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RANDOLPH - Randolph Public Schools’ student handbook for the upcoming academic year will include a new policy on emerging technology - artificial intelligence.
The school district’s law firm suggested a new policy on artificial intelligence as optional to include this year and Randolph School Board members agreed to adopt it at its regular meeting Monday night.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) allows users to enter prompts and receive content. For example, a student could request an AI program write an essay on a specific topic, even specifying grade level and style it be written. On the other hand, a teacher could use AI for a grade-specific quiz on a specific topic and receive it in seconds.
“We are receiving some information that it can be useful in some ways in the classroom but also want to put some parameters where the teacher has the right to say, this is plagiarism or this is not appropriate, this would be allowed, that kind of thing,” said High School Principal Brandi Bartels.
According to its newest policy, Randolph Public Schools acknowledges both the advantages and complications AI can have in a school environment.
Unfortunately, some of the AI is done so well that the software aimed at detecting plagiarism is unable to distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated content.
“There are different programs that try to identify it and some of them are more successful than others, but that’s the big question right now about do you identify which piece of work is actually their work?” Bartels said. “This is a whole other thing that’s proved to be a bit more challenging.”
Randolph students will be able to use AI by gaining teacher permission. It’s the students’ responsibility to be forthright about AI use.
Impermissible use of AI may result in student discipline in accordance with the district’s plagiarism and academic dishonesty rules.
In other action, the board approved a new sport: unified bowling.
The bowling team will be made up of three players with two alternates. The season runs from mid-October through December. The team will practice at the bowling lanes downtown and Frances Heiman was approved as the team’s sponsor.
A brief discussion was held regarding a potential co-op with Osmond for the 2024 football season. A decision would need to be reached by Nov. 1.
Osmond will not be fielding a football team this season due to low participation numbers, Bartels said.
For an eight-man football team, both schools’ combined 9-12 male enrollment needs to be 48 or less.
“Last year when those numbers came out, we had a combined enrollment right at 48 so that’s something we’ll have to watch closely,” Bartels said.
The board will discuss the matter further at upcoming meetings.
Monday night’s meeting marked Daryl Schrunk’s first meeting as superintendent. Prior to the regular meeting, Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association representatives Amy Shane and Jim Havelka, led a superintendent transition workshop.
Schrunk said the transition has been very smooth and he expressed appreciation for the school board, administrative staff, and the community for the warm welcome.
