The school board recently approved a new policy in regards to using artificial intelligence on school assignments.
On Sept. 18, the AI “traffic light” procedure was approved as a policy and set in place to establish certain guidelines. AI has been evolving nonstop recently, and the district believes that teachers and students would benefit from having a policy in place to make sure that the expectations were clear. The district office and many different teachers and administrators worked together to cultivate this idea.
The student handbook already consisted of consequences for using AI inappropriately, but the stop light was a result of an uptick in student use of AI that needed further addressing.
Mrs. Jacqueline Weston, the English department chair, has expectations that the stop light will be beneficial this year.
“My hope is that we will be able to help students understand when AI is appropriate and how to use it appropriately as a tool so that they can enhance their education,” Mrs. Weston said.
The “traffic light” system consists of a red, yellow and green level, and each level gives a brief description on what is allowed and not allowed when it comes to using AI. The red light means that AI usage is not permitted, the yellow light means that certain AI tools can be used with teacher approval and the green light gives the students access to approved AI tools.
There are two official DV approved AI websites for students, MagicSchool and SchoolAI. Other websites or tools may also be allowed if approved by the Technology Supervisor before student use.
Teachers must make sure that their students are aware of what light each assignment is on, and anything not specified is an automatic red.
Ms. Jessica Hubal, the Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, believes that AI can be very helpful, especially since it has become a large part of everything that goes on today.
“The world that we’re living in utilizes it,” Ms. Hubal said. “We want to make sure that students know how to use it when they leave here.”
So far, according to the administration, the policy has shown that it was a great addition to set clear boundaries for students and teachers when using AI.
