Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County School Board, Technology Steering Committee Meeting, Thursday, September 21, 2023

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023
Place: Loudoun County Public Schools / School Board meeting (see BoardDocs / LCPS-TV)
Length: 23m (video)
Official meeting video (Vimeo / LCPS-TV): https://player.vimeo.com/video/866955175?rel=0
BoardDocs (School Board): https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/Public

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-21. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:16] Good evening, I'd like to call to order the meeting of the September 21st, 2023 Technology Steering Committee. I'm joined by Ms. Sheridan and Ms. Corbo will not be with us tonight. Our first order is approval of the minutes. Do I have a motion? - So moved.

[00:00:32] - I'll second the motion. All those in favor of approving the minutes from the September, I'm sorry, from the June 15th meeting, please raise your hand and say aye. That carries unanimously, board members present. That will move on to number four on our agenda.

[00:00:49] It's an information item, it's a review of policy 8650, Student Technology Acceptable and Responsible Use. And Mr. Smith, thank you. - Thank you. We are pleased to bring policy 8650, Student Technology Acceptable Use, back to the committee.

[00:01:05] If you'll remember, it was just approved by the board in April of this year, but there were state code changes that required us to modify the policy, and it was more than just a standard change. So the substantive change in the policy is on page two.

[00:01:22] It is line 63 E and it basically adds language to specifically state that TikTok or WeChat or any website developed by ByteDance cannot be used on a student device. So that is the language from state code that basically says that.

[00:01:40] I think that's an injection directly from the wording. So that is the only substantial change in policy before you tonight. The policy is being brought as an information item tonight. It'll be, if the board approves, It will be posted for public feedback on Monday for two weeks.

[00:01:56] And so we do plan on bringing back all that information to the next technology steering committee meeting. And with that, happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Board members, any questions? Thank you. So given the prohibited applications, they're talking about specific companies.

[00:02:13] Do we have, has a list been provided? Is that up to us to determine all the particular applications? I know if it's with TikTok, there's the particular app. it is a big company and I believe there were multiple iterations. So is there a big list that we'd have to keep track of or a small list? And how would we do that? And then I assume we have the means to actually prevent these apps from being installed on devices. Thank you for the question. We actually have been restricting TikTok access for about a year now, I believe, going back to the date. So it is something that has been in practice for a while, both restricting install, restricting access on student devices and on our network and staff

[00:02:53] devices actually do we don't allow tiktok anywhere so as of right now those are the two main applications um i don't i'm not sure with the way the blocks are enabled and how we restrict the access it would be anything that falls in that category from that vendor so i'm not sure there would be a lot to track but it would be a setting we would keep dab in place to restrict that okay thank you so we're going to lean on our vendors to help us with this and um just keep track of any changes or anything um i mean because you think about facebook or meta they've got facebook and instagram and um what's the third is the messaging uh now i can't remember but they have a messaging

[00:03:28] threads sorry threads well threads now but um there's the one that they bought a couple years ago i don't know it's ever ever changing is it we chat no um anyway so but i guess we'll lean on the vendor to help us figure that out and make that work so thank you very much and uh without objection i think we can send this to the public and bring it back as an action item the next meeting okay and then we'll go on to our discussion items so we've got the ai and chat gpt division

[00:04:05] update and with that mr smith uh great so we bring this topic back it has been a continual topic we've just kind of given regular updates um on as it is a newer technology and something that um we're there's a lot of generating a lot of interest in the k-12 uh environment so loaded in board docs is um a staff one pager that was released in the last week i believe and sent out to staff, basically artificial intelligence, AI, information for LCPS staff, and we kind of broke it down to just be a quick reference guide for staff to give them something to go back to.

[00:04:45] We identified things, and it was a team. We really want to thank our instructional technology team for helping put all this together and get this information put together, but basically what you should know, it's not just ChatGPT. AI has been here for a while, but ChatGPT has just kind of like branded it like the Kleenex tissue um reference and then we kind of wanted to categorize things into opportunities so things that they could do and things that might make sense for them to do um challenges um things that they just need to be situationally aware of um things that they should remember such as use the lcps applications and and implement the digital citizenship curriculum so those are more reminders

[00:05:23] of things that we are already in practice and then things to um avoid so this is just was a high level as a follow-up to this currently in draft form there is a lcps staff information website being developed on ai a lot more information available such as titles that we already support that have ai integrated additional references to websites there's a lot of content being created in the k-12 market right now so even today there was the stuff we're creating there's stuff that's coming out everywhere about this so we're kind of picking from what's available in those resources and then that will be published as an additional resource to staff shortly once the draft is ready.

[00:06:03] So that was really just bringing it back as an update. We're happy to take any questions that you may have. Thank you, Stam. Yeah, thank you for this. I like the framing that it's more than just ChatGPT because I think that's a key thing for people to understand because it's going to be in many products.

[00:06:24] So one of the things about the opportunities, and I know I've had discussions with other friends about this, is for us to improve the education where if a student has a lesson plan or something like that, AI could theoretically, given a certain input of problems, kind of come up with its own. Are we exploring that in our educational capacity yet, or are we kind of going to follow and see what products come on the market that we might take advantage of?

[00:06:53] I'll make sure I understand your question. Are you asking, are we providing any kind of training or support for students in using AI? No, so on the curriculum level, are we investigating its use in any of our curriculum?

[00:07:11] I mean, the chat GPT is one aspect, but in terms of using AI to perhaps generate problems based on a particular data set, and so instead of it just being a bunch of canned problems, something that's more expressive, something that works basically trying to match the students where they are and bringing them up a level, there's a term that I know we use, but I can't think of right now, so I don't want to, that's not obviously helping.

[00:07:36] But are we exploring integrating into the curriculum at all? - So I'll start and then I'll let Mike Hendrickson, our instructional technology supervisor add, 'cause he's been a lot of the thought behind some of the communication we're having with school. But I really appreciate your question in that it's approaching AI in a positive way, like recognizing that while there are risks, there's also plenty of opportunities for both our students and our teachers.

[00:08:01] And so the resource that we're putting together to start with our teachers and our students are talking about using AI for work, like how can we help with productivity and bringing in fresh and new ideas into what we're putting in front of the students and then also using it for learning, for opportunities for students to engage with AI.

[00:08:19] So do you wanna talk a little bit about? - Oh, one second. I remember the term, personalized learning. That's kind of, we're trying to incorporate that. So are there tools that can do that that we found? Or probably not, but I'm just curious. - I think many of the tools probably have already been using it to some degree, But I'll let Mike give some thoughts on that.

[00:08:39] Sure, so a lot of this is really new as far as what's out on the market that is taking advantage of some of the generative features that have come with ChatGPT and that sort of evolution. Some of the vendors and some of the tools that we currently use are exploring ways that they can use AI to do things like help teachers generate questions that they can include on an assessment so the teachers don't have to generate those on their own, things like that.

[00:09:12] So I think we'll start to see some elements of generative AI features show up in some of the tools that we already support. And there are some things out there on the marketplace that are kind of purpose-built for teachers to make their lives easier with generative AI.

[00:09:28] We're exploring some of those tools just to see what kind of utility that they might have. We don't have any plans for how we might deploy any of those tools, but we are looking at them to see, you know, would they have utility? Are they going to make teachers' lives easier? And if so, is it something we should explore in more depth?

[00:09:45] Okay, thank you. So that's good to know that we're looking into that. In the remember section, it says start small use LCPS supported applications. Do we provide a list? Do we know? I mean, is the assumption that any LCPS supported application has been vetted if it uses AI, but we may actually not know, like you said, if it's actually using it?

[00:10:03] So are we providing a list of sort of like these applications use AI that you might be interested in? Or is it just more of a warning like be careful what you use outside of the LCPS sandbox? So the website we're developing does include a list of some of the supported applications that offer tools, AI, generative AI tools.

[00:10:23] So teachers will be able to see. It's a relatively short list at this point. And at this point, all of the tools that have generative AI features only have those tools available for teachers, not for students. but we do have a list that we're planning to share with this other resource we're developing.

[00:10:42] - Okay, thank you. And then I think it's good we're reminding people about student information 'cause that is one concern with a lot of these web services that you actually don't know where your responses and questions and responses go. So it's good to remind people about that. So yeah, thank you very much for this. This looks like a good one pager to send out.

[00:11:02] And with that, we'll move on to 502 student cell phone use. And Ms. Corvo is not here to talk about this, but I don't know if you had any updates that we're going to hope that she would provide.

[00:11:19] So I just have a quick summary of current practices, what we've done. This topic was also discussed in a similar fashion at the SBAR committee on August 28th. So I just want to kind of give an overview of current practices and then what we're exploring right now and then what that may look like in the future.

[00:11:36] So just setting a baseline, there's no technical solution that can be deployed to block or impede cell phones. It's restricted per FCC regulation and specifically states that there's no exceptions for use within a business, classroom, residency, or vehicle. So there really is nothing we can do from a technology standpoint to restrict the access to those devices.

[00:11:54] But we do have it covered in two existing policies. So policy 8650, which we just reviewed earlier, does have a BYOT section. And BYOT would cover any technology a student would bring, a laptop, a tablet, or a cell phone. And that personal technology devices are permitted at school and can be used in instructional areas with the permission of the teacher.

[00:12:13] So that's the practice that we've had in place. We've had BYOT in LCPS since, I think, the 2015-2016. So it's a seven- or eight-year implementation that we've had that. So then after that, anything that would be a disciplinary or classroom management would be like an 8210, which is our introduction to student discipline policy, which would cover what to do if a student isn't doing what a teacher says to do.

[00:12:35] So that's kind of how it's been done now. We have a bunch, Mr. Henderson's team in instructional technology does have a BYOT website that kind of identifies best practices since we've had it for a while. It's like ideas on how you can incorporate it or ideas on how to limit it.

[00:12:52] If you go into schools now, they'll have things like red, yellow, green charts, or they'll have the shoe holders on the wall for students to put cell phones in. And so these are some of the best practices that we kind of have at different schools at this point. So right now it's been a classroom or a school-level decision.

[00:13:11] I will say we have schools that have banned them altogether, and we have schools that allow use in specific areas. So it's really been a principle, and even at a level-by-level decision. Some middle schools do things differently than other middle schools, and some high schools this year have restricted access completely.

[00:13:27] So when we talked to principals this summer and did a consultancy protocol with them and worked through the feedback process, their feedback was what works for one school doesn't necessarily work for another. So that was kind of our thought process, is that with the policies we have in place right now, it is up to the teacher to approve use and then let it be a school-level decision about what works best for their community and their user level.

[00:13:51] so with that said just giving you some examples of positive student cell phone use at schools so the first day of school we had about a hundred thousand student view mobile device logins just anecdotally being at schools they're on their phones trying to figure out where their classes are what's the next room they need to go into we have remind which is a text communication app that stops teachers from having cell phones and so they're able to type stuff in and then remind messages are sent out we have health monitors it's a big issue in schools I know we deal with it from access and being on wireless network but student will have a say a diabetes monitor and it'll be connected to their

[00:14:27] phone we have QR codes for dismissal processes and then our LCPS mobile apps LCPS go got about 10,000 mobile device logins on the first day of school so we see it being used pretty readily in school for instructional and student health purposes but with that said LCPS we're reviewing that practice we will we've actually put together an executive team that's going to be looking at that as almost like a task force style and really look at it more from less from really what's the impact on the instructional time what's the impact on student distraction what's the impact on student mental health so we're going to bring in some different perspectives to say this is a technology

[00:15:03] that can be used but should we be using it what does that look like are there different levels I think it's important and I think Dr. Spence has been very clear that we want to gather feedback so we're going to be going to these stakeholder groups such as students parents teachers and staff to see what really makes sense and then come up with something that we think we can do as a district.

[00:15:23] So that's really where we are and what our plan is right now. And I'm happy to take any questions or if you guys have anything else to add. Nope, okay. You talked about principles providing, and again, I think it's good to get feedback on this because you bring up a lot of valuable use cases for it.

[00:15:43] I know we're blocking content on the network if they're on the Wi-Fi now. Obviously, you can hop off the Wi-Fi and we can't control that as you talked about. So, you know, it's definitely something I think we need to do research on to make sure we find a good solution for everything. So you mentioned some of the principals provided reasons for what sounds like blocking or not allowing cell phones at particular grade levels and for thinking that we actually can't prevent, we shouldn't prevent students from bringing a cell phone.

[00:16:10] We'd actually, I don't have the courage, but allow them to use it without license. So can you provide some of those reasons for and against that were provided, if you remember? So just anecdotally, I'm not taking a full temperature of this all the way across. Things like just classroom distractions, teacher morale, teachers not wanting them in the classrooms and being used.

[00:16:32] For inappropriate use, pictures that shouldn't be taken, videos that shouldn't be taken. We've had some schools use it as a, even a disc, like school cell phones are removed until next month because you haven't been using them appropriately. so we'll try it again next month and then if it goes south again we'll take them back away so there's been different practices put in place depending on the school and then also tying that to our digital citizenship curriculum as well so it's been it varies based off of school it varies based off of teacher really the feedback and it's like I said that's very anecdotal I wouldn't say that that's uniform across the district or across classrooms and for the I guess if a teacher

[00:17:12] says that there's no cell phones in the class is up for them to sort of keep the class in line about that and do they have an opportunity you mentioned shoe boxes but is that kind of the only opportunity they have to sort of sequester the phones from the student during that class so different scenarios depending on what has happened with the phone if it's a security related issue or something like that we have different processes in place but um yes just the same as any other distraction in the classroom if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing that's kind of how it has been handled so far is correcting that action in the classroom or then seeking disciplinary action if that continues so um but again I think that's something we're going to try

[00:17:50] and gather feedback on to see what's working and what's not working and where pain points are and where benefits are and really come to something that makes sense for the district I know a lot of other school districts have implemented either full bans or cell phones off not even permitted at school we just want to be thoughtful and get that feedback before we make some sort of division-wide policy that's going to be in place across every school?

[00:18:12] No, that makes sense. I mean, the place I work at, you can't have them during the day, but they just put them in little shoeboxes, basically. But kids need them, you know, for after-school practices and communicating with parents. So it's a tough situation, and I think, you know, trying to find it. So I appreciate that Dr. Spence has put a task force together that we're looking into this.

[00:18:31] I think it would make sense then probably to bring this back maybe like December just to kind of get an update on that and see if there's future board members that would be interested in coming just to understand where things are going on and they can take over from there, so. I would say we would absolutely have some feedback to bring back in that timeline, and I would say this would be something that we would probably, we would want to communicate out as well and not just all of a sudden one day it's different, so we'd want some sort of time frame and communication plan that goes with that too that would also need to be incorporated into the timeline.

[00:19:02] Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Any other comments, board members? No? All right. With that, we'll move on to item number six, new business. Do we have any new business? So I just wanted to make the chair and staff aware that I'm not available on the 19th for our next meeting.

[00:19:18] And I was going to suggest perhaps the October 26th at 5.30 following the, because we moved our SPC meeting to 4.30 on the 26th. And I didn't know, I'm just throwing that out there to see, because Mr. Beatty and I both serve on that committee too, if the, at 5.30 on the 26th would work.

[00:19:40] just so we could reschedule now rather than try and figure it out via email so since we last spoke i re-looked at my calendar i realized there's my son's gonna be in a band concert that night at eight o'clock in maryland um so i think i can still do the specialized programs but i don't know if we could tack on another meeting so i think um unless you have another day proposed maybe it just makes sense to take this offline with with mr smith but um i do appreciate you you bringing that up because so we will not have the meeting on the 19th it sounds like since we

[00:20:14] won't have a quorum and then we'll try to find another date sometime in October if we can thank you mr. thank you sorry about that any of the further new business all right with that we are adjourned thank you everyone

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