Artificial Intelligence at PDS

Princeton Day School recognizes the critical importance of learning about, from, and with artificial intelligence. We guide our approach by three core principles: safety (protecting student privacy), ethics (encouraging responsible use), and effectiveness (enhancing the learning process). Rather than viewing AI as a challenge, we see it as an opportunity to enhance learning while developing critical thinking skills and ethical decision-making.

We design learning experiences that incorporate AI while still requiring students to demonstrate critical thinking and deep understanding. We focus on process over product, create authentic assessments that demonstrate true understanding, implement visible thinking routines, and develop proof-of-work assignments that showcase student growth. By emphasizing these approaches, we ensure students develop essential skills even when using AI tools.

Students across all divisions are building age-appropriate AI literacy, learning to evaluate tools critically, and understanding the role of technology in their learning process. As students progress through the divisions, they engage in increasingly sophisticated discussions about AI ethics, capabilities, and appropriate applications.

We carefully evaluate tools based on age-appropriateness, data privacy, and educational value. Currently approved tools include Canva, Adobe Creative Suite (13+), and Google Gemini (13+). PDS is also formally piloting multiple AI platforms over the next school year in order to determine which tools are right for our context and needs. Our Information Technology team continuously evaluates all tools to ensure they meet our standards for safety, ethics, and learning effectiveness.

Our faculty participate in ongoing professional development through regularly scheduled programming and our AI Inquiry Group, ensuring they are equipped to design meaningful, student-centered learning experiences with AI. Through hands-on workshops, interdisciplinary collaborations, and shared research, faculty explore how AI can deepen engagement, encourage problem-solving, and enhance student creativity.

We've updated our academic integrity policies to address AI specifically. Students must receive explicit permission from teachers to use AI tools for academic work, provide documentation of prompts and outputs, and properly cite any AI assistance. Unauthorized use of AI constitutes academic dishonesty. Teachers communicate clear expectations for each assignment and help students understand why these guidelines exist rather than just enforcing rules. Through this process, we cultivate students' internal reflective voice that regularly asks, 'How is this tool enhancing my learning?' and helps them distinguish between productive assistance and over-reliance.

Rather than relying on unreliable AI detection tools, we focus on knowing our students' work and making their thinking visible throughout the learning process. When teachers can demonstrate how a suspected AI-plagiarized assignment differs significantly from a student's prior work, concerns can be presented from a stronger position. By requiring process documentation in Google Docs and other tools, teachers can see how students move from idea to draft to final product.

Mindful that AI systems consume vast computational resources, we guide students to use these tools thoughtfully and intentionally. We encourage them to consider when AI genuinely enhances learning and when simpler approaches might better serve both educational goals and our natural environment. Through our ethics curriculum, students learn to evaluate technology choices not just for immediate benefits but for their broader impact, reflecting our commitment to stewardship and responsible innovation.

Our school-approved AI platforms are web-based, so they are available to students from a browser at home, and teachers design assignments with the awareness that home access to technology may vary. If families have concerns about access, we encourage them to reach out to their student’s homeroom teacher or advisor so we can provide appropriate support.

We encourage families to have open conversations about AI tools, set clear boundaries for their use, and explore age-appropriate AI concepts together. Our divisional family events throughout the year provide additional guidance for navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.

We value the expertise within our community! Parents and alumni who work with AI technologies can participate in career panels, mentor students on projects, or lead workshops showcasing real-world applications. To volunteer, please contact Lauren Ledley, director of academic technology and institutional research, who can match your expertise with appropriate student groups or classroom opportunities.