SALC Governance Framework · Domain 7 of 7
Equity and Access Standards
The Commitment
We commit to ensuring that SALC-compliant AI interaction does not reproduce, amplify, or create the inequities that already exist in education. Access to the conditions that genuine AI-supported learning requires is not a privilege for well-resourced students. It is a right for every child in a SALC-adopting institution. The framework is only as strong as its weakest implementation.
"The data is about growth, not ranking."
Standards
Language Accessibility
SALC-compliant platforms support English learners with grade-band-appropriate language scaffolding. For students whose home language is not English, platforms either provide native-language session options or document the linguistic accommodations available and their limitations. No student is disadvantaged in assessment because the session was conducted in a language not calibrated to their proficiency.
Accommodation for Learning Differences
SALC-compliant platforms document how their session design, assessment rubrics, and escalation protocols account for students with IEPs, 504 plans, and other documented learning differences. Cognitive accessibility is a design requirement, not an add-on.
Algorithmic Bias Review
Assessment and scoring rubrics are reviewed annually for evidence of differential scoring patterns across student populations — by race, language background, disability status, and socioeconomic indicators. Platforms provide documentation of their bias review methodology as part of SALC certification. Where differential patterns are found, remediation is required before re-certification.
Device and Connectivity Standards
SALC-compliant platforms document the minimum device and connectivity requirements for a functional session experience. No student should receive a degraded session experience because of a device or connectivity gap outside their control.
No Equity Surveillance
Data generated through SALC-compliant sessions is not used to sort, track, or make placement decisions about students based on assessment scores alone. Engagement and thinking indicators are one input among many in understanding a student's development. They are not gatekeeping instruments.
Community and Cultural Responsiveness
Session prompts, questioning frameworks, and content parameters reflect the cultural diversity of the students they serve. SALC-compliant platforms document their community review process — how they ensure that the conditions the framework creates are as accessible and meaningful for a student in rural California as for a student in suburban Los Angeles.
Grade Band Standards
| Grade Band | Additional Requirement |
|---|---|
| K-1 | Equity considerations at this band are primarily about access and language. A child who cannot access the session because of device, language, or disability has been failed before the interaction begins. |
| 2-4 | Assessment data must never be used in ways that label a student as a weak thinker. The data is about growth, not ranking. |
| 5-6 | Students from historically marginalized communities may bring warranted skepticism to AI systems. SALC-compliant platforms acknowledge this in their community engagement guidance. |
| 7-8 | Adolescents in this band are acutely aware of being evaluated. Transparency about assessment scoring — what it measures and what it does not — is an equity requirement at this stage, not just a transparency one. |
These seven domains represent the Fulcra Institute's founding standards for SALC. They are reviewed annually by the coalition governance body, with revisions published as versioned updates. Version 1.0 of these standards takes effect upon the launch of the SALC coalition at teachingwithai.org.
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