AI Acceptable Use Policy Template for K-12 Schools

AI ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
[School/District Name]
Effective Date: [Date]
Approved by: [Board of Education / Administration]

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1. PURPOSE

This policy establishes guidelines for the acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools by students, faculty, and staff within [School/District Name]. As AI technologies including ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and similar platforms become increasingly prevalent, it is essential that our school community uses these tools responsibly, ethically, and in alignment with our educational mission.

2. SCOPE

This policy applies to:
• All students enrolled in [School/District Name]
• All teachers, administrators, and staff
• Use of AI tools on school-owned devices, personal devices on school networks, and for school-related work regardless of location
• All AI platforms including but not limited to: ChatGPT/OpenAI, Claude/Anthropic, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and any future AI tools

3. PERMITTED USES OF AI

Students MAY use AI tools for the following purposes when explicitly authorized by their teacher:

a) Research & Learning
   • Exploring topics and generating questions for further research
   • Getting explanations of complex concepts in simpler language
   • Practicing language skills (translation, grammar, vocabulary)
   • Brainstorming ideas before writing (with proper disclosure)
   • Learning to code with AI-assisted programming tools

b) Accessibility & Support
   • Text-to-speech and speech-to-text assistance
   • Summarizing lengthy materials for students with IEPs/504 plans
   • Language translation for English Language Learners (ELL)

c) Teacher-Directed Activities
   • Classroom exercises specifically designed to include AI tools
   • Media literacy lessons about AI capabilities and limitations
   • Critical thinking exercises evaluating AI-generated content

4. PROHIBITED USES OF AI

The following uses of AI are strictly prohibited:

a) Academic Dishonesty
   • Submitting AI-generated text, code, or content as one's own work without proper attribution
   • Using AI to complete assignments, essays, or assessments meant to demonstrate personal learning
   • Using AI to paraphrase or rewrite content specifically to avoid plagiarism detection
   • Sharing AI-generated answers during tests, quizzes, or assessments

b) Safety Violations
   • Asking AI tools to generate violent, sexual, or otherwise harmful content
   • Using AI to create harassing, threatening, or bullying messages
   • Attempting to bypass AI safety filters or school content filters
   • Using AI to generate deepfakes, impersonations, or misleading content about real people

c) Privacy Violations
   • Entering personal information about other students, staff, or families into AI tools
   • Sharing confidential school information (grades, disciplinary records, IEP details) with AI
   • Using AI to access or compile personal data about others

d) Security Violations
   • Attempting to use AI to hack, bypass, or circumvent school security systems
   • Using AI to generate malware, exploits, or attack tools
   • Attempting to disable or circumvent AI monitoring systems

5. ATTRIBUTION & DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

When AI use is permitted for an assignment, students MUST:
• Disclose that AI was used in completing the work
• Identify which AI tool was used (e.g., "Generated with ChatGPT")
• Describe how AI was used (e.g., "Used for initial brainstorming" vs. "Used to generate first draft")
• Include the original AI prompt(s) used, when requested by the teacher
• Clearly distinguish between AI-generated content and original student work

Suggested citation format:
"[AI Tool Name], [Date of Use]. Prompt: '[Your prompt]'. Used for [purpose]."

6. TEACHER & STAFF GUIDELINES

Teachers and staff are encouraged to:
• Integrate AI literacy into curriculum where appropriate
• Clearly communicate on each assignment whether AI use is permitted, restricted, or prohibited
• Design assessments that evaluate genuine student understanding alongside AI-assisted work
• Model responsible AI use and critical evaluation of AI outputs
• Report concerning student AI interactions to administration

Teachers should NOT:
• Rely solely on AI detection tools (they produce false positives)
• Prohibit AI entirely without educational rationale
• Enter student personal information or grades into AI tools
• Use AI to generate student evaluations or disciplinary recommendations without human review

7. MONITORING & ENFORCEMENT

[School/District Name] reserves the right to monitor student AI usage on school-owned devices and school networks. This monitoring may include:

• Logging of AI platform visits and session duration
• Capture of prompts submitted to AI tools and responses received
• Automated flagging of concerning interactions (academic dishonesty patterns, safety-related queries)
• Review of flagged interactions by trained staff members

Monitoring data is handled in accordance with FERPA, COPPA, and applicable state privacy laws. Monitoring is conducted for educational and safety purposes only.

[Note: If using KyberGate AI Chat Monitor, the system automatically captures and flags AI conversations across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and 30+ platforms with real-time alerts for safety concerns and academic dishonesty patterns.]

8. CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLATIONS

Violations of this policy will be addressed through the existing disciplinary framework:

• First Offense: Teacher conference, parent/guardian notification, assignment may receive reduced credit or require resubmission
• Second Offense: Administrator conference, parent/guardian meeting, possible loss of AI tool privileges, academic consequences per teacher discretion
• Serious Violations: Referral to administration for disciplinary action consistent with the Student Code of Conduct. This includes using AI for harassment, threats, or creating harmful content.

Academic dishonesty involving AI is treated equivalently to traditional plagiarism under the school's academic integrity policy.

9. AI LITERACY CURRICULUM

[School/District Name] is committed to helping students become responsible AI users. Our AI literacy program includes:

• Understanding how AI works (and its limitations)
• Recognizing AI-generated misinformation and hallucinations
• Ethical considerations of AI use in academics and society
• Data privacy implications of using AI tools
• Career readiness: AI as a workplace tool

10. ANNUAL REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed and updated annually by [committee/administration] to reflect the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Student, teacher, and parent input will be solicited during the review process.

11. ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Students and parents/guardians are required to sign the attached acknowledgment form indicating they have read, understand, and agree to abide by this AI Acceptable Use Policy.

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STUDENT & PARENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM

I have read and understand the AI Acceptable Use Policy of [School/District Name]. I agree to abide by the guidelines outlined in this policy. I understand that violations may result in disciplinary action and/or loss of technology privileges.

Student Name: ________________________________
Student Signature: ____________________________
Date: ________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: _________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________
Date: ________________________________________

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This template was created by KyberGate (kybergate.com) and is provided free of charge for educational use. Schools may modify this policy to fit their specific needs and local requirements.