Use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools: The Legal Landscape

This post is the first in our series, Use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools: The Legal Landscape, in which our School Law Practice Group will address the legal issues raised by Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in Connecticut schools, with future posts to follow as the legal landscape develops. To help districts navigate these issues, we have also established a dedicated AI team of attorneys available to assist school district clients with policy development, student and employee matters, vendor agreements, and other AI-related questions.

AI and Back to School: What District Administrators Need to Consider Now

As the 2026-2027 school year begins, school districts face a new reality: school professionals across Connecticut may be actively adopting AI tools for student learning and day-to-day operations. While schools have focused in prior years on student use of AI, many educators now incorporate AI tools into their instructional practices. School administrators, therefore, should expand their focus to how teachers and other school staff are harnessing these tools in the classroom. As we discussed in our July 2026 blog post on Anthropic’s launch of “Claude for Teachers,” individual educators now have free access to powerful AI tools, and the legal questions around their use are no longer theoretical.

Consider This…

Educators may now be using AI tools in a variety of ways as they prepare for the school year and in their classrooms and other educational environments. Consider the following scenarios and what legal issues may be implicated:

• The Organizer: A middle school teacher uploads into an AI tool class rosters and a “Get to Know You” survey she plans to administer on the first day of school. The survey includes questions pertaining to strengths and weaknesses, learning style, and extracurricular interests. The teacher plans to upload the results into the AI tool to develop seating charts and groups for team assignments, as well as to suggest conversation topics she can use to connect with her students.

• The Modifier: While using a home computer over the summer, a special education teacher uploads a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) into an AI tool to help generate modified assignments and differentiated instructional strategies aligned to the student’s goals.

• The Planner: An elementary school teacher uploads a set of curriculum materials—reading passages and word lists from the district’s adopted literacy program—into an AI tool to generate sight word flashcards for students.

• The Communicator: A high school teacher downloads student records from the district’s learning management system, then uploads them to an AI tool to draft customized welcome letters and correspondence with parents.

In each of these scenarios, the educator seeks to use an AI tool to facilitate teaching duties or enhance student learning. The information uploaded to the AI tool for each case, though, differs significantly. Before we can determine whether the educator appropriately used the AI tool, we have a lot of questions.

Where Do You Start?

Whether or not your district has formally approved any AI tool, the ease of using these tools makes addressing their use nearly impossible to avoid. To start, district administration should communicate clearly to school staff—before school starts—which AI tools and uses are permitted and which are not. 

In preparing guidance for school staff, the administration should actively consider the following key issues:

• What do your board policies currently say about AI? Do they need to be updated to address AI tools explicitly? 
• How do you want AI to be used—or not used—by school staff in your district? 
• Are teachers permitted to upload personally identifiable student information (PII) into AI systems? If so, are the appropriate measures in place under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?
• What student data privacy agreements do you currently have in place with AI vendors, and what additional agreements do you need? Connecticut’s student data privacy law requires a written contract with any vendor that has access to student information, student records, or student-generated content.
• Are teachers checking (and being reminded to check) that they are logged into their school accounts when using approved AI tools through a browser?

Once these questions have been answered, we recommend that the district administration send a written communication to school staff before the school year begins, reminding them of the district’s expectations regarding appropriate AI use, including which tools (if any) are approved and the district’s expectations for handling student information. District administrators should work closely with legal counsel in developing and reviewing existing board policies, reviewing or negotiating vendor agreements, and addressing FERPA and Connecticut student data privacy compliance as AI use in the district continues to grow.

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Shipman & Goodwin’s School Law Practice Group continues to monitor developments relating to AI in PK–12 education. The legal landscape in this area is evolving rapidly, and districts that take proactive steps now will be better positioned to manage risk while supporting innovation. Districts with questions about AI use in their schools—including board policy development, student data privacy compliance, or vendor vetting—should contact their Shipman & Goodwin school law attorney for guidance specific to their circumstances.