The world’s only
comprehensive
implementation
frameworks for AI
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RAIL Endorsement
Guides &
Resources

With RAIL—the Responsible AI in Learning endorsements pioneered by Middle States—you can safely navigate the complexities of AI in education, ensuring safety, ethical leadership, and innovation.

AI will accelerate, automate, and scale traditional, broken methods of instruction.”

—Dr. Philippa Hardman, University of Cambridge

Endorsement I

“AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics”

  • In this RAIL endorsement, we will help you address these powerful topics:

    1. Knowledge of ethical concerns and safe practices in AI.

    2. Knowledge of the social-emotional impact of AI on children.

    3. Strategies for identifying and addressing AI system biases.

  • With the first RAIL endorsement in “AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics” participants will walk away with:

    • Board policies on: AI governance, Anti-bias, Equitable access for students, faculty, and staff

    • Insurance coverage for AI liabilities.

    • Student and employee handbook statement on the school’s philosophy about safe and ethical AI.

    • Student and employee handbook policies on safe and ethical AI use.

    • Protocols for biased/unethical AI incidents.

    • Training, materials, and report templates for bias identification, mitigation, and management.

    • Disclosure procedures emphasizing transparency and responsibility.

    • Ethical consent guidelines.

    • Resources addressing the social-emotional impact of AI on students.

  • The journey to earn the first RAIL endorsement in “AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics” follows a few simple steps:

    • Use this diagnostic to see if you should apply. [Estimated time: 2 minutes]

    • RAIL costs $3000/year, but pays for itself many times over in terms of concrete value delivered. Read our FAQs to learn more.

  • RAIL is not just an accreditation-style endorsement, but also an implementation framework.

    It relies on the wisdom of Stewart Brand’s “pace layering” model, which reflects how complex, adaptive systems change (or resist change) over time.

    In line with Clayton Christensen’s Business Model Theory, we designed RAIL so that schools address AI at every layer. This means that they will have to shift resources, practices, and most of all priorities. To assist further, we are drawing on best practices from change management—for example, by requiring executive sponsorship, a change strategy, and an internal and external marketing plan.

Endorsement II

“Essential Learning Experience with AI”

  • In this RAIL endorsement, we will help you address these powerful topics:

    In this RAIL endorsement, we will help you answer two powerful questions:

    1. What does powerful learning look like at our school?

    2. How can AI help us bring that to life?

  • The LSE endorsement focuses on ensuring that your whole school is literate, safe, and ethical in its use of AI. ELE builds upon this foundation by transforming the actual learning experience. LSE establishes safe boundaries; ELE helps schools to reimagine what is possible within those boundaries through powerful learning experiences enhanced by AI.

    Both endorsements are comprehensive implementation frameworks. No “checklists” here! We help you to change the way your school operates.

  • You will:

    • Assemble a team of 5-7 members (ideally the same team that led your school’s work with LSE, though this is not required).

    • Craft a one-page “Declaration of Powerful Learning” along with other short assets to strengthen your school’s capacity for mission-driven innovation.

    • Recruit at least 25% of your faculty to do short action research projects on the use of AI for powerful learning.

    • Update your change strategy and change plan from LSE.

  • The return on this investment is extraordinary. Your school will:

    • Establish itself as the AI leader in your market.

    • Experience improved enrollment and re-enrollment because of your capacity to create powerful learning experiences for students. Your alumni will be supremely well positioned to thrive and lead in a world of increasingly abundant AI.

    • Enjoy world class professional development in AI that would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars.

  • Yes. LSE is a prerequisite for ELE.

  • "Part of why we even wanted to be part of RAIL was because we acknowledge the world we are living in. The challenges we're facing, and likely to face going forward. We wanted to be better prepared to serve the children more meaningfully."

    Naveen Mahesh, Co-Founder, Beyond 8

  • "I think while we are always in an AI world, the human interactions, the live interface that we had [with RAIL leaders] was the [experience] that was most powerful. "

    Raaji Naveen, Co-Founder, Beyond 8

  • “We are honored to have had the opportunity to participate in the RAIL Cohort and to be a part of the Founding Fifty. We have learned so much and benefited so much from this process. We are excited to improve our current documents, as you suggested, and to move forward in supporting our community in the responsible implementation of AI in education. We look forward to a continued relationship with the MSA RAIL program.”

    —Noreen Andrews, Assistant Principal Union Catholic High School, New Jersey

  • “We’re grateful for the continued support from MSA. MSA has been incredibly pro-active in navigating these challenging arenas. MSA continues to bring grassroots, high touch engagement in working with us. Having such effective collaboration has made all the difference in unpacking and designing the practical ways these technologies impact our students.”

    —Nate Chapman, Director Carlucci American International School, Portugal

  • “We look forward to building on this- and exploring opportunities for future collaboration via RAIL or other initiatives.”

    —Alan Wrafter, General Director Pan-American School, Costa Rica

Start your RAIL journey
with Endorsement I:

“AI Literacy, Safety,
and Ethics.”

Continue your RAIL journey
with Endorsement II

“Essential Learning
Experience with AI.”

Questions?

Connect with us: rail@msa-cess.org