Rye Country Day School
Making responsible progress toward AI proficiency without sacrificing scholarship
The AI & Cognitive Learning Framework reinforces the same four capacities of the Portrait of a Graduate: the Critical Thinker who questions AI outputs and sources, the Reflective Collaborator who treats AI as a partner rather than a ghostwriter, the Authentic Communicator whose voice drives the final results, and the Compassionate Citizen who weighs the ethical and environmental implications of using these tools. The framework gives teachers and students a shared language for protecting those capacities as AI becomes more integrated in academic work.
An active mental process focused on how thinking, evaluating, and problem solving connect new information to existing knowledge.
Actively fact-checking, assessing sources, claims, and ideas for accuracy, bias, and quality.
Never sharing personal information, being transparent about the use of AI tools, and understanding its environmental impact.
Working with peers, teachers, and experts to deepen understanding and explore new opportunities to solve problems.
Understanding how AI works, where it succeeds, and where it falls short.
All thinking and submitted work is fully independent of AI.
In-class assessments, tests, in-class essays, timed writing. Default for any unspecified assignment.
Over-reliance on recall without understanding; difficulty organizing independent thought when AI scaffolding is absent.
AI is used only to explain concepts or define terms. It should not generate ideas, brainstorm, or outlines.
Homework reading, studying for tests, concept review. AI acts like a dictionary or tutor.
Watch for scope creep: students sliding from "explain this concept" into "explain what I should argue." The teacher should speak with the student when this happens.
AI may assist students in pushing their own thinking further and building on ideas they have already developed independently.
Low-stakes homework assignments, shorter papers, and problem sets. Student submits an initial idea, concept, or outline, then uses AI to challenge it.
Copying AI-generated rewrites verbatim; losing student voice; AI changes that subtly alter meaning without the student noticing.
AI offers feedback, new ideas, and possible gaps on a draft the student has already completed.
Long-term projects, research papers, and data collection for presentations. Student completes the assignment, then uses AI for structured feedback.
Accepting AI ideas without reviewing/vetting them; AI shaping the student's thinking rather than the student directing AI.
AI generates content that the student curates, evaluates, and synthesizes into a disclosed final product.
Teacher-unlocked only. Complex projects, creative and media work, or professional workflow simulation. Full disclosure is mandatory.
Students relinquishing the core learning challenge to AI. Productive struggle disappears when AI becomes the author. Students must stay in the director's seat.