District Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance

Holly Area Schools is committed to preparing students to shape the future—and that includes learning to navigate the evolving landscape of technology with integrity, creativity, and purpose. Rooted in our district's strategic priorities of Empowered Students, Inspired Staff, EngagedCommunity, Resilient Systems, and Strong Partnerships, this statement provides a shared vision for the ethical and effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across our schools.

We value a human-centered approach. AI is a tool—not a replacement for human connection, creativity, or critical thinking. When used thoughtfully, AI can streamline routine tasks, open doors to personalization, and increase time for deep learning, collaboration, and meaningful relationships.

We encourage innovation, including the intentional use of available tools to improve outcomes, foster understanding, and support continuous growth. Innovation requires trying new approaches, learning from experience, and evolving with purpose.

This purpose statement acts as the foundation for this HAS AI District Guidance Document, which outlines how we will integrate AI into our culture, classrooms, and operations—with intentionality, responsibility, and heart. Together, we will explore the promise of AI while preserving the core of what makes education transformative: human connection, curiosity, and care.

AI refers to any of the thousands of Artificial Intelligence tools in which the model generates new or altered content (text, images, audio, video, code, etc.) This chart outlines clear expectations for students, parents, and staff to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly. 

It is recommended that teachers communicate with students when introducing assignments to specify allowed AI usage levels based on the following chart. Using a common language will ensure clarity and encourage a range of AI use across courses. Students may always opt to incorporate AI at a lower level than what was permitted by the instructor, but must be authorized to incorporate AI at a higher level. Holly Area Schools empowers students to be critical thinkers, creators, innovators, and problem solvers at all levels of usage. Integration of AI allows for creation of things that were previously impossible. 

*Any use beyond the level decided, is in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy

Our goal is for all students to use AI tools in an effective, appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner. In alignment with our districtʼs commitment to equitable and innovative learningexperiences, students will engage with AI based on shared expectations outlined in the AIIntegration/Acceptable Use Scale. Consistent implementation across classrooms ensures alllearners have access to meaningful opportunities that build future-ready skills.

1. If a student is suspected of inappropriate use of AI, a teacher may ask the student to:
   • Reflect on their process of completing the assignment while referring to the disclosure requirements on the AI Integration/Acceptable Use Scale.
     • Reflect on the assignment rubric and/or student expectations.
     • Converse with the teacher/counselor/administrator/teacher about their work.
     • Present their process/drafts.
2. If a student disregards the Acceptable Use guidelines, they may face disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.
   
   
3. Guidelines for identifying student work produced with the use of AI:
   • AI-detecting software may not be reliable at this time and is not recommended to be solely used.
   • Enter the assignment prompt into generative AI tools to identify sample responses and gauge the complexity and similarity of the created response to the studentʼs work.
   • Compare the submitted work to prior student assignments, noting significant changes in tone and style of writing.
   • Have a conversation with the student about the work submitted.

WHAT IS AI?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that perform tasks requiring human-like thinking—recognizing speech, analyzing images, answering questions, or making recommendations. Everyday examples include virtual assistants (Siri, Alexa), recommendation engines, and spelling-and-grammar tools. In education, AI can summarize texts, generate practice problems, give feedback on drafts, or help teachers analyze data to personalize instruction.

Generative AI—a subset of AI—creates new content (text, images, audio, or code) from prompts. Examples include tools that draft essays or summaries, generate images from descriptions, produce quiz questions, compose feedback, or write starter code. Students might use generative AI to brainstorm outlines or draft essays to revise; teachers might create differentiated passagesor exit tickets. Because AI can produce incorrect or biased material, users should verify outputs, cite assistance when required, and ensure AI supports—not replaces—studentsʼ own learning while following school guidelines and academic‑honesty standards.

WHAT DOES GPT STAND FOR AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

GPT stands for "Generative Pretrained Transformer." It is generative because it creates new content (text, code, etc.), pretrained because it learns language patterns from large amounts of text before being fine‑tuned for specific tasks, and based on the transformer neural‑network architecture, which models context efficiently. GPT models are important because they produce coherent, flexible language outputs useful for drafting, tutoring, summarizing, and coding and power many modern AI assistants that can boost productivity in education and work; however, they can produce errors or biased content, so outputs should be verified and used responsibly.

WHAT ARE AI HALLUCINATIONS AND CONFABULATIONS?

AI "hallucinations" and "confabulations" refer to situations where a model produces false, fabricated, or unsupported information that appears plausible. Hallucinations typically describe confidently stated but incorrect facts, such as invented dates, sources, or events, while confabulations emphasize plausible‑sounding narratives or explanations the model constructs without grounding in real data. Both occur because the model predicts likely continuations of text based on patterns in its training data rather than checking facts; they can be amplified by vague prompts or requests for specialized knowledge. To reduce risk, verify AIoutputs against trusted sources, ask the model for sources or reasoning, and treat its responses as starting points rather than definitive fact.