U.S. educational institutions have begun to set AI usage grading for assignments

On July 22, the Sanford College of Education at National University — California's largest teacher preparation institution and one of the top ten education schools in the United States — officially launched the RAISE 5 (Rules for AI Scholastic Engagement) framework.

This framework, for the first time, categorizes the level of generative AI involvement in student assignments into five tiers, ranging from complete prohibition to full open access. Teachers can clearly define the segments and scope where AI may be utilized for students, based on course objectives and assignment types.

It is understood that RAISE 5 has been fully developed and piloted at the Sanford College of Education. In the future, it will be gradually extended to more disciplines across National University, and serve as a reference for K-12 school teachers and higher education instructional designers. As California's largest teacher credentialing body, National University aims to establish a clearer, unified set of standards for AI application in classrooms through this initiative.

01

AI Has Entered the Classroom, But School Rules Have Not Kept Pace

From National University's perspective, the reason for launching RAISE 5 is not the AI technology itself, but the fact that the classroom landscape has already transformed.

"Every future educator we train will step into a classroom where students are already using AI," stated Robert Lee, Dean of the Sanford College of Education. As California's largest teacher preparation institution, the school bears the responsibility of testing, observing, and understanding the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning in large-scale practice, and helping future educators learn how to teach collaboratively with AI — rather than simply mastering a new technology.

This assessment aligns with the current rapid adoption rate of artificial intelligence in the education sector. According to a 2025 global survey by the Digital Education Council, 86% of students have already used AI in their learning process, 54% of whom use it weekly, and nearly a quarter use it daily. A 2026 survey from JFF (Jobs for the Future) shows that nearly 70% of learners report AI has been integrated into their coursework.

However, in sharp contrast to students' rapid adoption of AI, the development of relevant policies in higher education institutions remains relatively lagging. Cited data shows that currently only about a quarter of U.S. universities have established formal artificial intelligence usage policies. Meanwhile, 95% of university faculty are concerned that students will become overly reliant on AI, and 84% of teachers believe this will erode students' critical thinking and undermine their deep engagement with course content.

Beyond the classroom itself, artificial intelligence is also reshaping the requirements for talent development. Reports note that generative AI is transforming the labor market, disrupting certain traditional entry-level positions, while an increasing number of jobs now require professionals to possess the ability to work collaboratively with artificial intelligence. At the same time, existing research indicates that without clear norms and guidance, unstructured use of AI may weaken learners' judgment, critical thinking, and ability to synthesize complex information.

Against this backdrop, the Sanford College of Education at National University developed RAISE 5, aiming to establish a clearer, unified set of classroom AI usage rules for teachers and students. According to the institution, as artificial intelligence gradually becomes a common tool in teaching and learning, the real question to address is no longer whether to use AI, but how to use it appropriately across different courses and learning tasks.

02

From Full Open Access to Complete Prohibition: How RAISE 5 Defines AI Usage Boundaries

RAISE 5 divides the use of generative AI in classrooms into five tiers. Different courses and assignments can select the corresponding tier based on teaching objectives, and clearly inform students of the AI usage scope when assigning tasks.

Tier 1 represents the highest level of openness, allowing students to use generative AI throughout the entire learning process, including concept exploration, information analysis, research support, prompt engineering, and creation of images, media and other content. AI-generated outputs can even be part of the final assignment, though all AI-generated content must be properly attributed.

Tier 2 permits AI to participate in collaborative creation. Students can leverage AI to jointly complete tasks such as writing, image production, information organization, and infographic design. Content completed with AI involvement also requires proper citation or disclosure.

Tier 3 restricts AI usage exclusively to pre-learning preparation stages, such as topic exploration, resource collection, brainstorming, practice problem generation, and production of visual aids. The final submitted work should primarily reflect the student's own independent thinking and writing.

Tier 4 further narrows the AI usage scope, allowing it only for language optimization purposes including grammar, spelling, sentence expression, vocabulary, and punctuation refinement — with no participation in content creation permitted.

Tier 5 completely prohibits the use of AI across all stages including planning, drafting, and revision. Only basic word processing functions that do not generate content, such as traditional spell check, are allowed.

In addition to defining the five tiers, RAISE 5 requires teachers to explicitly specify the applicable AI usage tier when assigning homework, and mandates that students provide standardized attribution for content generated with AI assistance. National University emphasizes that the framework's focus is not simply to restrict AI, but to ensure AI usage aligns with course objectives, learning processes, and academic integrity requirements.

03

Starting From Teacher Preparation Institutions, RAISE 5 Will Be Extended to More Teaching Scenarios

Following the launch of RAISE 5, National University plans to apply the experience accumulated during the Sanford College of Education pilot to more of the institution's academic programs, and provide a reference resource for a broader audience including K-12 teachers, university faculty, and instructional designers.

As California's largest teacher credentialing authority, the Sanford College of Education's role as the pilot site for this framework is no coincidence. The college has long been dedicated to teacher preparation, cultivating a large cohort of future educators each year. National University explains that as future teachers enter classrooms where students are already using AI, educators need not only to understand AI tools themselves, but also to master how to guide students to use AI appropriately in the teaching process.

Dr. Mark Milliron, President and CEO of National University, stated that artificial intelligence is not the first technological transformation that the education sector has encountered. From writing and the printing press to email and the internet, technology has continuously reshaped how knowledge is transmitted and created. The impact brought by AI is even more far-reaching, so educational institutions need to promote the application of technology while safeguarding learners' judgment and developmental capacity throughout the learning process.

According to National University, the institution will continuously update the RAISE 5 framework to adapt to evolving generative AI capabilities, while preserving the integrity of the learning process. The insights gained by the Sanford College of Education during the pilot phase will also serve as a foundation for National University to roll out the framework across various academic disciplines in the future.

Currently, approximately 6,800 graduates from National University enter fields including nursing, education, autism therapy, cybersecurity, and mental health counseling each year — industries that are increasingly being impacted by AI technology. The university hopes that RAISE 5 will help students build the competencies to collaborate effectively with artificial intelligence during their studies, preparing them for their future professional careers.

As generative AI integrates into higher education teaching scenarios, universities at home and abroad are gradually establishing AI usage norms, though most current efforts remain focused on academic integrity, usage disclosure, and course-level autonomous management. For example, in the U.S., it is common practice for faculty to determine the AI usage scope based on course objectives and require students to disclose AI involvement; in China, universities have primarily issued guidelines around standardized use and academic integrity, emphasizing that AI can support teaching and research but cannot replace students' independent thinking and original output.

In contrast, National University's RAISE 5 further refines AI usage requirements down to specific course tasks. By defining the extent to which AI can participate in the learning process through five clear tiers, it provides a more concrete reference for teachers designing assignments and students understanding the boundaries of AI usage.

Original Link:

California's Largest Education School Unveils Framework for Using Artificial Intelligence as a Companion to Teaching and Learning https://www.nu.edu/news/framework-for-ai-as-a-companion-to-teaching-and-learning/

This article originates from the WeChat Official Account "Duojing" (ID: DJEDUINNO), authored by Duojing Translation, and published with authorization from 36Kr.