AI Guidelines for Students

Artificial intelligence, or AI, can support learning by helping students brainstorm ideas, practice language skills, organize information, receive feedback, and explore new concepts. However, AI should be used as a learning support, not as a replacement for student thinking, creativity, or effort.

The purpose of this policy is to explain how students may and may not use AI tools in this educational setting. These guidelines are designed for students, families, and educators so everyone understands the expectations for responsible AI use. AI use should support learning goals, protect student privacy, encourage academic integrity, and help students become thoughtful digital citizens.

This policy is based on the idea that AI should enhance learning while keeping humans responsible for decisions, accuracy, creativity, and final work. Educational AI guidance commonly emphasizes privacy, equity, transparency, human oversight, and academic integrity as core principles for responsible use (AI for Education, 2026; Duke Center for Teaching and Learning, n.d.; U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).

Students may use AI tools when the purpose is to support learning, practice skills, or improve understanding. Acceptable uses include brainstorming ideas, creating study questions, asking for explanations of difficult concepts, checking grammar, practicing vocabulary, organizing notes, creating outlines, and receiving feedback on a draft.

Students may also use AI to help compare ideas, generate examples, translate short phrases for understanding, or practice conversations. When using AI, students should read the output carefully, check for accuracy, and revise the work in their own words. AI can provide suggestions, but students are responsible for deciding what is correct, useful, and appropriate.

Examples of acceptable AI use include:

• Asking AI to explain a difficult vocabulary word.
• Asking AI for three possible essay topic ideas.
• Asking AI to check grammar after writing a paragraph.
• Asking AI to create practice quiz questions.
• Asking AI to help organize notes into an outline.
• Asking AI for feedback on clarity, tone, or structure.

AI for Teachers explains that generative AI can create text, images, audio, and other content, but students should critically evaluate what AI produces instead of accepting it automatically (Hallissy & Hurley, 2024).

Students may not use AI to avoid learning, replace their own thinking, or submit work they did not create. AI should not complete an assignment for the student. Students should not copy and paste AI-generated answers, essays, projects, discussion posts, or reflections and submit them as original work.

Unacceptable uses include:

• Submitting AI-generated work as if it were fully your own.
• Using AI during a test, quiz, or assessment unless the teacher clearly allows it.
• Asking AI to write an entire essay, assignment, or project for you.
• Using AI to create fake sources, false information, or misleading content.
• Entering private student information, family information, passwords, grades, or personal data into AI tools.
• Using AI in a way that violates teacher instructions, school rules, or academic integrity expectations.

If an assignment does not clearly say that AI is allowed, students should ask the teacher before using it. Duke’s guidance recommends that instructors give clear course-specific expectations because one-size-fits-all AI rules are not always appropriate for different learning tasks (Duke Center for Teaching and Learning, n.d.).

Students should follow the AI use level given by the teacher for each activity. This website uses a simple three-level model:

• Red Level: AI is not allowed.
• Students must complete the work independently. AI may not be used for brainstorming, writing, editing, or answering questions. This level may apply to quizzes, tests, personal reflections, or assignments where the teacher needs to understand the student’s independent skills.

• Yellow Level: AI may be used with limits.
• Students may use AI for support, such as brainstorming, outlining, grammar feedback, or practice questions. Students must still create the final work themselves and explain how AI was used.

• Green Level: AI is encouraged with citation.
• Students may use AI as part of the learning process when the assignment is designed for AI-supported work. Students must evaluate the AI output, revise it, cite or acknowledge AI use, and submit work that reflects their own understanding.

This type of clear use-level system helps students know when AI use is not allowed, when it is limited, and when it is encouraged with proper citation. AI for Education’s state guidance resource describes similar traffic-light approaches for distinguishing prohibited, limited, and encouraged AI use in schools (AI for Education, 2026).

Academic integrity means being honest about how your work was created. Students are responsible for submitting work that reflects their own learning, effort, and understanding. AI may help with ideas or feedback, but it should not replace the student’s thinking.

When students use AI for an assignment, they should acknowledge it unless the teacher says otherwise. A simple AI use statement may be included at the end of the assignment.

Example AI Use Statement:

I used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas and check grammar. I reviewed, edited, and rewrote the final work in my own words.

Example AI Use Statement:

I used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas and check grammar. I reviewed, edited, and rewrote the final work in my own words.

Another example:

I used an AI tool to create practice questions for studying. I checked the answers and used them only for review.

Students should also cite sources when AI helps locate or summarize information. AI can make mistakes or invent information, so students must verify facts with reliable sources before using them. AI use should support authentic learning, not substitute for it. Many education AI guidance documents emphasize transparency, academic integrity, and human oversight when AI is used in school settings (AI for Education, 2026; Duke Center for Teaching and Learning, n.d.).

Students should protect their privacy when using AI tools. Do not enter personal information into AI systems, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, passwords, family information, grades, student ID numbers, or private school records.

Students should also remember that AI may produce inaccurate, incomplete, biased, or unfair information. AI systems are trained on data created by people, and that data may include errors or bias. Students should compare AI responses with trusted sources, ask questions, and think carefully before using AI-generated information.

Responsible AI use includes:

• Protecting personal and school information.
• Checking facts with reliable sources.
• Looking for bias or unfair assumptions.
• Asking a teacher when unsure.
• Using AI in ways that respect other people.

State-level AI guidance commonly identifies privacy, data security, equity, bias mitigation, and human oversight as important parts of school AI policy (AI for Education, 2026). These principles help make sure AI supports learning safely and fairly.

Students are responsible for using AI honestly, safely, and thoughtfully. They should follow teacher directions, ask questions when expectations are unclear, check AI responses for accuracy, and acknowledge AI use when required.

Families can support responsible AI use by talking with students about honesty, privacy, and the importance of learning through effort. Families should encourage students to use AI as a study helper, not as a shortcut.

Teachers are responsible for explaining when AI is allowed, limited, or not allowed. Teachers should also help students understand how AI can support learning while still requiring students to think, practice, create, and reflect. Edutopia recommends that school AI policies be clearly communicated to students, staff, and families so the school community understands the purpose and expectations for responsible use (McLaughlin, 2023).

Responsible AI use matters because the goal of education is not only to finish assignments but to build knowledge, confidence, creativity, communication skills, and critical thinking. AI can help students practice and improve, but students still need to make decisions, solve problems, and develop their own voice.

Using AI responsibly helps students:

• Learn more effectively.
• Build digital citizenship skills.
• Practice academic honesty.
• Protect private information.
• Think critically about technology.
• Prepare for future learning and work environments.

AI policies should support existing learning goals instead of using technology only because it is new. Edutopia recommends aligning AI use with school initiatives and strong teaching practices so AI supports meaningful, inclusive, and student-centered learning (McLaughlin, 2023).

AI tools change quickly, so this policy may be reviewed and updated as new tools, risks, and learning opportunities appear. Students and families should check this page regularly for updates. The main expectation will remain the same: AI should support learning, protect privacy, encourage honesty, and help students become responsible digital citizens.

When students are unsure whether AI is allowed, they should ask the teacher before using it.