CodeHS AI tools are built specifically for K-12 education, with student safety, privacy, teacher visibility, and district control in mind.

Your district controls which AI features are available. Within the features a district allows, teachers decide what they use with their classes and students.

CodeHS offers optional AI tools for teachers and students, along with curriculum designed to teach students how AI works, how to evaluate its output, and how to use it responsibly.

These tools are used directly by teachers. Students do not interact with them directly.

These tools are used directly by students, with access controlled by districts and teachers.

Student-facing AI tools remain off until a teacher enables them for a class or student, and teachers can only enable tools their district has allowed.

Teachers can also review student activity in both Smart Hints and Vibe Coding.

CodeHS also offers courses designed to teach students about AI.

AI courses are assigned through your curriculum, but some courses depend on AI features that are controlled by your district’s AI Policies settings. For example, if Vibe Coding is turned off for your district, teachers will not be able to assign the Introduction to Vibe Coding course to students.

For a full list of the tools used in each course, see CodeHS AI Courses: AI Tools and Technology Requirements.

CodeHop includes one AI tool, and it can only be used by teachers.

Like Ask AI in CodeHS, it includes an Include Student Data setting that is off by default and must be enabled by the teacher. Your district also controls whether Ask AI is available through the AI Policies page.

No. CodeHS can be used without student-facing AI features.

Administrators can control which student-facing AI features are available through the AI Policies page in the Administrator Dashboard.

If a feature is turned off at the district level, teachers can’t enable it. Within the features a district allows, teachers decide what they use with their classes and students.

Both: districts set the boundaries first.

Your district controls which AI features are available across the organization. If a feature is disabled at the district level, teachers can’t enable it themselves.

Within the features your district allows, teachers decide what makes sense for their individual classes and students.

Yes. Administrators can disable all AI features or control individual tools separately, depending on what works best for their district.

These settings can be reviewed and changed from the AI Policies page in the Administrator Dashboard. Your CodeHS team can also help you review your current configuration.

Yes. AI features are available across grade levels, but how they’re used may vary by age, course, and district policy.

For example, Vibe Coding is most often used with older students because it focuses on learning how to work with AI-generated code, while Smart Hints can support students working through coding assignments at a range of levels.

If your district wants different AI settings for middle school and high school, contact your Account Manager or accounts@codehs.com for help setting that up.

Teachers can also control student-facing features by Section, so even when a district allows a feature, teachers can decide whether to use it with a particular class or student.

CodeHS gives districts control over which AI tools are available across their organization.

District administrators can review their current settings from the AI Policies page in the Administrator Dashboard. Your CodeHS Account Manager can also walk through your current configuration and help make sure your settings reflect your district’s policies.

Yes. Neither Smart Hints nor Vibe Coding is required. Your district can keep both student-facing features turned off and continue using CodeHS without them.

You can review your district’s current settings from the AI Policies page in the Administrator Dashboard.

Courses designed specifically around AI may use CodeHS AI features or external AI tools as part of the curriculum, so curriculum choices should be reviewed separately.

No.

Within the options your district allows, you decide which AI tools make sense for your classroom.

Student-facing tools like Smart Hints and Vibe Coding can be enabled for an entire Section or for individual students. That means you can use a feature with one class and not another, or enable it for some students while keeping it off for others.

Two CodeHS AI-powered features are student-facing:

Other tools, including AI Grading, Ask AI, AI Creator, and AI Teacher Hints, are teacher-facing.

Separately, some AI courses ask students to use AI as part of the coursework, including third-party tools in some courses. Course access is determined by the curriculum you assign, although some courses also depend on AI features allowed by your district’s AI Policies settings.

Yes, as long as the feature is permitted by the district.

Smart Hints and Vibe Coding can be enabled for an entire Section or for individual students. That means you can use a feature with one class and not another, or enable it for some students while keeping it off for others.

If a feature is disabled at the district level, teachers can’t turn it on themselves.

Yes.

For Smart Hints, teachers can review both the prompt option a student selected and the hint they received.

For Vibe Coding, teachers can review every conversation between a student and the AI.

No. Teacher-facing AI tools keep the teacher in control.

AI Grading provides a suggested score and draft feedback as a starting point. Teachers can edit it, rewrite it, or discard it, and students only see what the teacher chooses to submit.

AI Teacher Hints works similarly: the teacher generates a hint, reviews it, and decides whether to send it.

Like any AI system, AI-generated content may not always be correct. That’s one reason Smart Hints is designed to point students toward a next step rather than simply generate a solution. Teachers can also review the hints students receive.

More broadly, learning to recognize when AI is wrong is part of AI literacy. CodeHS AI curriculum covers topics such as hallucinations, bias, inaccurate outputs, and the importance of evaluating AI-generated information.

Smart Hints helps students take the next step when they’re stuck on a coding assignment.

While working in the Code Editor, students choose from four preset options rather than typing into an open-ended chat:

Each hint is based on the code the student has written and is designed to point them toward a next step rather than give them the answer.

Students can receive up to five hints per day across all assignments, and teachers can review both the option a student selected and the hint they received.

There is no text box or open-ended conversation.

AI allows Smart Hints to respond to the specific code a student has written instead of giving every student the same generic troubleshooting advice.

The feature was created in response to teachers looking for another way to support students when they can’t get to everyone immediately, including students working independently or classrooms where several students may be stuck on different problems at the same time.

No. Smart Hints doesn’t have an open-ended chat. The four preset options are the entire student interaction.

Yes. Smart Hints is the same feature with a new name.

We renamed it because AI Student Hints and AI Teacher Hints sounded very similar even though they are two different tools designed for different audiences.

Smart Hints is still powered by AI and is identified as a student-facing AI feature in CodeHS resources and settings.

Vibe Coding is an AI coding tool that lets students build and iterate on HTML projects using natural-language prompts.

A student describes what they want to build, and the AI generates code that appears directly in the editor. The student can read the code, ask why it was written a certain way, edit it directly, and continue iterating.

Students can run the program, make changes, and continue iterating on either the prompt or the code itself.

Vibe Coding works with HTML programs and declines requests unrelated to coding. Teachers can review every conversation a student has with it.

Yes. Generating code from a student’s prompt is part of how Vibe Coding works.

The generated code appears directly in the editor, where students can inspect it, ask questions about it, make changes, run it, and continue iterating.

Vibe Coding is intended for activities where working with AI-generated code is part of the learning experience. Districts and teachers decide whether that type of activity fits their instructional goals and AI policies.

No. Vibe Coding has a prompt box, but it’s built to handle coding requests and questions about code and declines requests outside of that.

Prompt length is limited, overall usage is limited by credits, and teachers can review every student conversation.

AI tools can help teachers provide more timely, individualized support while keeping teachers in control of the classroom.

Smart Hints can help a student take the next step when a teacher can’t get to them right away, while tools like AI Grading and AI Teacher Hints can give teachers a starting point for feedback that they still review and approve.

The goal is to help teachers spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on the parts of teaching that require their judgment, context, and relationships with students.

AI is becoming part of how people learn, work, and build. Giving students guided opportunities to use it in school can help them learn how to use it thoughtfully rather than just encounter it on their own.

With AI-powered tools, students can get support that is responsive to their own work, while teachers remain in control of when and how those tools are used. With AI curriculum, students learn how AI works, where it can go wrong, how to evaluate its output, and how to use it responsibly.

The goal isn’t simply to teach students how to use AI. It’s to help them become informed, critical users of it.

Learn more at:

No. CodeHS student-facing AI features are designed to support learning rather than help students bypass the work.

With Smart Hints, students can’t type an open-ended request or ask the system to solve an assignment. They choose from four preset options, can receive up to five hints per day, and receive guidance designed to point them toward the next step rather than provide the answer.

Vibe Coding works differently because generating code is intentionally part of the learning experience. Students see and work directly with the code, and teachers can review every conversation.

Districts and teachers decide when that type of AI-assisted work is appropriate.

With Smart Hints, AI does not write the code for the student. It gives limited guidance about what to try next, and the student still has to write, test, debug, and submit the program themselves.

Vibe Coding is different because learning to work with AI-generated code is part of the experience. Students practice giving instructions, evaluating what AI produces, making changes, debugging, and understanding the code behind what they build.

CodeHS AI curriculum also emphasizes evaluating AI output critically rather than simply accepting what AI generates.

Smart Hints doesn’t have an open-ended chat at all. Students only choose from four preset options.

Vibe Coding has a prompt box, but it is designed to respond only to coding requests and questions about code.

Teachers can review student activity in both features.

CodeHS uses multiple safeguards for student-facing AI features.

No filter is perfect. If a teacher or administrator finds something that should not have been allowed, send the details to support@codehs.com so our team can investigate and continue improving our safeguards.

No. Students access Smart Hints and Vibe Coding through CodeHS and don’t need to sign up for or maintain a separate account with an outside AI service.

Student data stays within CodeHS’s environment. CodeHS runs its AI features on models hosted within the same private, isolated AWS environment used for our servers and databases.

Student work is not sent to a consumer AI service like ChatGPT, and the companies that build the underlying models do not receive it.

Student inputs are also not used to train or fine-tune AI models.

No. Student work is not used to train AI models.

For more information about how CodeHS handles AI and student data, see the CodeHS AI Statement.

For student-facing features like Smart Hints and Vibe Coding, the AI uses the context needed for that interaction, such as the code the student is working on and the selected or typed prompt.

It does not need the student’s name, grades, or account information to provide those features.

Ask AI is a teacher-facing tool with an optional Include Student Data setting. When enabled by a teacher, Ask AI can reference information such as student progress and grades. This setting is off by default and must be deliberately enabled by the teacher.

AI conversations are treated as student data and follow the same applicable retention and deletion policies as the rest of a student’s CodeHS account.

If a district or state has additional data privacy requirements through applicable law or an agreement with CodeHS, those requirements also apply. Districts can contact CodeHS regarding deletion requests.

Yes. CodeHS is FERPA and COPPA compliant and is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. AI features that are part of the CodeHS platform follow the same privacy and security standards.

Students do not need to create accounts with outside AI companies to use CodeHS AI features, and student work is not sold or used to train AI models.

If your district has specific privacy, security, DPA, or legal review requirements, we’re happy to provide additional documentation.

CodeHS works with districts on data privacy agreements and other required privacy documentation.

Send the agreement to privacy@codehs.com for review. Because requirements vary by district and state, each agreement must be reviewed individually.

No. AI features are tools built into the CodeHS platform, such as Smart Hints and Vibe Coding.

AI courses are curriculum that schools choose to assign. Some teach AI concepts entirely within CodeHS, while others introduce students to third-party AI tools.

Your district’s AI Policies settings control CodeHS platform features. They do not automatically change which external tools appear in curriculum you choose to assign.

Some do. CodeHS AI Courses: AI Tools and Technology Requirements lists the external tools used in each course.

The Introduction to Vibe Coding course is self-contained. Students use CodeHS Vibe Coding and do not need any outside AI tools. Some Introduction to AI courses use third-party tools so students can practice real-world applications of AI.

No. Third-party tools that students access outside of CodeHS are separate services and are not covered by the CodeHS Privacy Policy.

CodeHS evaluates tools included in its AI curriculum for educational purposes, but schools should review those services to make sure they meet their organization’s IT, privacy, and student-use policies.

CodeHS does not require schools to use student-facing AI features.

Districts decide whether student AI tools are available, and teachers decide when and how to use the features their district allows.

Smart Hints is designed to give students individualized support when they get stuck without simply giving them the answer.

Vibe Coding is different because learning to work with AI-generated code is part of the activity. Students practice giving instructions, evaluating what AI produces, identifying mistakes, making changes, and understanding the code behind what they build.

Teachers can review students’ activity in both features.

Yes. Smart Hints and Vibe Coding can be controlled for individual students, as long as those features are available within the district.

Families with questions about how AI is being used in a particular classroom should contact their child’s teacher or school.

Your child’s teacher has visibility into student-facing CodeHS AI activity.

Teachers can review every Smart Hint a student receives and every Vibe Coding conversation.

If you have questions about your child’s activity, their teacher can provide additional context.

No. CodeHS runs its AI features on models hosted within our own private environment, which is the same environment used for our servers and databases.

Your child’s work is not sent to a consumer AI service like ChatGPT, and the companies that build the underlying models do not receive it.

Student work is not used to train AI models, and students do not need an account with an outside AI company.

The most important things to know are:

For additional parent-facing resources, visit the CodeHS AI Center.

AI has been part of computer science for decades, but it’s new to many K–12 classrooms, so it’s natural for parents to have questions.

Our instructional approach in the AI curriculum is to teach students to use AI thoughtfully, as a tool that strengthens computer science skills rather than doing the thinking for them. Working alongside AI is becoming an important part of how software gets built.

To do that well, students need to evaluate AI output critically, debug code they didn’t write, and explain their own design choices. These are valuable skills whether or not a student pursues computer science, and they’re taught alongside coding fundamentals, creativity, and problem-solving.

When students work with AI as part of the curriculum, the activities are designed to keep them actively involved in the thinking and decision-making. Students are encouraged to question and test what AI produces rather than take it at face value.

Students also learn to use AI safely and responsibly. They study risks like bias and hallucinations (confident but incorrect answers), and discuss when using AI is and isn’t appropriate.

No. Smart Hints gives you a hint about what to try next, but you still have to write, test, debug, and submit your own code.

Vibe Coding can generate code because learning how to work with AI-generated code is part of the activity. You can see the code it creates, change it yourself, run it, ask questions about it, and continue improving it.

Yes. Teachers can review the Smart Hints you receive and your conversations in Vibe Coding.

Don’t assume something is correct just because AI generated it.

Read the output, test the code, look for errors, and think about whether the result makes sense.

Learning how to recognize and correct AI mistakes is an important part of using AI responsibly.

No. Both Smart Hints and Vibe Coding are included with CodeHS Pro.

Turning either feature off does not affect the rest of your plan.

See AI Credits and Usage Limits for more information.

District administrators can review their settings from the AI Policies page in the Administrator Dashboard.

Your CodeHS Account Manager can also walk through your current configuration, answer questions about individual tools, and help your team choose the setup that best reflects your district’s policies.

For more information about CodeHS AI tools, curriculum, privacy, and resources, visit the CodeHS AI Center.