AI Implementation Practices and Ethical Considerations of AI Adoption in K-12 Leaders

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: AI Meets Educational Leadership

Abstract

This study explores how K–12 education leaders navigate the implementation and ethical considerations of AI adoption in schools. Amid persistent digital divides affecting low-income and minority students, districts face pressure to adopt AI tools while lacking resources, trained staff, and governance systems. Using qualitative methods, the study examines four Virginia districts through interviews with leaders in IT, strategic planning, and digital innovation. Guided by the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, distributed leadership theory, and responsible innovation frameworks, the research analyzes individual and organizational decision-making around AI. Data is coded inductively, with cross-district comparisons highlighting varied approaches to ethical AI use. This study has implications for understanding how districts can implement AI responsibly without reinforcing existing educational inequities.

Authors

• Elizabeth Davis, George Mason University

• Seth B. Hunter, George Mason University