From cell phones to uniforms, bullying to attendance, every school has its own set of policies. These policies outline acceptable conduct within a school community and protocols for handling misconduct.
You likely have a plagiarism policy — but what about an artificial intelligence policy? According to our Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Private and Independent Schools Report, 41% of schools have an established policy for AI and academic integrity. As students and staff begin to explore AI, schools are setting clear expectations to mitigate misconduct and encourage intentional use of this technology.
Keep reading to learn what an AI policy is and how to create one.
What is an AI Policy
An AI policy sets guardrails and expectations for acceptable use of artificial intelligence. It establishes best practices for using AI within your school’s environment and sets parameters to protect your community. This includes student- and staff-specific rules for using AI.
According to our research, schools are prioritizing AI policies for students over faculty and staff. 36.5% of schools have established policies for students while 28.5% have established policies for faculty and staff. Be sure to prioritize both types of policies to make sure faculty and staff aren’t putting your sensitive school data at risk.
It’s crucial for schools to establish a clear stance on AI, providing guidance for faculty, staff, and students.
In fact, you might need multiple AI policies. Some schools have one policy that works across the entire school, while others craft specific policies for different departments, divisions, and types of assignments.
What to Include in Your AI Policy
As our friends at the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) and National Association of Independent Schools remind us, “Academic integrity isn’t a one-size-fits all policy.” Your AI policy should be unique to the needs of your specific school. Consider these elements as you craft your AI policy:
Definition of artificial intelligence. Provide a clear explanation of what you’re referring to when you say “AI.” Now that so many tools have AI features baked in, some people might not even realize when they’re using it!
List of approved AI tools and forbidden tools. For approved tools, identify what the tool does and how to access it. For forbidden tools, provide your reasoning for not allowing it to reinforce why a student or staff member should not use the tool. If there are any data or security concerns, be sure to include them in your reasoning.
Examples of acceptable and unacceptable use. Provide a list of dos and don’ts to help students and staff distinguish between right and wrong use cases. Include guidelines for citing AI as a reputable source within homework or classroom work.
Tips for responsible use. Educate your community on the potential dangers of AI and guide them on safe and ethical use of the technology.
Appropriate steps for AI misconduct. Document the process for responding to academic dishonesty.
Training resources. Provide further educational materials to help your community understand AI and use it wisely.
How to Create an AI Policy
- Gather stakeholders. This might include your Director of Technology, academic department heads, board members, or student and parent representatives. A variety of perspectives will help you craft a policy that speaks to everyone in your community.
- Survey students, parents, and school staff. Gather questions and reflections from those in your community to assess how they’re currently using (or not using) AI.
- Do your homework. Review AI policies from other schools and associations like ATLIS to inform your policy format and language.
- Review your school’s current academic integrity policies. Identify gaps in your current policies and identify areas to inject AI-specific guidelines.
- Write your new policy. As with any new school policy, there will likely be multiple iterations of your AI policy. Circulate it with a few members of your community to get their feedback before officially publishing it.
- Share it with your community. Make a splash to help students and staff understand the importance of your new AI policy. Provide training and education to keep AI top of mind.
Advice for Using an AI Policy
Before you lock yourself into an AI policy, think about your long-term approach. AI is continually evolving and so will your school’s response to it. Keep your guidelines simple to ensure that your community can follow them and that they’ll be easy to update.
Lastly, be sure to review your policy often to make sure it accurately reflects your school’s current stance on AI. Consider a quarterly review to keep things fresh.
To learn more about how schools are adopting AI and introducing policies to match, read our free Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Private and Independent Schools Report.
