AI Guidelines

At Nantucket Public Schools, we believe in harnessing technology to enhance learning, foster creativity, and prepare our students for the future. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes an increasingly impactful tool in education, we're committed to guiding its use with care, clarity, and collaboration.

We've developed newly released AI Guidelines (that we adopted from Walpole Public Schools) to support students, staff, and families in navigating this transformative technology. These guidelines provide practical direction, encourage responsible exploration, and ensure AI tools are used in ways that align with our district’s educational values. Together, we're building digital citizenship, encouraging innovation, and staying future-ready. Explore the possibilities—this is just the beginning. Please review the guidelines below, then check the appropriate box on the Technology Agreements page. This agreement must be signed by September 30th. After September 30th, student accounts without signed agreements will be suspended.

(written with the help of Microsoft Co-Pilot)

Guidelines

Definitions

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - In this context, the simulation of complex tasks performed by computer technology that mimics human intelligence
Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) - A type of AI that transforms natural language input into uniquely created output such as text, images, sounds, and videos.
Prompt - A carefully constructed phrase or sentence designed to be input into a GPT AI to generate desired output.
Personally Identifying Information (PII) - any information or data that can be used to identify or connect to a person. Examples include contact information (name, date of birth, email address), health information (medical details), and academic information (grades, transcripts, GPA).

Staff Use of AI

Teachers and staff at Nantucket Public Schools are permitted to use any AI software that has signed a Student Data Privacy Agreement with Nantucket Public Schools. Teachers may check here to ensure compliance. However, the district has purchased a district-wide subscription of SchoolAI. Teachers may only use SchoolAI with students, with the caveat that some of our current software interventions and assessments have built-in AI. Other AI software can be used to help develop resources and materials for school and the classroom, with the following guidelines:

Adherence to Ethical Practices
Staff should abide by professional codes of conduct, school policies, and ethical guidelines when using AI technologies in educational settings. This includes the proper citation of AI-generated content with the same priority as information written by human authors. Learn more
Professional Review
Teachers and staff should carefully review any AI-generated material before presentation to students, families, or the public. That is, AI may be used to help create content, but staff is responsible for the accuracy, appropriateness, and applicability of all materials.
Data Privacy
Staff must never enter any PII such as contact information (name, email address, hometown), health information (medical records or details), or academic information (grades, IEPs, transcripts) about any student or staff member into GPT prompts or other AI tools. AI systems grow and improve over time by analyzing prompts and output, so staff should treat any content entered in AI tools with the same level of confidentiality as if the information was being shared publicly online. Learn more
Bias Awareness
Teachers and staff should be aware that human biases are sometimes reflected in AI-generated content, intentionally or unintentionally. For example, a GPT AI that generates images might create visuals that reinforce inappropriate cultural stereotypes. Staff should carefully review any AI content for fairness and inclusivity, especially in areas such as grading and feedback, academic recommendations and lessons, and public communications. Learn more
Second Opinions
The use of AI GPT tools is very new and educators may not yet have an instinct about acceptable usage. Any teachers who are interested in exploring student use of AI tools in their classrooms are strongly encouraged to collaborate and brainstorm with a member of the EdTech ILT who can be contacted at edtech-ilt@npsk.org

Student Use of AI

Nantucket Public Schools has purchased a district-wide subscription to SchoolAI; therefore, all students are permitted to use this software to explore AI (and only this software), whether during class or for at-home work, with the following restrictions and guidelines:

Academic Integrity: All AI-generated text, images, or other content that is submitted as part of an academic assignment must be cited in grade-level-appropriate ways. Work submitted by a student is assumed to be their own original work unless properly cited, and the inclusion of uncited AI-generated content, in whole or in part, is considered academically dishonest. Learn more
Prior Permission: Since the intent of most academic assignments is to gauge student learning, the use of AI may mask student understanding of particular skills or content. Therefore, teachers should determine and announce whether AI tools and/or AI-generated content may be used to complete particular assignments, as fits the curricular and instructional goals of the assignment.
Content Review: When including AI-generated content, students should always carefully review, revise, and edit the content before submission. Students should never include content that they do not understand, and students are responsible for the accuracy and appropriateness of all material, AI-generated or not, that they submit.

Student-Teacher Communication in Appropriate AI Use

Teachers are encouraged to design lessons and activities that use AI tools, as fits their curriculum and instructional goals. The best student use of AI is supervised use. Before allowing students to use AI tools, however, teachers should be sure to address the following with their students.

Data & Content Safety: Teachers should remind students not to include any PII in their GPT prompts, and to carefully review any AI-generated content for accuracy and appropriateness.
Classroom Rules & Expectations: Teachers should develop and communicate clear expectations about when AI tools are allowed or not allowed for assignments, especially for homework and independent work. Students should be aware of “default rules” for classwork; for example, the Stop Light Model and the North Carolina Model are clear ways to identify the level of permitted AI use for the classroom.
Assignment Guidelines: For individual assignments in which AI tools may be used by students, clear expectations of permitted and unpermitted use should be communicated to students.
Appreciation for Evolving Trends: Teachers should keep in mind that AI use is a very new technology. Best practices and standard procedures are still being developed, and students and families may not yet have an intuitive sense of appropriateness of AI usage. It may be more appropriate to treat first-time instances of student misuse of AI tools and AI-generated content as learning opportunities rather than disciplinary issues.

References

Brown University Library. “Citation and Attribution - Generative Artificial Intelligence - Library Guides at Brown University.” LibGuides at Brown University, 29 January 2024, https://libguides.brown.edu/c.php?g=1338928&p=9868287. Accessed 15 April 2024.
Cardona, Miguel A., et al. “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning (PDF).” Department of Education, 1 May 2023, https://www2.ed.gov/documents/ai-report/ai-report.pdf. Accessed 19 March 2024.
Jennings, John. “AI in Education: Privacy and Security - EdTech Evolved.” eSpark, 12 September 2023, https://www.esparklearning.com/blog/ai-in-education-privacy-and-security/. Accessed 11 April 2024.
Klein, Alyson. “State Outlines Guidance for Different Levels of AI Use in Classrooms.” Education Week, 29 January 2024, https://www.edweek.org/technology/state-outlines-guidance-for-different-levels-of-ai-use-in-classrooms/2024/01. Accessed 19 March 2024.
Mormando, Samuel. “Creating AI Usage Guidelines for Students.” Edutopia, 9 November 2023, https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-ai-usage-guidelines-students/. Accessed 19 March 2024.
Piers, Craig. “Even ChatGPT Says ChatGPT Is Racially Biased.” Scientific American, 7 February 2024, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/even-chatgpt-says-chatgpt-is-racially-biased/. Accessed 19 April 2024.
“Rules for ethical AI usage for K12 teachers and staff” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 19 Feb. 2024, chat.openai.com/chat.
“Rules for student use of AI in K12 classes” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 2 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com/chat.

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