AI is everywhere in education conversations, but how do school districts move beyond the buzz and into practical, strategic implementation? From instructional innovation to operational efficiency, artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance learning, streamline workflows, and improve decision-making — but only if districts approach it with a clear, well-defined strategy.

This session will demystify AI for school leaders by outlining key considerations for developing an AI strategy that aligns with district goals, supports educators, and ensures ethical and responsible use. We’ll explore policy development, professional learning, data privacy, and real-world use cases in both classrooms and business operations to help you craft a roadmap for AI adoption.

Whether you're just beginning your AI journey or refining an existing plan, you'll leave with ready to use, no cost, actionable steps, tools, and resources to leverage AI effectively, avoid common pitfalls, and create an AI-ready district that serves students, staff, and the broader community.

Learning objectives:

• Identify your district's current level of AI readiness using the CoSN/CGCS Generative AI Maturity Tool, and recognize key gaps across leadership, policy, instruction, operations, and cybersecurity.
• Describe the essential components of a responsible AI strategy, including ethical use, data privacy, bias mitigation, and governance, and how they align with national frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
• Develop an actionable 90-day implementation plan for your district that includes stakeholder engagement, professional development, pilot use cases, and clear communication strategies to build trust and transparency around AI use.