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AI Guidelines

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools continues to grow in education, we want to ensure you have clear guidance on using these tools responsibly while protecting student privacy.  There are many AI tools available that can support your professional work. At this time, Microsoft Copilot is the only AI tool with which STM has an agreement that includes heightened security and data-privacy protections, such as limits on how data is stored or shared. STM is not restricting the use of other AI platforms; instead, we are providing guidance to support safe, responsible use across all tools.

The information below offers practical reminders related to FERPA and outlines appropriate ways to use AI in your work.

Using AI Tools & FERPA
Quick Dos and Don’ts Around Personal Information

 

What is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?:    

FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records—any records that are directly related to a student and maintained by the school or a party acting for the school (including digital systems and vendors).

These records include personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, student ID numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and any combination of details that makes a student easily identifiable, even without a full name.


When you use an AI tool, you’re sending data to a third-party online service, similar to any other educational app. FERPA allows this only when the vendor meets “school official” criteria and the school keeps direct control over how student information is used, disclosed, and secured. 

Appropriate Uses of AI:

Use AI for general, non-identifiable work

  • Brainstorm lesson ideas, rubrics, parent newsletter language, classroom expectations, etc.
  • Ask for help with policies or templates using fake or anonymized examples.

De-identify everything

  • Remove student names, ID numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and parent names.
  • Avoid rare details (e.g., “only student in 5th grade who uses a wheelchair”) that could make a student recognizable.

Talk about patterns, not people

  • “Many students are struggling with fractions,” rather than “Jayden and Maria failed the last two quizzes.”

Using AI responsibly

  • Personally identifiable information (PII) should never be entered into an AI tool.
  • Use your school account, not a personal account, when working on school business.
  • Remember that Copilot offers additional privacy protections due to STM’s agreement. Additional agreements with other AI platforms coming soon.

Check privacy / data-training settings

  • Where possible, turn off “use my data to train the model” or similar settings for anything that touches school work.

Ask when unsure

  • When in doubt, run it past your administrator or the Technology Department before entering anything that feels sensitive.

High-Risk Uses of AI:

Don’t enter student PII

  • No full names + school + grade + other details together.
  • Avoid combinations that could “point” to a specific student, even without the name.

Don’t paste education records

  • No raw grades, test scores, IEPs/504 plans, health or counseling notes, discipline records, or immigration status. These are all protected education records under FERPA when tied to an identifiable student.

Don’t upload rosters or exports

  • No SIS exports, full class lists, attendance reports, or spreadsheets that could be traced back to actual students.

Don’t require students to share their own information in public AI tools

  • Don’t ask students to create accounts that require personal details unless the tool is approved and covered by district policy.

Don’t assume “delete chat” = no record

  • Many vendors retain logs or backups under their own terms. If it’s sensitive, it shouldn’t go in at all.

Don’t use unapproved “free” AI tools with student data

  • “Free” often means the data is used for training, analytics, or marketing, which can conflict with FERPA.
     

Simple “Safety Test”

Before you paste anything about a student into an AI tool, ask:

  • If this text appeared on the internet with my school’s name attached, could someone in our community figure out which student it is?

If the answer is yes or maybe, DO NOT put it into AI.

 

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to support@munsterschools.gov.