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Policies, Resources, Safety Measures & More
The following policies apply to all students and staff across grade levels. AI is a tool that may support learning, but it must never replace student thinking. We are working to teach our students how to effectively and ethically use AI. We are also teaching students to understand the limitations of AI, bias, and privacy concerns in addition to understanding how to determine fact from fiction. In this ever changing world, we will continue to update our curriculum and approaches.
Policy 2365 -Acceptable Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Policy 5701 - Academic Integrity
Branchburg Township School District is dedicated to providing our students with engaging, modern digital learning tools while keeping their safety, privacy, and well-being at the forefront. We guide our processes based on data protection, digital governance and educational technology vetting.
In efforts to safeguard the privacy, security, and confidentiality of student personally identifiable information (PII) and educational data Branchburg Data Privacy Requirements. The Branchburg Township School District uses the following process for evaluating, vetting, approving, and deploying web-hosted software, mobile applications, online digital tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions utilized within the district Student AUP.
Summary of Software Vetting Workflow
🔍 1. EVALUATE ➔ ✓ Tech Helpdesk Request ✓ Age Appropriateness ✓ Instructional Alignment ✓ Budget Impact
🛡️ 2. VET ➔ ✓ Privacy & Security Audit ✓ COPPA & FERPA Compliance ✓ Board & NJDOE Policies
✅ 3. APPROVE ➔ ✓ Data Protection Addendum ✓ District Data Ownership ✓ Agreement Sign-off
🚀 4. IMPLEMENT ➔ ✓ Centralized SSO (ClassLink/Google) ✓ Public Software Listing ✓ AUP Agreement
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Branchburg Township School District remains dedicated to maintaining, student data privacy, we continue to evaluate and update our software vetting procedures to provide a safe and effective digital learning environment for all students.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a fun and helpful tool for learning, creating, and exploring, but it is important to know how to use it safely and responsibly. Here are some great resources to help you become an AI expert, in addition to what you are already learning in your tech classes and classrooms.
Learn How AI Works
Code.org - Hour of AI & How AI Works: Fun, interactive videos and games that teach you how computers learn and let you train your own AI models to clean up virtual oceans.
Minecraft Education - Hour of AI: Learn the basics of computer science and AI by solving puzzles and completing missions inside the world of Minecraft.
The Golden Rules of AI (Ethics & Safety)
Common Sense Education - AI Literacy 6-12th: This resource teaches great digital citizenship habits, reminding you to always ask your teacher for permission before using AI on schoolwork. Every classroom has different rules!
Do Your Own Thinking First: AI is a helper, not a replacement for your brain. Jot down your own ideas before you ask an AI for help so your projects still sound like you and so that you understand the information and apply it in class.
Check the Facts: AI can sometimes give wrong answers or make things up (this is sometimes called an AI "hallucination"). Always double-check facts using safe search engines, library books, or a teacher or parent.
Keep Your Secrets Safe: Treat AI like a stranger on the internet. Never share your full name, address, passwords, or personal stories with an AI chatbot.
How to Talk to AI (Prompt Engineering Tips)
Be Super Specific: Instead of saying, "Tell me about space," give it instructions. Say, "Give me 3 fun facts about the planet Mars for a 4th grader to learn about space."
Give it a Role: Ask the AI to act like an expert to get better answers. Try saying, "Act like a 6th grade history teacher and explain how the pyramids were built."
Correct its Mistakes: If the AI gives you a wrong answer, you can tell it to fix it! Say, "That's not exactly what I meant. Can you make it shorter and easier to understand?"
Practice and Self-Testing
The Practice Quiz: "Act as a quiz master. Ask me 5 multiple-choice questions about [topic] one at a time. Wait for my answer before giving me the next question, and explain why my answers are right or wrong after I reply."
The Math Error Spotter: "Here is a math problem I tried to solve, but I got the wrong answer: [insert your work/equation]. Look at my steps and tell me where I made my first mistake, but do not solve the rest of the problem for me."
As AI becomes more present in classrooms and daily life, families play a vital role in helping children navigate these tools safely. Here are practical guidelines and resources to establish healthy AI habits at home.
Rules of AI Safety at Home
Protect Privacy: Teach children to never share full names, addresses, passwords, medical details, or private photos with AI tools. A good rule of thumb is that if you wouldn't tell a stranger, don't type it into a chatbot.
Fact-Check Everything: AI tools can sometimes invent facts or mix up details. Families should treat fact-checking as a mandatory step, verifying important claims against trusted sources or teachers.
Keep People Primary: Remind your child that AI is a tool, not a person. Children should not use AI as a substitute for friends, therapists, or trusted adults when they need emotional support or advice.
Age-Appropriate Guidelines
Ages Under 5: It is recommended that young children avoid AI chatbots entirely; they need sensory-rich learning, human interaction, and cannot reliably distinguish between AI and real people.
Ages 6–12 (Elementary & Middle): Introduce educational AI tools with direct adult supervision. Co-pilot these sessions to help them understand how the tool works and when it makes mistakes.
Playlist of Parent Webinars from Common Sense
Supporting Homework & Academic Integrity
Use AI as a Tutor, Not an Answer Key: AI can be incredibly useful for quizzing your child, creating practice math problems, or simplifying complex topics. However, under no circumstances should AI be used to do your child's actual homework, as this prevents them from developing their own critical thinking skills.
Save Original Work: Because AI tools are designed to "polish" writing, encourage your child to save their original drafts before using AI for feedback.
Practice Together: Use AI for everyday family tasks, like generating a grocery list, drafting questions for a doctor, or making a step-by-step chore plan. Practicing together builds confidence and helps everyone understand the technology's limits.
What is AI? A Guide for Parents
This short video co-created by Common Sense Education breaks down how AI is already present in your child's digital world and offers practical ways to discuss it together.
AI is a tool that can assist you in many ways with differentiation, brainstorming and organization, planning and more! Linked below are a variety of resources and more will be added!