Guide · Teachers
Classroom AI Policy Spectrum
Set a clear AI level for every assignment. Five levels, subject examples, assignment-sheet wording, and a printable label or classroom poster.
Updated · Natalie Gibson
Use five levels: Level 0 No AI, Level 1 AI for ideas, Level 2 AI for feedback, Level 3 AI as partner, and Level 4 AI required. Set a level per assignment. If your school has no default, Level 1 is a safe choice.
Set a clear AI level for every assignment, so students know exactly what's allowed before they start. This guide explains each of the five levels with examples from different subjects, gives you wording to paste onto assignment sheets, and lets you print a level label or a classroom poster.
Prepared by the HeyOtto for Schools team · Last updated October 2026 · Matches Appendix B of our Model AI Policy.
The five levels at a glance
No level is better than another. The right level depends on what the assignment is meant to teach. A history class might use Level 0 for a timed essay on Monday and Level 4 for a lesson on checking AI answers against primary sources on Friday.
Students should only use AI tools your school has approved, at any level.
Choosing a level
Start with what the assignment is meant to show
Do students need to show they can do this without any help?
Level 0Is AI only useful for getting started, like picking a topic?
Level 1Is the skill in the student's own creation, with value in getting feedback on it?
Level 2Is the skill in directing, checking, and combining work, including AI's?
Level 3Is the point to learn how AI works, or where it goes wrong?
Level 4Level by level
What each level looks like in your classroom
Level 0: No AI
All work is the student's own, without AI assistance.
Use it for
- Timed writing and in-class essays
- Foundational math skills and quizzes
- Lab observations and data collection
- Speaking and listening practice in world languages
- Tests and test prep
What to collect
- Work done in class where you can see it happen
- Drafts or scratch work
Watch for
- Work that doesn't sound like the student's other work
- A student who can't explain their own answer
Level 0 · No AI. Do this work entirely on your own. Don't use AI tools at any stage.
Level 1: AI for ideas
AI may be used to brainstorm or explore a topic. Final work is the student's own.
Use it for
- Choosing a research or project topic
- Thinking of counterarguments before writing
- Exploring a time period before reading primary sources
- Generating science fair or design project ideas
What to collect
- An outline or notes in the student's own words
- A sentence on which ideas came from AI
Watch for
- Polished phrasing that reads like it was copied from AI
- Ideas the student can't expand on
Level 1 · AI for ideas. You may use AI to brainstorm or explore the topic. Everything you submit must be written or made by you.
Level 2: AI for feedback
The student creates the work, then may use AI for feedback or editing. Students disclose their AI use.
Use it for
- Revising an essay the student already drafted
- Finding bugs in code the student wrote
- Getting feedback on writing in a new language
- Making a lab report clearer
What to collect
- The student's original draft and the final version
- A short note on what AI suggested and what they changed
Watch for
- Big jumps between drafts, which can mean AI rewrote it
- Missing or vague disclosure notes
Level 2 · AI for feedback. Create your work first. Then you may ask AI for feedback or editing suggestions. You decide what to change, and you must note how you used AI.
Level 3: AI as partner
AI may help create parts of the work as directed. The student evaluates and cites all AI use.
Use it for
- Research projects where AI helps summarize sources the student then verifies
- Coding projects where AI writes some sections
- Data analysis and charting
- Multimedia and design projects
What to collect
- An AI use log: what the student asked, what AI gave back, what they changed, and why
- Evidence they checked AI's facts
Watch for
- AI use that isn't in the log
- Facts or sources nobody checked
Level 3 · AI as partner. You may use AI to help create parts of this work as directed. Check everything AI gives you, and cite every use: what you asked, what it gave you, and what you changed.
Level 4: AI required
The assignment is designed around AI use, with the teacher guiding how.
Use it for
- AI literacy lessons
- Comparing AI answers with reliable sources
- Practicing and improving prompts
- Spotting bias or made-up facts in AI output
What to collect
- The AI conversation itself
- A reflection on what AI did well and where it went wrong
Watch for
- Students accepting AI output without questioning it
- Students sharing personal information with the tool
Level 4 · AI required. This assignment is about using AI. Follow the steps your teacher gives you, and be ready to explain what the AI did well and where it went wrong.
Make a label
Print an AI level label for your assignment
Fill in the details, then print the label to attach to an assignment sheet, or print a poster of all five levels for your classroom wall.
AI level for this assignment
AI for ideas
Your assignment name appears here
AI may be used to brainstorm or explore a topic. Final work is the student's own.
Use only the AI tools your school has approved.
Not sure what's allowed? Ask before you start. Could you explain exactly how you used AI if your teacher asked?
In the moment
When a student asks "Can I use AI for this?"
The assignment has a level
Point to it and restate it in your own words, for example: "This one's Level 1, so you can brainstorm with AI, but the writing has to be yours."
The assignment doesn't have a level
Use your school's default. If your school hasn't set one, Level 1 is a safe choice. Then add a level to the assignment sheet so the question doesn't come up again.
The question comes up halfway through
Answer it for the whole class, not just the student who asked, and update the assignment sheet for next time.
A student already used AI beyond the level
Start with a conversation about what they did and why. Then follow your school's academic integrity procedures. Don't rely on an AI detector alone, since detectors are unreliable and our Model AI Policy says they shouldn't be the only evidence.
One question that covers every level
The explain-it test
“Could you explain to your teacher, right now, exactly how you used AI on this?”
Teach students to ask themselves this before they submit. If the honest answer is no, or they'd rather not, something is off. It works at every level and puts responsibility for honest use where it belongs, with the student.
Related resources
Keep building your school's approach
Classroom AI Policy Spectrum · HeyOtto for Schools · Last updated October 2026. Your label details are saved only in this browser on this device.
FAQs
- What should a classroom AI policy include?
- A clear level for each assignment, wording students can understand, a way for students to disclose AI use when it's allowed, and what happens if they go beyond the level. It should follow your school or district AI policy and only allow approved tools.
- Should I set one AI rule for the whole year?
- No. A single rule is either too strict for assignments where AI helps learning or too loose for ones where students need to work alone. Setting a level per assignment lets you match AI use to what each assignment is meant to teach.
- Which level should I use for younger students?
- Many districts limit elementary students to teacher-led AI use, which means Level 0 for independent work and Level 4 activities the teacher runs with the class. Check your district's grade-band rules before using Levels 1–3 with younger students.
- Do AI detectors work?
- Not reliably. They can flag original student writing and miss AI-written work. Treat a detector result as a reason to look closer, never as proof. Drafts, conversations with the student, and in-class work are stronger evidence.
- How should students cite AI?
- At Levels 2 and 3, ask for a short note or log of what they asked, what AI gave them, and what they changed. If your class uses a citation style such as MLA or APA, follow its current guidance for citing AI tools.
Sources
Teacher guide for setting per-assignment AI expectations that match Appendix B of the HeyOtto for Schools Model AI Policy.