skip to main content

HCPSS / POLICIES

Policy 3070 Implementation Procedures - Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching, Learning, and School Operations

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Dissemination of Information

  1. Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) will communicate the expectations and requirements of the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy and its implementation procedures to students, employees, families, and other relevant stakeholders through established communication channels.

  2. Information regarding the responsible use of AI, including approved tools, appropriate uses, data privacy, academic integrity, and human oversight, will be made available through district resources and guidance.

  3. School administrators and division leaders will ensure that HCPSS employees are informed of the policy and implementation procedures and have access to applicable resources and professional learning.

  4. Students and families will receive developmentally appropriate information regarding expectations for AI use in instructional settings, including applicable safeguards and limitations.

  5. HCPSS will communicate significant updates to AI expectations, approved tools, and implementation guidance as needed.

  6. The Division of Academics in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology are responsible for providing annual AI Training for all HCPSS employees.

  7. The Division of Academics will provide instructional resources for staff to integrate artificial intelligence literacy skills across all grade levels as identified in Maryland’s Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards.

  8. The Superintendent/designee will ensure that the Office of Procurement includes language in all third-party contracts, grants, and agreements requiring contractors to review and comply with Board policies.

II. Responsibilities

  1. Ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence should include:

    1. AI tools must be used in ways that uphold academic integrity and data privacy.

    2. Digital tools such as AI should support the student learning process and not replace individual contributions and understanding of the learning process.

    3. Any AI-generated work must be cited or otherwise disclosed and verified for accuracy and bias.

  2. Artificial intelligence use should be equitable and accessible:

    1. Educators should be aware of and mitigate students from perpetuating potential AI biases and hallucinations to prevent reinforcing discrimination or inequities in learning opportunities.

    2. All students should have equitable access to AI learning tools, ensuring no group is advantaged or disadvantaged by AI implementation.

  3. Transparency and Accountability

    1. HCPSS will provide ongoing communication to students, staff, and families about how AI tools are used in schools and their impact on teaching and learning.

    2. Curricular and program area supervisors will offer guidance and resources to support the thoughtful integration of AI tools into curriculum and instruction.

    3. Principals and supervisors are responsible for ensuring the consistent implementation of AI usage guidelines within their schools and departments.

    4. Teachers will align instructional practices with these guidelines, promoting ethical, effective, and developmentally appropriate use of AI tools in the classroom.

    5. Teachers will follow the HCPSS digital tool communication process to inform families about the use of AI tools in their classrooms.

    6. AI-generated content must be labeled in accordance with the AI Transparency and Citation guide within the HCPSS Generative AI Usage Guidelines

  4. AI Tool Vetting, Procurement, and Vendor Governance

    1. Digital tools that include Artificial Intelligence must undergo formal evaluation using Digital Tools Approval Process. Cross-functional vetting evaluates educational alignment, cybersecurity safeguards, legal compliance, accessibility, and algorithmic fairness.

    2. All vendor contracts, software agreements, and terms of service involving AI systems must explicitly include terms that:

      1. Prohibit vendors from using HCPSS student or employee data to train public, commercial, or third-party AI models.

      2. Prohibit commercial profiling, targeted advertising, or data monetization.

      3. Mandate strict data minimization, secure encryption in transit and at rest, and clear data deletion schedules upon contract termination.

      4. Require immediate notification to HCPSS in the event of a security incident within 24 hours of discovery.

    3. The Software Approval Team, will maintain a public, searchable directory of all approved essential and supplemental AI tools, and opt-out procedures.

  5. HCPSS Employee Responsibilities

    1. Human-centered Oversight

      1. AI should support, not replace, human thinking, judgment, creativity, and decision-making.

      2. Apply critical thinking when interacting with AI tools and evaluating their outputs.

      3. Staff retain full professional accountability for all work product and instructional content created with AI assistance.

      4. Staff must independently verify, contextualize, and fact-check all AI outputs for accuracy, hallucinations, and potential bias before distribution.

    2. HCPSS employees must never include personally identifiable information; once entered, it cannot be removed from the service and may be used by the service.

    3. HCPSS employees will establish clear expectations for students defining when artificial intelligence use is permitted, when unaided work is required, and how artificial intelligence assistance must be acknowledged.

  6. Student Responsibilities

    1. Students will follow expectations defining when artificial intelligence use is permitted, when unaided work is required, and how artificial intelligence assistance must be acknowledged. Work will be designated by staff as AI Free or AI Permitted.

    2. Students may not use artificial intelligence for school work if designed as an AI Free assignment. With AI Permitted assignments, the following conditions must be met:

      1. Human-centered Oversight

        1. AI should support, not replace, human thinking, judgment, creativity, and decision-making.

        2. Apply critical thinking when interacting with AI tools and evaluating their outputs.

        3. Students must independently verify, contextualize, and fact-check all AI outputs for accuracy, hallucinations, and potential bias before distribution.

      2. Transparency

        1. Students must disclose when and how they use AI in their work, including identifying which tools were used and their contributions to the final product.

        2. Teachers should communicate the level of allowable AI use for individual projects/assignments when assigned.

        3. Teachers may require students to explain how and why AI was used in their assignments.

      3. Critical Engagement

        1. AI should be used as a support tool, not a replacement for original thought.

        2. Students are responsible for verifying AI-generated information and assessing its accuracy and relevance.

      4. Privacy and Security

        1. Students must not input personal, confidential, or sensitive information into AI platforms.

        2. All AI use must align with HCPSS data privacy policies and federal/state regulations.

      5. Scope of Use

        1. Each assignment must clearly state the expected and permitted use of AI, if any (AI Free or AI Permitted) in the assignment directions.

        2. All student submissions must indicate the degree to which AI was used in their creation. This ensures transparency and supports appropriate evaluation based on the level of human versus AI contribution.

    3. Violations of these guidelines may result in consequences in accordance with the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct and appropriate Board policies.

      1. Academic Dishonesty – Prohibits plagiarism, cheating, and misrepresentation of work, which includes submitting AI-generated content as one’s own without proper disclosure.

      2. Consequences for violations may range from reteaching opportunities and revised assignments to disciplinary actions in accordance with the severity of the infraction.

III. Prohibited Uses

  1. Academic Dishonesty

    1. AI tools may not be used to complete assignments, exams, or assessments unless explicitly approved by the teacher.

    2. Submitting AI-generated content as one’s own original work without proper citation or acknowledgment is prohibited and considered a violation of academic integrity. Note that something created fully autonomously by AI is not protected by copyright, and human involvement must be present in some form.

  2. AI tools may not be used to create, share, or distribute harmful, misleading, or inappropriate content. This includes using AI for cyberbullying, intentionally generating or spreading false information, or engaging in activities that otherwise disrupt the learning process.

  3. Inputting confidential personnel files, health records, or student record data into unvetted AI tools.

IV. Violation of Policy

Violations by students of these guidelines may result in consequences as outlined in the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct. Consequences for violations may range from reteaching opportunities and revised assignments to disciplinary actions in accordance with the severity of the infraction.

V. Monitoring

Policy 3070 implementation procedures, monitoring of policy, and any metrics and accountability of the policy will be overseen by the Division of Academics.

VI. Definitions

Within the context of this policy, the following definitions apply:

  1. AI Free – No AI tools are permitted at any stage. AI-Free assignments prohibit the use of generative AI tools that produce content on behalf of the student (e.g., Gemini, ChatGPT, etc.). However, native AI-powered features that passively support the writing process, such as spell check, autocorrect, or grammar suggestions, are generally allowed unless a teacher explicitly restricts them. Teachers should clearly communicate expectations, especially when using platforms where generative tools are embedded (e.g., Gemini in Google Docs).

  2. AI Permitted – AI tools may be used at any stage of the process, from ideation to final product. Teachers must specify boundaries (e.g., "AI can be used for grammar help but not for writing whole paragraphs").

VII. References

  • HCPSS Mobile Technology Duties and Obligations Notice

  • HCPSS Generative AI Usage Guidelines

  • AI Transparency and Citation Guide

VIII. History

ADOPTED: October 29, 2026

REVIEWED:

MODIFIED:

REVISED:

EFFECTIVE: October 29, 2026

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.