11 Jun ChatGPT in the Classroom, Revisited: How SET High Is Teaching Students to Use AI
When we first started talking about AI at SET High, a small, public tuition-free charter high school in San Diego, the conversation sounded a lot like it did everywhere else: Is this cheating? Should we block it? What do we do?
We decided pretty quickly that those weren’t the right questions. The better question was: How do we make sure our students know how to use this powerfully — and wisely?
Another year in, we have a more fine-tuned answer and it looks a lot like everything else we do at SET High: thoughtful, intentional, and built around our students.
We Still Believe: Master AI, Don’t Let It Master You
Our philosophy hasn’t changed. We want out-of-the-box thinkers who use their minds in creative, curious ways; students who are grounded in their own thinking, not dependent on a tool to do it for them. At SET High, where passion fuels learning, the point has never been to just get the assignment done. The point is to become someone who can think, question, build, and lead.
That’s why we’ve never treated AI as the enemy. We’ve treated it as something that needs to be understood and used with intention which is why we use a locked-in, customized, and curated version of a conversational ChatGPT.
A Thoughtful Framework, Class by Class
What’s evolved is how structured and intentional our teachers have become about when and how AI fits into learning. Our teachers now use a clear AI framework as part of their course expectations, one that doesn’t try to pretend AI doesn’t exist, and doesn’t hand students a blanket permission slip either.
Here’s how it works.
Every class starts with a purpose. Before anything about AI is addressed, teachers establish what skills their course is designed to build: writing, reasoning, problem-solving, creative thinking, independent analysis. That foundation matters, because AI guidelines follow from it. A rule without a reason is just a rule. At SET, students understand the why.
Outside help isn’t automatically a problem. This includes AI tools, tutors, peers, parents, and online resources. What matters is whether that help replaces the thinking the course is meant to teach and whether it’s disclosed. Transparency is a value here, not just a policy. If you used AI to brainstorm, great. Say so. If you had a tutor help you outline, excellent. Own it.
Clear green lights. Unless a teacher specifies otherwise (and this is key!), students can generally use AI to brainstorm, clarify confusing instructions, get feedback on the organization of their writing, check grammar and mechanics, or support research (with verification). That’s AI doing what a great tool does: helping you think better, not thinking for you.
Clear limits. AI may not generate final answers or complete solutions. It may not be used to complete assessments meant to measure what you know. It cannot substitute for your own voice, your own reasoning, your own work. And if an assignment has specific restrictions, students follow those, full stop.
Assignment by assignment, teachers set the terms. Not every project is the same. A research paper, a Socratic seminar, a passion project presentation — they each involve different kinds of thinking, and the AI expectations reflect that. When guidance is given, follow it. When it isn’t? Assume AI is restricted and ask.
More Than a Policy
This isn’t just about academic integrity, though it absolutely supports that. It’s about what we’re actually trying to do at SET High: develop students who can think critically, navigate complexity, and make good decisions, especially when no one is watching.
The world our students are stepping into is already shaped by AI. Colleges and employers aren’t looking for students who avoided it. They’re looking for people who understand it, can use it responsibly, and bring their own judgment to the table. That’s exactly what we’re building here.
Our teachers and staff have always emphasized strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The AI framework they use is an extension of that, not a departure from it.
The SET Difference
At our three-time California Distinguished tuition-free charter high school in San Diego, students design their own learning journey. That agency is real, and it comes with real responsibility. Using AI thoughtfully — knowing when it helps and when it gets in the way of your own growth — is part of learning to own your education.
We love the gritty challenges. We love that AI forces students (and educators) to be more deliberate about what learning actually is. And we love that our community is willing to have these conversations openly, honestly, and with curiosity.
That’s the SET Way.
SET High is enrolling now– school resumes in August!
About SET High
SET High offers each student individual attention from multi-talented, highly qualified teachers. Students at our three times awarded California Distinguished School build a healthy camaraderie with classmates inside an intellectually rigorous environment that brings out their talents and personality, helping them develop their individual character and direction in life. With a wide variety of electives, flexible scheduling, dual enrollment college classes and more — our students regularly exceed their academic and personal expectations. Enroll now. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Find us at www.sethigh.org.