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In alignment with Oak Hills Local School District's mission to prepare students for career and college readiness. We view Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for innovation, offering opportunities to advance educational equity and excellence. AI, when integrated responsibly, can enhance personalized learning, support data-informed instruction, and cultivate essential skills for the 21st century. Our approach is grounded in our core beliefs of fostering high expectations and individualized learning experiences.
AI Classroom Usage Guidelines
This document serves as a starting point to support teachers in thoughtfully integrating AI into their instruction. It provides examples, considerations, and guidelines to help educators make informed decisions about when and how AI tools can be used to enhance learning while maintaining academic integrity.
Teachers, guided by existing school policies and curriculum goals, will determine whether students may use AI assistance on an assignment and to what extent they may be used to support learning. Decisions about AI use are grounded in the learning objectives of the assignment and the district’s expectations for academic integrity. If a teacher does not provide specific guidelines about AI usage, students should assume that AI is not permitted for that assignment. Teachers are encouraged to clearly communicate expectations to help students make informed, responsible decisions.
Current School Policies
Grade Level Position Statements
Elementary School
Impact on Teaching and Learning
In K–5 education, AI tools can enhance teaching and learning by helping educators personalize instruction, identify learning gaps, and reduce administrative burdens. These tools offer opportunities for targeted feedback and adaptive content, helping all students progress at their own pace. However, AI must never replace the essential connection between teachers and students. Educators will guide students in understanding that AI tools respond to what we tell them, helping them learn how to provide clear instructions (simple inputs). Aligned with OHLSD’s commitment to meaningful learning experiences and student empowerment, AI should be used to enhance—not diminish—the creativity, relationships, and hands-on exploration that are central to early childhood education.
Principles of AI Use in Elementary
In K–5 classrooms, AI tools are integrated with careful consideration for how young students learn and grow. Our approach is grounded in:
Developmental Appropriateness: AI tools and activities must be suitable for the age and cognitive abilities of elementary students, fostering curiosity and engagement without overwhelming them.
Active Teacher Supervision: All AI tools must be used under direct teacher supervision. Students should not use AI tools requiring individual logins unless specifically approved by the district for their age group.
Prioritizing Safety and Privacy: Any use of AI must strictly adhere to privacy laws and protect all student data. AI tools should promote safety, respect, and inclusion, supporting students' academic, social, and emotional growth.
Transparent and Guided Use: Educators will ensure technology use is transparent, guiding students responsibly as they interact with AI tools in the classroom.
Middle School
Impact on Teaching and Learning
AI tools can be powerful supports in middle school classrooms, helping personalize learning, spark
curiosity, and give students more ways to explore and grow. Used well, AI can support teachers and
help students practice skills — but it should never replace student thinking, human connection, or the role of the teacher.
In grades 6–8, AI should be a tool for learning, not a shortcut to answers. Students will learn that
effective communication with AI requires precise instructions, beginning to develop skills in
crafting clear questions or prompts to get useful information, and the importance of evaluating AI-
generated content critically.
Principles of AI Use in Middle School
Middle school students are still developing responsibility, so AI use must be carefully guided. Our
approach ensures that AI use is:
Age-Appropriate and Guided: All AI use is tailored to the developmental stage of middle school
students, fostering independence while providing necessary guidance.
Compliant with Privacy Laws: Any use of AI must strictly adhere to privacy laws and protect student
data. Students may not use AI tools that require individual logins unless specifically approved by the district.
Focused on Ethical and Critical Skill Development: Teachers will actively instruct students on how
to use AI ethically, think critically about AI outputs, and understand the appropriate contexts for
AI use.
Building Future-Ready Skills: Our ultimate goal is to support students in developing essential
skills for college, careers, and navigating the wider world
responsibly.
High School
Impact on Teaching and Learning
A graduate of OHLSD is a proactive, goal-oriented individual who demonstrates personal
responsibility, critical thinking, ethical integrity, and collaboration in order to be college and
career ready. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more present in education and daily life, its
use in classrooms must align with these values. AI should support—not replace—the development of
essential academic and cognitive skills such as problem-solving, reading, writing, and critical
thinking.
Instruction on AI will be intentionally designed to develop students' understanding and application
of prompt engineering, alongside cultivating their capacity for ethical AI use in both academic and
personal settings. Direct instruction and relationship building remain central to learning, with AI
used to enhance and foster—not diminish—student agency, creativity, and integrity.
Principles of AI Use in High School
In high school, the responsible integration of AI is critical for developing students who are
college and career ready. Our principles ensure that AI use is:
Guided by Clear Expectations: High school students must be guided by clear, course-specific
expectations set by teachers regarding when and how AI may be used.
Rooted in Direct Instruction: Students will receive direct instruction on appropriate AI use, with
a strong emphasis on proper citation, transparency, and academic honesty.
Upholding Academic Integrity: Misuse of AI—including plagiarism, misrepresentation, or unauthorized use constitutes a violation of the district’s standards for academic integrity and responsible digital citizenship.
Compliant with Privacy and Security: Students may not use AI tools at school that require
individual logins unless approved by the district. All AI use must strictly follow privacy laws and
protect student data.
Fostering Thoughtful Engagement: Through guided practice and responsible integration, students will be equipped to engage with AI thoughtfully, ethically, and in alignment with the
district’s vision for graduate success.
AI Use Scale for MS & HS
In Oak Hills, we recognize that the use of generative AI in student work depends on the purpose and context of each assignment. To ensure clarity and consistency, students must receive direct
instruction on how and when AI may be used within various learning experiences. The following AI
Use Scale offers a shared language for educators and students to determine what is acceptable, what requires disclosure, and examples of what is and what is not permitted. This tool promotes
transparency, supports academic integrity, and ensures that AI use aligns with the goals of each
learning experience. Teachers can access this Generative AI Scale here or edit this scale for use in their classroom using this link.
Educator Acceptable & Prohibited Use Examples
The following examples illustrate common uses of AI, but they do not represent an exhaustive list.
Educators may use AI tools to enhance their professional responsibilities and instructional
practices, provided there is always critical human review and final decision-making.
Important Considerations for Acceptable Use:
Transparency: Educators should be transparent about the use of AI in their professional practice.
Human Oversight: AI output is a starting point, not a final product. All AI-generated content must
be thoroughly reviewed, edited, and validated by the educator. The ultimate responsibility for
accuracy, appropriateness, and pedagogical soundness rests with the human educator.
Data Privacy: Only district-approved AI tools and processes may be used when handling student data, confidential information, or copyrighted materials.
Contextual Awareness: AI use must always consider grade level, content area variations, and
specific instructional goals.
Acceptable Uses of AI for Educators (with Human Oversight)
Streamlining Planning and Preparation:
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Lesson and Unit Development: Generating ideas for lesson plans, creating engaging activities, brainstorming unit ideas, or developing curriculum maps and syllabi.
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Resource Creation: Designing practice materials, drafting quizzes, or developing checklists and step-by-step instructions for classroom tasks.
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Differentiation and Grouping: Suggesting strategies to differentiate instruction, form student groups, or tailor content to meet diverse student backgrounds and learning needs.
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Accessibility: Leveraging AI to promote equal access and inclusion for all students through various tools and features.
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Enhancing Communication and Feedback:
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Drafting Communications: Assisting in drafting professional emails, letters, or announcements, with careful review and editing by the educator.
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Language Support: Translating or editing communications and materials for clarity and accessibility.
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Formative Feedback: Providing ideas for timely and immediate feedback on student work, which must be reviewed and delivered by the educator.
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Supporting Administrative Tasks:
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Data Organization: Developing tools or methods for more efficient data collection and organization.
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IEP Support: Assisting with the drafting of IEP components or generating ideas for accommodations, always ensuring alignment with student needs and legal requirements through human review.
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Writing Mechanics Review: Checking grammar, spelling, and conventions in student writing, while emphasizing that evaluation of content, ideas, and meaning remains the sole responsibility of the educator.
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Curriculum Alignment: Using AI to assist in aligning lesson content and materials with district values, mission, and curriculum goals.
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Prohibited Uses of AI for Educators
Compromise Confidentiality and Privacy:
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Sharing Sensitive Data with unapproved tools: Inputting or uploading any confidential student information, personally identifiable information, or other sensitive district data into unapproved AI tools or systems. This includes, but is not limited to, student names, grades, IEP details, medical information, or disciplinary records.
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Violating Data Privacy Policies: Using AI in any manner that contravenes federal (e.g., FERPA), state, or local data privacy laws and district policies regarding student and staff data.
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Undermine Professional Judgment and Human Oversight:
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Automating Critical Decisions: Using AI as the sole source for evaluating student progress, determining final grades, making accommodation decisions, or providing direct, unreviewed feedback on student assignments. All such decisions and feedback must be made or thoroughly reviewed and approved by the educator.
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Replacing Original Thought and Expertise: Relying on AI to generate content or solutions that replace the educator's own professional thought, expertise, or required creative output for tasks like lesson planning or curriculum development, without significant human review and adaptation.
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Disregard Copyright and Intellectual Property:
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Uploading Copyrighted Materials: Inputting or uploading copyrighted curriculum content, district-licensed resources, or other protected intellectual property into unapproved AI tools, potentially violating intellectual property rights or district agreements.
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Student Acceptable & Prohibited Use Examples
The following examples illustrate common uses of AI, but they do not represent an exhaustive list. Teachers can share these examples with students as guidance, while recognizing that appropriate AI use may vary depending on the assignment, grade level, and instructional goals. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from their teacher.
:Important Considerations:
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Transparency: Students must always disclose AI use to their teacher as per assignment guidelines.
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Developmental Appropriateness: AI use must always be appropriate for the student's age and grade level, as determined by the teacher.
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Approved Tools and Sources: Students should only use AI tools and sources permitted.
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Originality and Effort: The primary purpose of AI use is to support the student's own thinking, effort, and creation, not to replace it.
Acceptable Uses of AI for Students (with Teacher Permission/Guidance)
Students may use AI tools to enhance their learning process and develop essential skills in ways that:
Foster Idea Generation and Organization:
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Brainstorming and Exploring: Using AI to generate initial ideas, explore different perspectives, or develop potential topics for projects and assignments.
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Structuring and Outlining: Using AI to help organize thoughts, create outlines, or structure longer pieces of writing or presentations.
Support Research and Understanding:
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Information Synthesis: Using AI as a study partner to identify key information from provided texts, summarize complex readings, or organize research notes into more manageable chunks.
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Practice and Review: Creating practice tests, quizzes, or study materials to reinforce understanding of concepts.
Aid in Drafting and Revision:
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Language Refinement: Checking grammar, spelling, punctuation, and conventions in their own writing. This includes suggestions for improving clarity and conciseness, while preserving the student's original voice.
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Developing Frameworks: Generating checklists or step-by-step instructions for assignments or tasks to help manage complex projects.
Build AI Literacy and Support Critical Evaluation:
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Learning About AI: Experimenting with AI tools to understand their capabilities and limitations, and to build understanding of ethical uses, potential biases, and the importance of critically evaluating AI-generated content (e.g., prompt engineering concepts in later grades).
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Analyzing Exemplars: Generating examples of different writing styles or approaches to help understand assignment expectations, provided students analyze and do not copy them.
Support Accessibility and Diverse Learning:
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Using approved AI tools for translation of content into other languages.
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Leveraging AI features that enhance accessibility, such as text-to-speech or speech-to-text.
Prohibited Users of AI for Students:
Students are not permitted to use AI tools in ways that:
Compromise Academic Integrity:
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Completing Assessments or Assignments: Using AI to generate or complete any part of an assessment (e.g., tests, quizzes) or assignment without explicit, prior permission from the teacher.
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Submitting AI-Generated Work as Original: Presenting AI-generated content (text, code, images, etc.) as solely their own original work without proper disclosure or citation, as directed by the teacher. This includes direct copying, minor edits, or paraphrasing of AI output when the expectation is independent thought and creation.
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Misrepresenting Effort: Using AI to circumvent the learning process or reduce the required effort, thereby replacing the student's own voice, critical thinking, or creative contribution.
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Violate Instructions or Policies:
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Disregarding Teacher Directives: Using AI in a manner that contradicts specific instructions provided by the teacher for an assignment or activity.
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Breaching School or District Policies: Any use of AI that violates existing school policies (e.g., Student Conduct - Academic Honesty, Student Technology Acceptable Use and Safety Policy) or local, state, and federal laws.
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Generate Inappropriate or Harmful Content:
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Using AI to create, distribute, or access content that is inappropriate, offensive, discriminatory, or harmful, including but not limited to hate speech, harassment, or violent material.
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Circumvent Security or Privacy:
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Using AI tools that require individual logins when not approved by the district or teacher.
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Using AI in a way that compromises the privacy or security of student data or other personal information.
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Fostering AI Literacy
Oak Hills Local Schools is committed to fostering AI literacy for both staff and students. This includes understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI, ethical considerations, and responsible use. The resources below are a few to get you started for yourself and your students.
Staff AI Literacy Top Resources:
The Grow with Google AI Course is a self-paced, flexible training program designed to equip educators with practical generative AI skills for enhancing productivity and personalizing instruction.
This is a free, foundational online learning series for any teacher and educator interested in the groundbreaking world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its transformative potential in education.
Student AI Literacy Top Resources:
K-5 Resources:
AI Tools
Educators at Oak Hills Local Schools are encouraged to explore AI tools to enhance their teaching practices and administrative tasks. However, to ensure the protection of student privacy and adherence to district policies, the following guidelines must be observed:
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Approval Process for AI Tools: If an AI tool requires access to student Personally Identifiable Information(PII) or necessitates a student login, it must be approved by the district before use. This approval process ensures that the tool complies with data privacy regulations and district standards.
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Data Privacy and Security: Educators should prioritize tools that guarantee the security and confidentiality of student information. It is essential to understand the data handling and storage practices of any AI tool used within the classroom.
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Professional Development: Staff are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities to become proficient in using AI tools effectively and responsibly.
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Integration with Curriculum: Any AI tool used should align with curricular goals and support the district's mission to prepare students for career and college readiness. Tools should be chosen based on their ability to enhance learning and instructional practices.
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Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly assess the effectiveness and impact of AI tools on student learning and engagement. Feedback from both educators and students is vital in determining the value and appropriateness of the tools used.
By following these guidelines, educators can harness the power of AI to enrich the educational experience while maintaining a secure and responsible learning environment.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the AI Student Advisory Team and the AI Faculty Advisory Team for their work in the creation of this document. Their insights and expertise were invaluable in shaping a guide that supports thoughtful AI integration in Oak Hills Local Schools.
These guidelines will be reviewed and updated to reflect the evolving landscape of AI technology and its impact on education. Go Highlanders!
