Education leaders face mounting pressure to adopt AI, but where should they start? This session provides a roadmap from assessing risks to building institutional readiness for responsible AI integration.
Date: January 15, 2026
Time: 12–12:30 p.m. PT / 3–3:30 p.m. ET
Artificial intelligence offers significant potential for education, yet many leaders struggle with implementation decisions.
This webinar addresses critical questions about AI readiness, from evaluating institutional capacity to understanding fine-tuning options for large language models. WestEd experts will share frameworks for assessing your organization’s preparedness, protecting student data, and determining when customization makes sense.
Explore real considerations for AI integration, including cost analysis, technical requirements, and governance structures. Whether you’re beginning your AI journey or refining existing strategies, this session provides actionable guidance for responsible implementation that aligns with educational goals and protects learner privacy.
Who Should Attend
- District and state education technology leaders
- School and district administrators evaluating AI tools
- Instructional technology coordinators
- Data privacy officers and compliance staff
- Education policymakers and researchers
- Technology vendors serving education markets
Session Discussion Topics
- AI Readiness Assessment—Evaluate your institution’s technical infrastructure, data governance, and organizational capacity to support AI integration. Understand the key questions to ask before adopting AI tools.
- Fine-Tuning of Large Language Models for Education—Explore when and why organizations might customize AI models. Learn about different fine-tuning approaches, from prompt engineering to full model retraining, and the resources each requires.
- Privacy, Ethics, and Governance—Address critical considerations for protecting student data, ensuring equitable access, and establishing oversight structures. Review practical strategies for responsible AI use.
- Cost and Resource Analysis—Understand the financial and technical investments required for various AI implementation approaches. Compare off-the-shelf solutions with customization options to determine the right fit.
Featured Speakers
Sarah Quesen
Quesen is Director of Assessment Research and Development at WestEd, with expertise in statistics, psychometrics, and emerging technologies. Her current work includes evaluating assessment content from GPT models and examining AI scoring from a psychometric perspective. Quesen brings more than 25 years of experience as an educator and researcher. She holds a PhD in research methodology and is committed to advancing rigorous, evidence-based approaches to educational technology and assessment innovation.
Baron Rodriguez
Rodriguez is a nationally recognized expert in data integration, privacy, security, and data governance. He manages client-facing technology and oversees artificial intelligence initiatives at WestEd, where he created the Data Integration Support Center (DISC). Rodriguez established the Privacy Technical Assistance Center under the U.S. Department of Education and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional. His work focuses on helping public agencies navigate privacy regulations, security challenges, and technical aspects of data systems while emphasizing ethical data use, transparency, and fairness.
Don’t miss out on this exciting conversation–register below!