use in schools, with 26% requesting AI PD
The data revealed a critical insight: the gap wasn’t just between student adoption (20%) and educator use (6%), but also in understanding AI. One-third of students didn’t use AI at all, and another third were unsure how it could help their learning. This pointed to the need for comprehensive AI literacy rather than blanket policies.
Pivotal Moment
A breakthrough came during stakeholder engagement sessions when the team realized they needed to organize the guidance around three fundamental questions every educator was asking: “What could this actually do for my students?” (Possibilities), “What keeps me up at night about this stuff?” (Pitfalls), and “Okay, so what do I actually do?” (Pathways).
This framework shifted the entire approach from policy mandates to practical support. When superintendents began responding to this structure by moving from defensive positions to implementation planning, the team knew they had found an approach that would drive meaningful change rather than performative compliance.
The Solution & Implementation Model
The team developed a comprehensive framework that balanced innovation with responsibility, creating guidance organized around the three-P structure while addressing seven key implementation areas:
- Instructional Guidance – Age-appropriate AI use from K-12 with specific examples
- Equity and Bias – Ensuring AI doesn’t exacerbate existing educational inequities
- Diverse Learners – Supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities
- Security and Safety – Data privacy, procurement, and digital citizenship protocols
- College and Career Readiness – Preparing students for AI-integrated workplaces
- Operations and Administration – Streamlining district processes through AI
- Family and Community Engagement – Building understanding and buy-in
The approach emphasized stakeholder voice through surveys, focus groups, lunch-and-learn sessions with national experts, and virtual town halls, ensuring the final guidance reflected daily educator needs rather than theoretical frameworks.
Pivotal Moment
A breakthrough came during stakeholder engagement sessions when the team realized they needed to organize the guidance around three fundamental questions every educator was asking: “What could this actually do for my students?” (Possibilities), “What keeps me up at night about this stuff?” (Pitfalls), and “Okay, so what do I actually do?” (Pathways).
This framework shifted the entire approach from policy mandates to practical support. When superintendents began responding to this structure by moving from defensive positions to implementation planning, the team knew they had found an approach that would drive meaningful change rather than performative compliance.
Pivotal Moment
A breakthrough came during stakeholder engagement sessions when the team realized they needed to organize the guidance around three fundamental questions every educator was asking: “What could this actually do for my students?” (Possibilities), “What keeps me up at night about this stuff?” (Pitfalls), and “Okay, so what do I actually do?” (Pathways).
A breakthrough came during stakeholder engagement sessions when the team realized they needed to organize the guidance around three fundamental questions every educator was asking: “What could this actually do for my students?” (Possibilities), “What keeps me up at night about this stuff?” (Pitfalls), and “Okay, so what do I actually do?” (Pathways).
This framework shifted the entire approach from policy mandates to practical support. When superintendents began responding to this structure by moving from defensive positions to implementation planning, the team knew they had found an approach that would drive meaningful change rather than performative compliance.
The Solution & Implementation Model
The team developed a comprehensive framework that balanced innovation with responsibility, creating guidance organized around the three-P structure while addressing seven key implementation areas:
- Instructional Guidance – Age-appropriate AI use from K-12 with specific examples
- Equity and Bias – Ensuring AI doesn’t exacerbate existing educational inequities
- Diverse Learners – Supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities
- Security and Safety – Data privacy, procurement, and digital citizenship protocols
- College and Career Readiness – Preparing students for AI-integrated workplaces
- Operations and Administration – Streamlining district processes through AI
- Family and Community Engagement – Building understanding and buy-in
The approach emphasized stakeholder voice through surveys, focus groups, lunch-and-learn sessions with national experts, and virtual town halls, ensuring the final guidance reflected daily educator needs rather than theoretical frameworks.
The Solution &
Implementation Model
The team developed a comprehensive framework that balanced innovation with responsibility, creating guidance organized around the three-P structure while addressing seven key implementation areas:
- Instructional Guidance – Age-appropriate AI use from K-12 with specific examples
- Equity and Bias – Ensuring AI doesn’t exacerbate existing educational inequities
- Diverse Learners – Supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities
- Security and Safety – Data privacy, procurement, and digital citizenship protocols
- College and Career Readiness – Preparing students for AI-integrated workplaces
- Operations and Administration – Streamlining district processes through AI
- Family and Community Engagement – Building understanding and buy-in
The approach emphasized stakeholder voice through surveys, focus groups, lunch-and-learn sessions with national experts, and virtual town halls, ensuring the final guidance reflected daily educator needs rather than theoretical frameworks.
Implementations & outcomes
Our year-long partnership with RIDE included:
Discover: Stakeholder engagement, needs analysis, data collection
- Conducted surveys with 1,252 respondents across all stakeholder groups
- Held multiple focus groups and town halls
- Analyzed current AI usage patterns and concerns
Design: Framework development, content creation, policy drafting
- Created the innovative Possibilities-Pitfalls-Pathways framework
- Drafted 52-page comprehensive guidance document
- Built implementation checklists and conversation starter tools
Demonstrate: Rollout support, professional learning design
- Released guidance with statewide media coverage including The Boston Globe
- Established professional learning opportunities for districts
- Created AI Advisory Group for ongoing feedback and updates
Develop & Disseminate: Ongoing support, model refinement, expansion
- Positioned Rhode Island as national leader in educator-driven AI policy
- Influenced other states’ approach to AI guidance development
- Established framework for continuous guidance updates as technology evolves
Implementations & outcomes
Our year-long partnership with RIDE included:
Discover: Stakeholder engagement, needs analysis, data collection
- Conducted surveys with 1,252 respondents across all stakeholder groups
- Held multiple focus groups and town halls
- Analyzed current AI usage patterns and concerns
Design: Framework development, content creation, policy drafting
- Created the innovative Possibilities-Pitfalls-Pathways framework
- Drafted 52-page comprehensive guidance document
- Built implementation checklists and conversation starter tools
Demonstrate: Rollout support, professional learning design
- Released guidance with statewide media coverage including The Boston Globe
- Established professional learning opportunities for districts
- Created AI Advisory Group for ongoing feedback and updates
Develop & Disseminate: Ongoing support, model refinement, expansion
- Positioned Rhode Island as national leader in educator-driven AI policy
- Influenced other states’ approach to AI guidance development
- Established framework for continuous guidance updates as technology evolves
Implementations & outcomes
Our year-long partnership with RIDE included:
Discover: Stakeholder engagement, needs analysis, data collection
- Conducted surveys with 1,252 respondents across all stakeholder groups
- Held multiple focus groups and town halls
- Analyzed current AI usage patterns and concerns
Design: Framework development, content creation, policy drafting
- Created the innovative Possibilities-Pitfalls-Pathways framework
- Drafted 52-page comprehensive guidance document
- Built implementation checklists and conversation starter tools
Demonstrate: Rollout support, professional learning design
- Released guidance with statewide media coverage including The Boston Globe
- Established professional learning opportunities for districtsCreated AI Advisory Group for ongoing feedback and updates
Develop & Disseminate: Ongoing support, model refinement, expansion
- Positioned Rhode Island as national leader in educator-driven AI policy
- Influenced other states’ approach to AI guidance development
- Established framework for continuous guidance updates as technology evolves
Key Outcomes:
- Created comprehensive guidance framework adopted by Rhode Island Department of Education
- Generated significant media attention and policy discussion regionally and nationally
- Established Rhode Island as a leader in thoughtful AI integration in education
- Provided practical tools that districts could implement immediately
- Built sustainable framework for ongoing AI policy updates and support
Client Testimonials
“Artificial intelligence is not the future for our schools – it’s the present, and our goal is to ensure it enhances teaching and learning to unlock our students’ full potential. With the right support and guardrails, AI can be a powerful tool for educators, provide critical support for families, and a bridge to more engaging learning opportunities for students. This guidance is a first step in helping our schools embrace this emerging technology responsibly and effectively.”
Rhode Island Department of Education
“RIDE’s AI guidance empowers districts to take thoughtful, informed steps toward using artificial intelligence in ways that uplift teaching, personalize learning, and ensure equity in education.”
Narragansett Superintendent and IT CTE Cluster Advisory Board Member
“RIDE’s new AI guidance gives educators the context, clarity, and support to harness emerging tools to enhance learning and promote greater academic achievement. AI-powered learning will help students’ understanding, expand personalized learning paths, and strengthen students’ and teachers’ core skills. In Rhode Island, school leaders are ready to innovate to ensure real gains in student success.”
COo | Valuite
Featured Media
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance for Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
- Rhode Island Department of Education AI Guidance Press Release
- Boston Globe Coverage: “As schools navigate AI, new guidance from R.I., Mass. urges adoption — and caution”
- RIDE AI Guidance Video featuring students, educators, and school leaders
- Mindblue Education Resource Executive Summary for LEA Leaders
- Lunch & Learn Recaps & Summaries
Contact
RIDE’s journey demonstrates how states can develop meaningful technology guidance through authentic stakeholder engagement. Their success shows that when educators help shape guidance rather than just implement it, the results serve real classroom needs while preparing students for an AI-integrated future.
Contact Mindblue Education to explore how we can help your state or district develop thoughtful, educator-driven technology policy or how to use GenAI to automate tasks so your district can focus on student learning and other high priority tasks that matter.