West Islip Union Free School District unveils AI usage guide for classrooms

At a recent meeting, a presenter for the West Islip Union Free School District outlined a new AI usage guide that sorts classroom activities into red, yellow and green categories and sets limits on when students may use artificial intelligence tools.

The presenter said the guide is meant to balance educational opportunities and student privacy, noting that "it's important to use AI responsibly." The plan, the presenter said, also reflects agreements with technology vendors designed to reduce the risk that students will expose personal information when using AI tools: "We've partnered with companies that promise to be good guardians of student data that have steps in place that make sure that our students aren't putting personal information out into the world."

Under the guide's structure, the presenter described three activity tiers. In "red" activities, students are not permitted to use AI. "If it's a yellow activity, the students can use AI to proofread, to organize, and they will cite their AI usage," the presenter said. In "green" activities, students may use AI for brainstorming, conducting research, studying, reviewing and debating so long as they cite their AI usage. The presenter emphasized the citation requirement for both yellow and green activities: "They're allowed to use AI."

District materials shared at the meeting, as summarized by the presenter, frame the policy as a way to save teacher and student time while maintaining classroom integrity and protecting sensitive student data. The transcript did not record any formal vote or adoption of the guide during the meeting, and no additional decision or implementation timeline was provided in the recorded remarks.

The presenter closed by saying, "AI is changing the way we learn," framing the guide as an early attempt to set classroom norms for emerging tools.