AI Governance · How we work
The method behind every package
You don't need to learn a framework to buy a package. But every policy, training session and tool review we deliver is built on this one, so the work holds together from the board meeting to the classroom. See the packages.
Banyan's proprietary framework
The 5-Layer AI Governance Framework
Most governance frameworks treat instruction as downstream from policy. This one treats it as the center of the entire system — which is how districts actually experience the problem.
Board-approved AI intent. Cross-functional steering. A vision your superintendent can articulate to staff, families, and media — and building principals can translate locally.
- Does your board have a documented AI strategic intent?
- Can your superintendent and cabinet clearly articulate the district's AI posture?
- Is AI strategy integrated into your district's broader strategic plan?
FERPA and COPPA alignment, vendor evaluation criteria, academic integrity boundaries, incident response. Protection from both legal exposure and reputational risk.
- Does your vendor evaluation process include AI-specific criteria (bias, transparency, data flow)?
- Do you maintain a living inventory of all AI tools in use district-wide?
- Have you defined AI academic integrity boundaries differentiated by grade level?
The center of the framework — and our core differentiator. Cognitive integrity: defining which cognitive work must remain human-performed for learning to occur. Assessment redesign. AI literacy as a discipline, not an afterthought.
Read our published preview- Have you articulated which cognitive work must remain human-performed in your instructional model?
- Have your assessment practices been reviewed and updated to account for AI capabilities?
- Does your PD go beyond tool training to include pedagogy, ethics, and cognitive impact?
A documented 6–12 month implementation roadmap with milestones and owners. Sequenced, role-differentiated PD. Parent communication plans. The operational tissue that connects strategy to classrooms.
- Do you have a documented 6–12 month AI roadmap with milestones and named owners?
- Is your PD sequenced over time and differentiated by role — or a one-and-done workshop?
- Do you have a proactive parent and community engagement plan (not just reactive FAQs)?
Vendor independence, data sovereignty, infrastructure decisions driven by educational principles rather than vendor sales cycles. A 2–3 year evolution roadmap that accounts for AI's pace of change.
- Do you have a decision framework for cloud vs. local/private AI solutions?
- Are infrastructure decisions driven by educational principles or vendor sales cycles?
- Are you monitoring emerging developments — agentic AI, multimodal models, AI companions?
A 10-minute self-assessment built directly on the 5-Layer Framework. Your leadership team answers 25 statements across the five governance layers, plus four context questions. We auto-deliver a 2-page personalized report with your maturity rating per layer and three immediate priorities — the same instrument we use to anchor every paid engagement.
No card. No consultant call. The PDF lands in your inbox within 48 hours.
Not sure which fits?
Take the free 6-minute Snapshot and book a 30-minute call. We'll tell you which package fits your district, or whether you need one at all.