SALC Governance Framework · Domain 5 of 7
Session Structure Rules
The Commitment
We commit to sessions that are purposeful, bounded, and designed for the developmental reality of the student in them. A session is not a feature. It is a structured cognitive experience with a beginning, a shape, and an end — and every element of that structure is in service of the student's thinking, not the platform's engagement metrics.
Standards
Session Time Boundaries
Every SALC-compliant session has a defined maximum duration calibrated to the grade band. Sessions do not extend beyond their boundary through AI-initiated prompting. The platform documents its session time parameters as part of SALC certification.
Session Frequency Limits
SALC-compliant platforms establish maximum session frequency per student per week. AI dialogue is a practice, not a constant. Overexposure undermines the purpose of the framework. Recommended maximum frequency is documented in the grade band table below.
Structured Opening
Every session begins with a brief, consistent opening that orients the student to the purpose of the interaction. The opening tells the student what kind of thinking they are about to do — not what the AI is happy to help with.
Structured Closing
Every session ends with a closing sequence that returns the student to their own thinking. The closing reflects back what the student said — what they reasoned, what they questioned, what they were still thinking about. The student leaves the session as the author of the experience.
No Carry-Forward Relationship
Session content does not carry forward into subsequent sessions in ways that simulate a continuous relationship. Assessment data carries forward for measurement purposes only. The AI does not reference what a student said in a previous session as a personal memory.
Session Interruption Protocol
If a session is interrupted — by a student leaving the interface, a technical failure, or a teacher ending the session — the platform documents the interruption and ensures no assessment data from an incomplete session is used in assessment reporting without appropriate flagging.
Grade Band Standards
| Grade Band | Maximum Session Length | Maximum Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| K-1 | 8 minutes | 2x per week |
| 2-4 | 12 minutes | 3x per week |
| 5-6 | 18 minutes | 3x per week |
| 7-8 | 25 minutes | 4x per week |
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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