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A student who asks artificial intelligence to explain a calculus problem may be using it as a study tool. A student who copies and pastes an AI-written essay is most likely cheating.
But between these two examples exists a gray area that schools are now trying to define.
As artificial intelligence tools have become more commonplace both at home and in the classroom, school districts across California are creating new guidelines around when AI can support learning and when it can undermine academic achievement. The California Department of Education’s model AI policy says that artificial intelligence may expand access to information and support educators, but can also raise concerns about academic integrity, student privacy, equity and well-being.
The state model policy states that students should be producing original work within assignment guidelines and clearly disclose the use of AI. It also states that submitting AI-generated work without disclosure constitutes plagiarism and academic dishonesty. At the same time, the policy warns that AI detection software should not be used as the sole basis for determining the use of AI.
At the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, artificial intelligence is considered a tool that can be of use in instructional design, teaching practices and deep learning. The district states that its guidance is intended to balance innovation and academic integrity while remaining adaptable as the technology rapidly advances.
The district’s technology use in classroom guidance also frames AI as something that should support learning instead of replacing it. It states that technology, including emerging AI tools, should be age-specific, developmentally accurate, guided by educators and grounded in human connection. Students should maintain volition over their thinking, creativity and voice
SRVUSD’s technology plan expands these ideas further, saying technology should amplify teacher expertise, student agency and relationships rather than replace them. It also says SRVUSD is supporting the integration of new technologies while protecting student privacy.
Dublin Unified School District has also taken formal measures toward setting AI expectations.
A 2023-24 board resolution called for the creation of a uniform policy in regards to AI usage across the district. The resolution stated that AI had become widely available to students and staff, but the district did not establish any classroom policies, leaving decisions about AI tools to teachers to set individual rules for their classrooms.
Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District does not currently have policies set in place specifically for artificial intelligence. However, existing responsible use policies and other technology-related policies provide guidelines for the safe, responsible and appropriate use of technology by students and staff.
The district is currently in the process of establishing an Artificial Intelligence Task Force that will include students, labor partners, administration and community partners. Once organized, the task force will review current policies and practices, examine the opportunities and challenges of AI in education and identify where additional guidance may be needed.
Privacy is another concern in the conversation of technology.
Pleasanton Unified School District’s online instructional tools and student privacy page says that many classroom apps and websites collect or store private student information, and that the district has a duty to protect personally identifiable information. Although the page is not limited to AI, its privacy concerns apply to all digital tools students have access to.
Both at a local level and at the state level, schools are moving beyond a simple question of whether to ban or allow AI. Districts are trying to come up with their own definitions of the responsible use of AI in the age of technology.
For Tri-Valley schools specifically, the challenge is no longer whether artificial intelligence will be encountered at schools. It is how clearly schools can establish boundaries and teach students to productively use it and aid the human connection that learning still depends on.
