Ai For Students Chicago Public Schools

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 3, 2025, 6:38 PM

In this section, we outline clear guidelines to ensure that our studentsuphold the values of CPS when using AI. While responsible GenAI use can assist in learning, students should submit work that is fundamentally their own. Students should clearly identify any AI-generated content that they have used in their assignments. Students are required to cite the use of GenAI in their academic work and specify how they used it. Failing to do so will be considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis according to individual school policy. School reviews of each case will generally include:

Students must use GenAI tools ethically. Students should never use GenAI tools to create inappropriate or harmful content. Students must follow the Student Acceptable Use Policy whenever they use GenAI tools, just as they should when using any other information technology resources. Violations of these guidelines, including the misuse of AI to generate offensive or damaging material, will result in disciplinary actions, which may range from a warning to more severe penalties depending on the nature... Usage of GenAI tools will be governed under the SOPPA model, wherein teachers are responsible for monitoring student use of approved technologies. Misuse of GenAI tools will be addressed in accordance with the Student Acceptable Use Policy and CPS’ Student Code of Conduct, which may include warnings or removal of access to tools.

These guidelines ensure that students at CPS use GenAI technologies responsibly, contributing positively to their educational environment. Students may only use GenAI tools that have been vetted and approved by CPS, as reflected in the CPS Ed Tech Catalog. Want to partner with AI for Education to create AI guidance at your school or district? LEARN HOW Last week, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced the release of the first version of its AI Guidebook, developed in partnership between the Office of Teaching and Learning, the Department of Information and Technology Services... As educators and students adopt AI, developing policies and guidelines is crucial to realizing AI’s benefits while mitigating risks.

While such a policy is always an ongoing work-in-progress, CPS has made a significant commitment to developing actionable and tactical GenAI guidance for their 634 schools serving more than 300,000 students. We are privileged to have partnered with the district on this important work and to be able to share it with education leaders. Mary Beck, the Deputy Chief of Teaching and Learning of CPS, says, "the goal of our AI guide is to further enhance the daily student learning experience by empowering teachers with ways to increase... Key highlights of the guidebook include: by Office of Communications, College of Education / Oct 24, 2024 Generative AI is here to stay, and its impact on the field of education will only grow as artificial intelligence continues to develop.

While the specter of students using AI to cheat has raised concerns among educators around the world, the potential positive and productive uses of AI counterbalance those fears. Indeed, AI can be used to inspire and foster creativity, lend multiple perspectives, summarize existing materials, generate and reinforce lesson plans, and stimulate image creation. To date, however, student use far exceeds that of instructors: According to a national survey conducted by Tyton Partners in 2023, 27% of students reported being regular users of generative AI tools, as opposed... Nearly half of students have tried AI writing tools at least once; 71% of instructors have never tried AI tools. It’s in educators’ best interests to understand the uses and advantages of AI and to be aware of the challenges of the technology. Armed with this information, educators can make sound decisions about how to implement AI in their classrooms.

In the next two sections, we’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence in education. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) AI Guidebook outlines how to responsibly integrate Generative AI (GenAI) in the classroom and beyond. Here are the main takeaways: 📚 Responsible adoption: CPS is focused on ethical and pedagogical use of GenAI to enhance learning while maintaining safety and privacy standards. 🎓 Student guidance: Students are encouraged to use approved AI tools, ensuring transparency by citing AI-generated content in their assignments while avoiding misuse. 🛡️ Privacy and security: Teachers and staff are advised never to input confidential data into AI tools, as these could be used for further training by AI providers.

👩‍🏫 Educator support: CPS will offer professional development and resources to help educators responsibly integrate AI into their teaching. In this fireside chat, Peter Leonard, the Executive Director of Student Assessment and MTSS at Chicago Public Schools and Ila Deshmukh Towery, a partner at Education First, explore how school districts can navigate decisionmaking... They share lessons learned from Education First’s collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools Teaching & Learning team on an exploration rubric for AI decisionmaking, a project completed in March 2024. This conversation offers insights into how school districts can responsibly leverage AI to support teachers and students. The transcript for this fireside chat, originally conducted at CCSSO’s fall collaborative in New Orleans, LA on September 24, 2024, has been edited for clarity and length. Ila: So, Peter, tell us a little bit about the project we worked on together, and what led you to want to develop a rubric for AI decisionmaking.

Peter: Thanks for the question, Ila. The project originated from a sprint grant put out by the Gates Foundation. The timeline was tight—just around six months. We initially aimed to support the Skyline Curriculum, an initiative to ensure a high-quality, culturally responsive curriculum in every classroom. We wanted to explore how generative AI could support this effort. However, it quickly became apparent that the solution space was too broad to fully evaluate the feasibility of one or two specific use cases in that timeframe.

The project evolved in collaboration with the Education First team to develop the AI Exploration Rubric. And, not just a rubric but a tool and an approach that can help our system determine when AI is appropriate to use. It includes answering key questions: Should we use AI for this purpose? Could we, from an operational, fiscal and ethical perspective? And then we actually would think about the how. We wanted to go from testing 1-2 use cases to developing an approach, a tool and a process for the organization.

AI tools are available for student and staff use in Seattle Public Schools (SPS). Below is a list of common digital tools or applications that are available on SPS devices. Education-focused AI for staff and students: Read more about MagicSchool AI on the Common Sense Education website Magic Write, Magic Design, Image Generator, Photo Editor Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that supports productivity and workflows by offering contextual assistance, automating routine tasks, and analyzing data. Learn more about Microsoft Copilot.

A growing number of tools that educators and students use daily are now supercharged with generative artificial intelligence, reshaping everything from lesson planning to how students complete assignments. At the same time, skeptics and critics of generative AI are raising concerns about the downsides of relying on the technology, such as a decline in critical thinking skills, students cheating or offloading work,... Still, many AI advocates are encouraging schools to experiment with the fast-evolving technology and teach educators and students how to use it responsibly. How can schools find a balance between the potential AI tools have in improving teaching and learning, and the troubling downsides that could come with more teachers, students, and parents using the technology? In a Nov. 13 K-12 Essentials Forum session moderated by Education Week Deputy Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller, three educators discussed this question.

The panelists were: Aaron Cinquemani, the principal of Woodstock Union Middle and High School in Vermont and co-founder of Greentime.ai, which aims to help educators use AI ethically; Tina Nuñez, the ed-tech resource teacher... Generative AI offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance classroom interaction, personalize learning experiences, and foster an innovative learning environment for our students. We are excited to share our guidebook for the responsible adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) across our District. The AI Guidebook outlines our initial approach to GenAI integration, including guidelines for ethical use and pedagogical strategies. This guidebook will be regularly reviewed and revised to reflect stakeholder input, best practices, and advances in GenAI technology. CPS is committed to integrating these tools ethically and responsibly, ensuring that they align with our educational goals and standards while upholding the safety and privacy of our community.

CPS will also support faculty and staff with professional development opportunities to support its implementation. Our guidance governs the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), software, and models by employees, students, contractors, volunteers, and third-party vendors. It ensures that all interactions with AI technologies are conducted in accordance with CPS standards. Our goal is for CPS staff to remain at the forefront of emerging GenAI technologies and their applications in education. To this end, opportunities for continual professional learning will be provided to staff starting in 2024. CPS is shaping the future of education through the thoughtful and responsible integration of AI across the District.

Grounded in equity, ethics, and innovation, our approach ensures AI supports student success, empowers educators, and enhances school operations.

Ai For Students Chicago Public Schools

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