AI Guidelines

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AI Vision Statement

Shasta Union High School District is committed to the educational, equitable, ethical, and safe use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support student success and empower students to think critically, create responsibly, and learn confidently.

Educational

Equitable

Ethical

Safe

Student AI Use Guidelines

AI guidelines define acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI tools, ensuring that student use is educational, equitable, ethical, safe, and empowering. Failure to follow AI guidelines or misuse of AI may result in academic honesty consequences or discipline consistent with district policy.

Default Expectation

Students may not use AI on school assignments unless the teacher's directions specifically allow it. Teachers determine when, whether, and how AI may be used for specific assignments.

Human-Guided Use

AI is a tool. It should not replace student thinking, creativity, or effort.

  • Students are responsible for their own learning.
  • Final work submitted must reflect the student's understanding.
  • AI may be permitted to assist student learning, but it may not substitute student learning.

Ethical Use

Academic honesty and plagiarism policies are defined and outlined in the Student Parent Handbook. These rules apply to AI the same as any other resource. Teachers determine when and how AI may be used for their specific assignments. Please refer to classroom syllabi or assignment instructions for specific details.

Examples of AI use that may be permitted when allowed by the teacher

  • Asking for clarification of concepts when studying.
  • Asking for feedback on drafts in order to revise.
  • Practicing (math steps, flash cards, study games, etc.)
  • Generating study tools for review.

Examples of unethical use of AI

  • Submitting AI-generated work as their own.
  • Using AI to complete assignments in ways that violate teacher directions.
  • Using AI to cheat on tests, quizzes, or assignments.
  • Copying and pasting AI responses without citation or giving credit to the use of AI.
  • Using AI to write essays, solve problems, produce code or create projects without disclosure and proper citation.

Safe Use

Students must protect their privacy and safety and the privacy and safety of others. All AI use must comply with district technology policies and student conduct codes. Failure to comply with these policies may result in disciplinary action and or legal ramifications.

Students may NOT:

  • Enter personal information (their own or others') or district information into AI systems. This includes names, student IDs, birthdates, addresses, phone numbers, etc.
  • Upload confidential school documents.
  • Use AI to create harmful, threatening, inappropriate, or misleading content.
  • Use AI to impersonate others including writing emails pretending to be someone else, generating deepfake audio/video of classmates or teachers, falsifying application essays or recommendation letters.
  • Use AI to harass, bully or harm others including generating harmful messages, creating offensive images of classmates, educators, or others, doxing or spreading false information.

Transparency and Accountability

Teachers determine if and how AI may be used for specific assignments. To promote transparency when AI use is permitted, teachers may require students to:

  • Cite AI assistance.
  • Submit drafts showing the revision process.
  • Reflect on how AI was used.
  • Demonstrate understanding verbally or in writing.
  • Follow a Responsible Use Rubric.

Staff AI Use Guidelines

It is the staff and teacher's responsibility to maintain a safe and equitable learning environment when using AI as a professional tool. Artificial intelligence tools may be used to support efficiency and instruction, but their use must align with district expectations for privacy, security, safety, and professional responsibility.

Human-Guided Use

AI may be used as a tool to support professional responsibilities, but does not take the place of professional responsibilities.

  • AI may be used for drafting, brainstorming, summarizing, formatting, translating, organizing data, assessment, and similar professional tasks.
  • AI does not replace professional judgment.
  • Staff remain responsible for the accuracy, appropriateness, and confidentiality of any AI-assisted content, communication, or decisions.
  • AI-generated content may be inaccurate, biased, incomplete, or misleading, therefore any AI-assisted material distributed to students, families, or colleagues must be reviewed by the staff member for accuracy, bias, appropriateness, and alignment with content standards and district policy.

Educational Use

Teachers are encouraged to use strategies that reinforce authentic student learning and reduce opportunities for unauthorized AI use without requiring additional curriculum.

  • Teachers are encouraged to design instructional materials that prioritize process, in-class work, drafts, oral defense, and revision.
  • Teachers are not required or expected to create additional AI-specific assignments or redesign established curriculum to incorporate AI lessons.
  • If AI tools are incorporated into instruction, teachers must ensure equitable access: Assignments may not assume home access to paid AI tools unless a district-approved alternative is provided.

Safe Use

District-approved tools must align with applicable student data privacy requirements, including FERPA (opens in new tab), COPPA (opens in new tab), California Education Code 49073.1 (opens in new tab), and other relevant laws and district policies.

Student Data Privacy

Staff should not enter personally identifiable student information or confidential district information into AI systems or digital tools that are not district-approved, and covered by an appropriate student data privacy agreement. This includes, but is not limited to, student names, identification numbers, grades, attendance, discipline records, IEP or 504 information, counseling or health-related information, parent communications, and other protected student records. Staff should also use caution when information could indirectly identify a student.

Approved Tools and Accounts
  • AI tools, browser extensions, websites, applications, or platforms used with students, student work, or district data must align with the district's approved applications list and technology review process.
  • Tools that are not currently approved should be submitted through the district's application approval process prior to use with students or district data. This includes instructional AI tools, AI detection tools, writing analysis platforms, browser extensions, and other services that process student work or district information.
  • Staff should use district-managed, district-authorized accounts when accessing approved tools for school-related work. Personal accounts on public AI platforms should not be used to process student information, confidential district information, or protected educational records.
  • Staff should not require or direct students to create accounts for or use AI tools, applications, or digital platforms that have not been reviewed and approved by the district.
Staff-Created Digital Tools, Automations & AI Applications
  • Staff-created digital tools, automations, scripts, databases, or AI-generated applications that collect, store, process, or interact with student or district data or that interact with district systems, accounts, or workflows should follow district technology review procedures prior to implementation. This includes any custom-built or configured solution, including automated tools or AI agents. Tools capable of modifying data, accessing accounts, or performing automated actions should be used with particular caution and should not be deployed without appropriate review and approval.
  • Staff-created tools should not become unofficial systems of record or replace approved district platforms without review and approval.
Security and System Protection

Technology review may consider factors such as privacy terms, data storage practices, account permissions, access scopes, security risk, accessibility, technical compatibility, and instructional alignment. Factors to consider include: AI tools and digital applications should not create unnecessary security risk for district systems, accounts, devices, or data. Browser extensions and tools with broad account permissions warrant particular caution, as they may access district documents, browsing activity, or user accounts in ways that are not always visible.

Staff should assume that information entered into public AI tools may be stored, logged, retained, or used beyond the immediate session unless the district has a contractual agreement stating otherwise. Deleting a prompt should not be assumed to remove it from vendor systems.

Ethical Use

AI should never be used as a sole basis for any decisions.

  • When AI is used to support evaluation, feedback, decision-making, or communication, the individual remains responsible for the final outcome.
  • When there is reasonable concern that a student has submitted unauthorized AI-generated work, staff shall follow established district procedures for academic integrity violations.
  • AI-detection tools may inform professional judgment, but shall not be used as the sole basis for disciplinary action.

Transparency and Accountability

Teachers determine and communicate when and how AI may be used within their classrooms.

  • Responsible Use Rubric may be used to clarify when AI may be used to support learning and provide transparency. (Example below)

Responsible Use Rubric

A simple signal for every assignment

A common color-coded language teachers can use to communicate AI expectations on any assignment.

Red

No AI allowed

  • Student work must be entirely student-created.
  • AI-generated work = academic integrity violation.

Yellow

Limited AI use within teachers established parameters

  • Student work may have specific elements of AI assistance limited by teacher permission.
  • AI-generated work without teacher permission = academic integrity violation.

Green

AI incorporated into the assignment

  • AI use is part of the learning activity and may be used according to the teacher's instructions.
  • Students must follow all safe-use, transparency, and citation expectations. AI use outside the teacher's directions may still be considered an academic integrity violation.

Ongoing Review

A living document

Because AI tools and educational uses continue to evolve, these guidelines will be reviewed regularly and updated as needed.