Academic Integrity

Brookline Schools expects all students and staff to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. This requires presenting all work as one's own and properly acknowledging the contributions of others. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools presents new challenges to these foundational expectations.

Teachers must proactively educate students on the responsible use of AI, the proper application of citations, and the essential importance of original work. Educators must establish and clearly communicate their specific expectations regarding the use of AI for every assignment.

All staff should consider the distinct role AI plays in the learning dynamic often referred to as "Productive Struggle"—the engagement in tasks just beyond current mastery. AI can serve to remove learning barriers, leading to greater student growth, but it can also become a shortcut that undermines the deep and lasting learning process. Students are therefore responsible for engaging in their own Productive Struggle and must seek explicit guidance from their teacher on the authorized use of AI for any assigned task.

• BHS Academic Integrity Policy

• BHS Student Guidelines for using AI

• Amy Chen Kulesa, Marisa Mission, Michelle Croft, and Mary K. Wells, Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education, Bellwether, June 2025.