01
Critical evaluation
Read AI output the way you read anything else you find online — with a curious, questioning mind. Check facts. Compare sources. Notice what the tool might be getting wrong.
Responsible AI
How our students, families, and educators use AI — thoughtfully.
Responsible AI at Cold Spring is about the habits we build together. Governance covers how the district reviews systems; this page covers what we do with them every day.
Read the current Acceptable Use Policy →
Where the 7 Habits Meet Digital Citizenship & AI Comprehensive Scope and Sequence →
The practices we teach
02
Digital citizenship
Kindness online is part of school. AI conversations, prompts, and outputs follow the same standards as any other message — respectful, honest, and safe.
03
Privacy
Never paste personal details, home addresses, or protected student information into an AI tool. Use district-approved accounts through the tools we've reviewed.
04
Knowing when not to use AI
Some work belongs to the student — the first draft, the moment of struggle, the personal reflection. Teachers are clear when AI is welcome and when it's set aside.
05
Protecting student voice and original thinking
The point of school is not to produce polished output. It's for a child to grow. AI is a coach and a tool — never the author of the child's own thinking.
06
Access grows with readiness
AI access at Cold Spring expands as students demonstrate the judgment to use it well. Younger students build strong foundational skills first; older students earn broader access as they show they can evaluate, attribute, and take responsibility for what they produce.
07
Pre-approval before any new tool
Before any new AI tool, digital platform, or emerging technology is piloted, purchased, or used with students, staff must receive prior approval from the Superintendent. Each request is reviewed for instructional purpose, age appropriateness, accessibility, student privacy, data security, and alignment with district policies.
AI glossary for families
- AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Software that can generate text, images, or code and respond in flexible ways to prompts and information you give it.
- Prompt
- The question or instruction a person writes for an AI. Clear, specific prompts usually produce more useful results.
- Hallucination
- When an AI produces confident-sounding output that is inaccurate or made up. A reminder to always check the source.
- Model
- The underlying software that generates AI output. Different models have different strengths, limits, and privacy considerations.
- Agent
- A bounded AI helper that prepares, drafts, or organizes work — always for a human to review and approve.
Digital Driver's License
Starting in second grade, every student earns their license.
When Cold Spring students receive their MacBook in second grade, they also receive a Digital Driver's License. This license outlines the acceptable use policy in clear, student-friendly language — and every student signs it.
It is one of the ways we help students understand that using technology is a responsibility: make safe choices, be kind online, use school-approved tools, and ask for help when something feels wrong.
Board-Approved AI Policies
Grounded in Board-approved policy.
Cold Spring School District's approach to artificial intelligence and emerging technology is grounded in Board-approved policy, student safety, responsible use, transparency, privacy, and human oversight.
- Policy 4045Board-Approved
Artificial Intelligence Guiding Principles & Acceptable Use Policy for Teachers of Cold Spring School District
Sets the guiding principles and acceptable use of AI tools by Cold Spring teachers, staff, and administrators — covering ethical use, student privacy, human oversight, and prohibited uses.
- Adopted:
- December 9, 2024
- Policy 6163.5Board-Approved
Artificial Intelligence Guiding Principles & Acceptable Use Policy for Students of Cold Spring School District
Sets the guiding principles and acceptable use of AI tools by Cold Spring students — covering ethical use, privacy, digital citizenship, and prohibited uses such as cheating.
- Adopted:
- December 9, 2024
These policies anchor the practices on this page — student data privacy, digital citizenship, staff and student expectations, Superintendent pre-approval of new AI tools and emerging technologies, and human review and accountability.
Have a question we didn't answer?
Contact Dr. Amy Alzina, Superintendent, Cold Spring School District.