Illinois Bans AI Use In Teacher Evaluations Under New Law - RiverBender.com

Illinois has enacted Senate Bill 2909, a law that prohibits school administrators from using artificial intelligence to write teacher evaluations. The legislation, sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt, was signed into law recently. It explicitly bans the use of AI for composing the text of evaluations, but allows limited administrative uses of AI as long as the use is disclosed. The law aims to maintain human oversight in the evaluation process.

Under the new law, AI can still be used for administrative tasks related to evaluations, such as scheduling or data management, but any use must be disclosed to relevant parties. The bill specifically targets the writing of evaluation text, which must be done by a human administrator. The law does not address other potential uses of AI in education, such as grading or lesson planning.

The law reflects growing concerns about the role of AI in high-stakes decisions involving employment and professional development. It is part of a broader trend of state-level legislation addressing AI in education and other sectors, though the specific focus on teacher evaluations is novel.