This week’s Answer Key seeks to assist families by answering a crucial query regarding education and Greater Houston schools. Please use the form at the end of this article or send an email to [email protected] with any questions you would want us to address.
This week’s query:
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What are the rules for students using AI in their schoolwork?
Sometimes it’s impossible to identify when a statement was created by artificial intelligence. In other cases, a sentence’s strangeness raises red flags that something is amiss.
By using a vast amount of preexisting knowledge and labor to produce an apparently unique result, generative artificial intelligence, or AI, imitates human intellect, creativity, and decision-making. For example, a student could ask ChatGPT, an AI tool, to compile a list of historical people from the Revolutionary War. ChatGPT would generate the list in a similar manner to how Google generates search terms.
Although opponents argue that the danger arises when students utilize AI to finish entire essays and assignments before learning how to think and write critically on their own, students can use AI technologies to assist with research and arrange study materials. It’s also getting harder to tell the difference between work created by AI and work created by humans as technology advances.
School districts throughout Greater Houston are revising their rules about the use of technology in order to better deal with the emerging technology. In the case of HISD, this includes the creation of a comprehensive guidebook on the district’s approach to artificial intelligence.
Unless parents and teachers specifically consent, the majority of policies severely restrict or prohibit pupils’ access to AI. Districts are also gradually incorporating AI-assisted tools into their curricula in certain approved cases so that they can work with technology rather than against it.
These are some ways that school districts in the Houston region are embracing and limiting AI technology.
Houston
In order to create the most thorough AI guidebook among all the districts in the Houston area, HISD collaborated with the AI literacy group AI for Education in November 2024.
In accordance with such guidelines, HISD strictly limits the usage of generative AI for high school pupils and prohibits its use for students under the age of 14. The district’s guideline is to assist students in comprehending the definition of generative artificial intelligence (AI), its potential and constraints, and how to use the tools responsibly to enhance their own learning, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
In order to better integrate AI into their lessons, teachers will have the chance to participate in professional development training during the summer. Teachers are also allowed to employ AI technologies for administrative or classroom tasks.
Katy
In its plagiarism restrictions, the Katy ISD 2024–2025 student handbook explicitly forbids passing off work created by artificial intelligence as one’s own. The offense is on par with copyright violations, hacking, online impersonation, and data violations.
Fort Bend
Although Fort Bend’s digital citizenship policy does not specifically include AI, it does forbid using district or private technology for plagiarism or cheating.
Conroe
Neither Conroe’s acceptable usage policy for digital resources nor its student code of conduct for 2024–2025 make reference to AI.
Cypress-Fairbanks
While the district forbids plagiarism from any source, including the Internet, Cypress-Fairbanks’ 2024–2025 student code of conduct makes no mention of artificial intelligence.
Aldine
Aldine’s AI policy, which was last revised in October 2023, states that material produced by AI is not considered student work and is consequently in violation of the district’s plagiarism policy. The district does, however, allow teachers to approve the usage of AI on an individual basis.
Pasadena
Although it does not specify certain guidelines pertaining to AI, the Pasadena Student Handbook forbids academic dishonesty when using digital tools, particularly those enhanced with AI capabilities. AI Guidances is a vacant page on the district website.
In an emailed statement, Melissa McCalla, the chief technology officer for Pasadena, stated that the district will continue to examine possible AI solutions for children and started training staff on how to utilize AI appropriately this school year.
According to an email from McCalla, “We are thrilled about the potential benefits that generative AI can bring in supporting productivity and skill development for both staff and students.”
Alief
AI is not mentioned in the Alief student handbook.
Spring
AI is not mentioned in the Spring Student-Parent Handbook.
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