Old Rochester adapts to new tech with flexible AI use, maintaining strict phone policy

MATTAPOISETT —  “Essentially, we're trying to teach kids responsible technology use,” said Mike Devoll, principal of Old Rochester Regional High School.

Old Rochester is adapting to an era of new technology with monitored implementation of AI as a learning tool and a strict phone policy that prevents students from getting distracted in class.  

Devoll stated a specific AI policy will be officially written in next year's handbook, but for now it remains flexible and up to individual teacher discretion. 

This year, the policy on artificial intelligence, “acknowledges the growing influence of AI in education and that we as a school district need to prepare students for futures that will include this type of digital technology,” said Devoll. 

Devoll said that the flexible policy is “why [Old Rochester] has every student use a school issued Chromebook, so we have the ability to kind of monitor their use of AI.”

Unauthorized use of AI is noted under the cheating and plagiarism section of the Old Rochester student handbook. 

“If a teacher says a student has to write an essay on “The Color Purple” and that the student cannot use AI, and a student uses AI, then we can sort of that cheating,” said Devoll.

The policy is ultimately up to each teacher and each specific assignment. 

“If the teacher were to assign an essay on the Federalist Papers saying the student can use AI to help frame their writing, AI would be allowed. Then the student would show how they used AI as a learning tool.”

Nina Pierre, a senior at Old Rochester thinks the AI policy is "definitely justified.”

“ChatGPT can think for you, which is exactly the problem. Students have chosen to take the easy way out, just to check a box off their to-do list instead of coming up with their own ideas,” said Pierre. 

Devoll said Old Rochester’s phone policy has been the same for ten years. 

“Our phone policy is ‘away for the day’” said Devoll. “We expect students to have their phones in their lockers for the day.”

Students may still use their phones throughout the day, as long as it is at their lockers. 

“We acknowledge that there may be times during the day a student may need their phone. So we allow phone use at the lockers and at the lockers only,” said Devoll. 

Pierre said the phone policy “is a problem in the school” since “no students use their lockers.”

“I feel like it would be appropriate to allow the use of phones during lunch, so students can contact their parents if they need to,” Pierre said. 

She wants another solution allowing more phone use during the day — just not in class because it can be so distracting. 

There has not been any parent reaction to either policy according to Devoll. 

“I think parents are like us in that they're interested in what [AI] is and how their kids could use it positively to help them.”