Lake Central High presents AI policy for classroom use; school outlines detection and staged penalties
Loading...
Summary
Lake Central High School principal Erin Novak presented a new AI guidelines chart and policy that uses Turnitin to flag AI-generated work and applies graduated consequences based on grade level and percent flagged.
Erin Novak, principal of Lake Central High School, presented the high school’s new artificial-intelligence guidelines and a color-coded chart to the school board on Aug. 4, saying the policy is intended to let teachers use AI as a learning tool while addressing academic dishonesty. "We don't wanna just put a blanket statement out there saying, no AI, it's bad," Novak said.
Novak told the board the chart ranks allowable AI use from green (teacher-approved) to red (not applicable) and that the policy ties to existing plagiarism rules. "Ultimately, everything falls under academic dishonesty," she said.
The guidelines define a minor violation as 30–49% of an assignment flagged as AI-generated and a substantial violation as 50% or more. Novak said the district uses Turnitin to scan assignments and report an AI/plagiarism percentage; teachers make the final determination. For first offenses, freshmen and sophomores receive a warning, an opportunity to resubmit, and a 10% reduction to the final grade on the resubmitted work; juniors and seniors receive a similar resubmission opportunity with a 30% reduction for minor violations. Novak said repeat or more severe violations carry progressively stronger consequences and that dual-credit students are held to their partner university’s standards.
Novak described the policy as evolving: "AI has grown over the years. It's continuing to grow. It's continuing to evolve. So with our policy, we're always going to be looking at this and seeing what works, what doesn't work, and how we can change it or adjust it for years to come as well." She also emphasized that Turnitin "doesn't determine the grade" and that teachers will investigate cases "a little bit more" when automated results indicate high levels of AI or plagiarism.
No formal board vote on the AI guidelines occurred during the meeting; Novak presented the draft guidance and fielded questions from the board. The district said it will educate students across grade levels about the policy at the start of the school year and that teachers will reiterate expectations in class.
Board members and presenters distinguished between policy discussion and formal action: Novak’s presentation was an informational update and not a board-adopted rule at this meeting. The district plans to monitor how the policy works in practice and to adjust it as AI tools and detection methods evolve.
