Bill > HB1057

This bill, the Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act, mandates that the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) develop and disseminate comprehensive guidance on the safe, responsible, equitable, and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to local school systems, educators, parents, and students through an online platform, while also emphasizing AI literacy through computer science education and ensuring students and teachers are central to educational technology. The MSDE will also publish separate guidance for students, educators, administrators, and parents, and develop strategies to help local school systems implement these guidelines, requiring each local school system to adopt an AI policy aligned with the state guidance and designate a non-instructional coordinator at the central office level to manage the productive and ethical use of AI systems. Furthermore, the bill requires the MSDE to create a rubric and other evaluation tools for local school systems to assess AI tools, with institutions of higher education available to assist in this evaluation, and mandates that AI literacy be a component of workforce preparation and K-12 computer science standards by June 1, 2027. The bill also establishes the Maryland AI Education Collaborative on Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education, comprised of various educational stakeholders, to study AI uses in schools, make recommendations on guidance, professional development, and policy adoption, and report annually on AI implementation and usage in schools. Finally, the bill requires the MSDE to provide professional development for educators and school leaders on the professional and instructional use of AI, including ethical considerations and basic AI concepts, and this training must be offered during the workday or as a course eligible for licensure renewal.