Overview

Metropolitan School Frankfurt
Guidelines on the Use of AI in MSF

Purpose

This document guides our students, staff, and school community on the appropriate and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI tools, in classroom instruction, school management, and school-wide operations. Generative AI has potential benefits for education and risks that must be thoughtfully managed.

Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that are taught to automate tasks normally requiring human intelligence. "Generative AI" refers to tools, such as Gemini, Bing Chat, ChatGPT, Mid-Journey, and Dall-E, that can produce new content based on patterns learned from training data. While these tools often make useful suggestions, they are designed to predict what is right—which isn’t always correct—so outputs can be inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete.

Reference is made to the complete overview of all MSF technology-related policies and guidelines.

Scope

This guidance applies to all students, staff, and third parties who develop, implement, or interact with AI technologies used at MSF. It covers all AI systems used for education, administration, and operations—including generative AI models, intelligent tutoring systems, conversational agents, automation software, and analytics tools. This guidance complements existing policies on technology use, data protection, academic integrity, and student support.

Guiding Principles for AI Use

The following principles guide the appropriate and safe use of AI and address current and future educational goals, teacher and student agency, academic integrity, and security. We commit to adopting internal procedures to operationalize each principle.

  • Enhance Outcomes: Use AI to support student learning, teacher effectiveness, and school operations while bridging the digital divide.
  • Adherence to Regulations: Align AI use with existing policies to protect privacy, ensure accessibility, and prevent harmful content.
  • AI Literacy: Educate staff and students on how to use AI, when to use it, and understand its workings.
  • Opportunities and Risks: Realize the benefits of AI while addressing risks such as misinformation and bias.
  • Academic Integrity: Promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in the use of AI.
  • Critical Consumption: Ensure human oversight remains central in decisions influenced by AI outputs.
  • Continuous Evaluation: Commit to regular reviews and updates of AI policies and practices.

Responsible Use of AI Tools

MSF recognizes that responsible use of AI varies by context. Teachers, with guidance from divisional leaders and IT support, will determine if, when, and how AI tools are used while ensuring compliance with data security and privacy laws. Use should be guided by clear parameters and objectives.

Examples for Student Learning

  • Aiding Creativity: Spark creativity in writing, visual arts, and music composition.
  • Collaboration: Support group projects by generating concepts and supplying research.
  • Communication: Provide real-time translation and interactive language exercises.
  • Content Creation: Generate personalized study materials, summaries, and visual aids.
  • Tutoring: Offer one-to-one tutoring through AI-powered virtual assistants.

Examples for Teacher Support

  • Assessment Design: Create diagnostic assessments and standardized feedback.
  • Content Differentiation: Suggest lesson plans and generate educational diagrams.
  • Professional Development: Recommend strategies and collaborative projects.
  • Resource Compilation: Update educators with the latest research and methodologies.

Examples for School Management and Operations

  • Communications: Draft and refine internal communications and deploy chatbots.
  • Operational Efficiency: Streamline scheduling, inventory management, and energy use.
  • Data Insights: Analyze performance data to tailor interventions and improve outcomes.

Prohibited Use of AI Tools

To mitigate risks, the following uses of AI tools are prohibited:

For Student Learning

  • Bullying/Harassment: Using AI to manipulate media for intimidation is strictly forbidden.
  • Overreliance: Dependence on AI that diminishes human discretion is not acceptable.
  • Plagiarism and Cheating: Submitting AI-generated work as one’s own without proper citation is prohibited.
  • Unequal Access: If AI is permitted, it must be available to all students.

For Teacher Support

  • Societal Bias: Avoid reinforcing stereotypes through biased AI outputs.
  • Diminished Agency: AI must not replace human judgment in educational decisions.
  • Privacy Concerns: AI should not be used to monitor interactions in ways that infringe on privacy.

For School Management and Operations

  • Compromising Privacy: AI must not be used in ways that jeopardize the confidentiality of personal data.
  • Noncompliance: All AI tools must meet legal and ethical standards.

Special Considerations

Advancing Academic Integrity

AI is used to support academic integrity by promoting honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. While AI can assist in fact-checking and equitable grading, all outputs must be reviewed critically.

Additional Recommendations

Teachers may allow limited use of AI on assignments with full disclosure. Tools purporting to detect AI usage are not solely relied upon; all AI contributions must be transparently documented.

Security, Privacy, and Safety

Reasonable security measures will protect AI technologies from unauthorized access. All AI systems must comply with data protection and privacy laws, and confidential information must never be entered into unapproved AI tools.

Review

This guidance will be reviewed annually—or sooner if necessary—to ensure it meets MSF’s needs and complies with evolving laws, regulations, and technology. We welcome feedback on this policy’s effectiveness.

Addendum

Do’s and Don’ts for Teachers Using AI at MSF

Do’s
  • Protect Privacy: Ensure that no sensitive student or staff data is entered into AI systems.
  • Use AI as a Teaching Tool: Employ AI for lesson planning, idea generation, grading, and scheduling—but never as a replacement for teacher expertise.
  • Promote AI Literacy: Educate students about AI’s capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations.
  • Encourage Responsible Use: Allow AI for brainstorming and research support with proper attribution.
  • Review AI Outputs: Critically evaluate AI-generated materials for bias, inaccuracies, and appropriateness.
  • Maintain Academic Integrity: Ensure that AI contributions are transparently cited and that work remains authentic.
  • Integrate Thoughtfully: Use AI as a supplement to traditional teaching methods, not a substitute.
Don’ts
  • Don’t compromise privacy by sharing confidential information with AI tools.
  • Don’t over-rely on AI to replace human judgment.
  • Don’t use AI as a shortcut—always encourage original thought and critical analysis.
  • Don’t permit plagiarism by submitting uncredited AI work.
  • Don’t use AI for unauthorized surveillance or monitoring.
  • Don’t ignore ethical concerns or reinforce existing biases.
  • Don’t encourage unauthorized AI use, especially for students under 13.
  • Don’t assume AI is always correct—use it only as a guide.

Age Appropriate AI Use

Early Years

  • Use interactive educational games and simple AI-powered tools under close teacher supervision.
  • Focus on basic technology concepts and problem-solving skills.

Primary

  • Utilize AI-powered language learning apps and basic writing tools.
  • Encourage digital literacy and the critical evaluation of AI outputs.

Middle School

  • Introduce AI research and data analysis tools.
  • Discuss ethical considerations and promote responsible AI use.

High School

  • Employ advanced AI tools for data science, machine learning, and coding.
  • Prepare students for future careers by teaching them to critically assess AI outputs and ethical implications.

Benefits and Risks of AI

Student Learning

  • Benefits: Personalized content, enhanced creativity, and tutoring support.
  • Risks: Plagiarism, misinformation, overreliance, and unequal access.
  • Mitigation: Emphasize critical evaluation and proper citation.

Teacher Support

  • Benefits: Improved assessment design, differentiated instruction, and professional development.
  • Risks: Bias, diminished agency, and privacy issues.
  • Mitigation: Maintain robust human oversight and transparent evaluation.

School Operations

  • Benefits: Enhanced operational efficiency, better data analysis, and streamlined communications.
  • Risks: Potential privacy breaches and regulatory noncompliance.
  • Mitigation: Ensure strict adherence to legal and ethical standards.

Using AI for Assignments

  • AI Enhanced (Permissive): Students may use AI for brainstorming and support, with final content critically reviewed.
  • AI Assisted Collaboration (Moderate): AI aids in drafting and idea generation while core content remains student-produced.
  • AI Assisted Planning (Moderate): AI assists with outlining and research; final submissions must be original.
  • AI Free (Restrictive): No AI tools are permitted; all work must be entirely the student’s own.

Parent Summary

At Metropolitan School Frankfurt (MSF), we embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance learning, support teachers, and improve school operations—while safeguarding our core values of honesty, fairness, and student growth.

Purpose and Benefits:

  • Support Students: Personalize learning, foster creativity, and provide accessible tutoring.
  • Empower Teachers: Assist in lesson planning, assessments, and professional development.
  • Enhance Operations: Streamline administrative tasks, data analysis, and communications.

Our Principles: Academic Integrity, Privacy First, Equitable Access, and Ethical Use.

Prohibitions: Misuse of AI for bullying, cheating, or unauthorized surveillance is strictly forbidden. AI tools must always complement—never replace—human judgment.

Age-appropriate guidelines ensure that AI is used responsibly across all grade levels, and parental involvement is key to our approach.

For more information, please refer to our Technology and Academic Integrity policies.