Ohio schools must adopt AI policies under mandate taking effect July 1

Secondary schools in Ohio must adopt artificial intelligence policies in the wake of a bill Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed last year, and some Buckeye State universities are also working on or have already implemented strict AI policies to prevent cheating and plagiarism.

House Bill 96, the state’s biennial budget, mandated that “each school district, community school … and STEM school … adopt a policy on the use of artificial intelligence” by July 1. The measure also required Ohio’s Department of Education and Workforce to “develop a model policy on the use of artificial intelligence in schools” before Dec. 31, 2025.

As requested, the DEW released the model policy and published it on its official website, explaining that to use AI ethically, a student must do so only with a teacher’s permission.

“AI implementation should be human-centered and should empower students, educators, and communities,” the model said. “It is a tool to support learning and teaching, not a substitute for student effort or the role of the educator.”

DEW Director Stephen Dackin told Cleveland.com that students must be exposed to AI so that they would be successful in this world, adding that despite that, the tool still must be used responsibly, meaning not used to cheat.

“While we are supportive of schools using AI to strengthen instruction and expand learning opportunities, it is also incredibly important that these tools are used responsibly, and in a way that maintains academic integrity,” he told the publication. “This model policy provides school leaders and educators with clear, practical guidance to effectively and safely integrate AI into the classroom.”

The model encouraged schools to integrate AI into students’ curricula and educators’ professional learning. The model added that while students can use AI to brainstorm and as a search engine, the tool cannot be used to generate work, such as an essay, that a student is supposed to write themselves.

While the model policy didn’t provide specifics, it required schools or districts to have procedures in place to investigate and address AI misuse.

Columbus City Schools Chief Information Officer Christopher Lockhart told NBC 4 that the district has been working on its AI policy for use in central Ohio classrooms for almost a year.

“AI has truly been a disruptor in K-12. We just woke up one morning, and it was here,” he said. “We wanted everybody to have a consistent knowledge and understanding of how we were going to use AI as a school district, both for academics and for administration.”

Kathy Parker-Jones, the coordinator of digital and personalized learning for the Dublin City School District, told NBC 4 that the district has been working on its AI policy since 2023, way before the bill was signed by DeWine.

“We want them to be critical decision makers to determine why AI is the right tool or what’s the right time for its use in the learning process,” Parker-Jones told the Columbus station.

Akron City School Board also published a similar AI-related guide.

Even though the bill did not require colleges and universities in Ohio to adopt AI-related policies, many have already done so, including The Ohio State University, Miami University, Ohio University, Kent State University, and the University of Cincinnati. Some of the efforts predate the legislative action.

“To maintain a culture of integrity and respect, these generative AI tools should not be used in the completion of course assignments unless an instructor for a given course specifically authorizes their use,” the Ohio State guide said. “Some instructors may approve of using generative AI tools in the academic setting for specific goals. However, these tools should be used only with the explicit and clear permission of each individual instructor, and then only in the ways allowed by the instructor.”