Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education, yet a confidence gap remains. According to the Digital Education Council, 86% of university students use AI, with 54% relying on it weekly. However, 58% admit they lack the AI literacy needed to thrive, and 48% feel unprepared for an AI-driven workforce.
Choate Rosemary Hall, a co-educational boarding and day school in Wallingford, Connecticut, is tackling this challenge head-on. Rather than rushing AI into classrooms, it has taken a deliberate and thoughtful approach, balancing innovation with its core values. By evaluating both the opportunities and complexities of new technologies, Choate is equipping students, faculty, and staff with a unique edge.
This pioneering spirit has earned Choate recognition from the Middle States Association (MSA) as a “pioneer in AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics” for its RAIL (Responsible AI in Learning) framework and conferred membership to the “founding fifty” pathfinders for other schools.
“I am proud of the collaborative efforts of our Choate community in exploring, clarifying, and defining how and where we can leverage the powerful resources and tools of generative AI to pursue our mission in alignment with our values,” says Jennifer Karlen Elliott, Head of Student and Academic Affairs. “We are motivated to continue to learn and iterate, and we are grateful for the important guardrails we have established to guide our process.”
Choate students are taught to critically examine generative AI, fostering awareness and responsible use. Source: Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate’s journey to responsible AI implementation in classes did not develop overnight. It started by identifying the challenges of AI, mainly when it came to upholding academic integrity and helping students avoid over-reliance on technology.
As a result, Choate established two working groups with specific responsibilities to guide its AI strategy. The Generative AI Steering Committee oversees the school’s overall AI vision, identifying, creating, and recommending foundational resources, guidelines, and/or policies specific to responsibly using generative AI for teaching and learning.
Meanwhile, the Generative AI Collaborative Group focuses on responsible AI practices within business and administrative functions, safeguarding institutional integrity. Together, these teams develop a balanced approach to AI that prioritises personalised learning, critical thinking, and, more importantly, meaningful teacher-student engagement.
Students (with permission) use generative AI for ideas, feedback, and clarification while maintaining open communication with teachers for responsible use. Source: Choate Rosemary Hall
Indeed, teachers play a vital role in preparing students for a future shaped by AI, and Choate is committed to supporting its faculty on this. Through guest speakers, collaborative training, and individual practice, the school ensures staff can fully leverage AI to enhance teaching and learning. For example, teachers have learned to employ generative AI tools for curriculum development and lesson planning, “pressure testing” an assignment, creating assessments, generating rubrics, and supporting research processes.
Another way generative AI is transforming the educational landscape is by automating routine tasks that normally consume a lot of time. Teachers at Choate Rosemary Hall are embracing generative AI tools to streamline routine tasks, freeing them to focus on the interpersonal aspects of education. This approach is especially impactful in a boarding school environment, where authentic connections are central to the student experience.
“In my own classroom, I have used generative AI tools to reinforce a grammar lesson, offer immediate feedback on verb choice in student writing, write a quick reading quiz, brainstorm creative approaches for forging classroom connections, and improve essay prompt options,” says Director of Academic Technology, Morgan Harris.
“Generative AI has made my preparation and feedback processes more efficient, which then frees up more time for connecting directly with my students.”
Indeed, AI tools at Choate Rosemary Hall are used responsibly to enhance, not overshadow, the human connections at the heart of its educational mission. By balancing innovation with intention, students are enhancing their critical thinking, fostering adaptability, and building technical proficiency — all of which lay a solid foundation for further studies in tech, healthcare, finance, education, and the arts.
Where students choose to advance their studies is entirely up to them. In the last five years, graduates have successfully matriculated to esteemed universities like Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Boston University, Brown University, Columbia University, Duke University, and Harvard University.
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