Diving overview:
- The U.S. Department of Education continues to Using artificial intelligence in the classroom Through the new final priorities and definitions for school districts and colleges applying for the authority’s voluntary grant program.
- In the final rule released Monday, the department said it will prioritize applications for projects aimed at expanding understanding of AI and the appropriate and ethical use of AI in education.
- Within these parameters, the rules say, more weight will be given to proposals that seek to integrate AI literacy skills into teaching and learning practices that improve student outcomes.
Dive Insight:
Other K-12 AI grant priorities in the new rules, which go into effect on May 13, include the following proposals:
- Expand the provision of age-appropriate AI and computer science education in schools.
- Incorporate AI and computer science lessons into teacher preparation programs.
- We provide professional development for educators to integrate AI into their fields of expertise.
- Provide dual enrollment credit opportunities for high school students to earn college credit or industry certifications in AI.
- Use AI to support K-12 services such as early intervention and special education for students with disabilities and their families.
- Integrate AI-driven tools into your classroom to deliver personalized learning and improve student outcomes. For example, this may be done through adaptive learning technology, virtual teaching assistants, tutoring, or data analysis tools regarding student progress.
- Leverage AI to reduce time-consuming administrative tasks.
- Use AI to discover quality educational resources, highly effective tutoring, and college and career paths.
- Deploy AI tools to improve program outcomes.
Some educational technology leaders have called for major changes in education. Proposed regulations issued last Julycreating another additional funding stream for AI education initiatives, and more. The Department of Education granted these requests but ultimately declined to issue a final rule.
In comments on the proposed rule, Consortium for School Networking CEO Keith Krueger said the group supports a focus on educator training, AI literacy, and instructional integration. CoSN represents leaders in K-12 educational technology across 2,050 school districts.
But Krueger encouraged the department to consider a separate dedicated funding stream for AI initiatives “to ensure long-term sustainability and avoid cuts in support to other important programs.” CoSN also called on the Department to develop or support an evaluation framework to allow grantees to vet AI tools for data privacy, evidence-based practices, accessibility and inclusivity, and usability and interoperability.
Similarly, CoSN called on the Department of Education to issue separate implementation guidance in addition to new AI grant priorities. The group said the guidance should focus on safe and responsible AI deployments, be “vendor agnostic” and be flexible to accommodate different district sizes and implementation environments.
Comments resulted in some changes to the final rule.
For example, the Department said it agreed with commenters that AI could lead to efficiencies that improve student outcomes and added “the use of AI technology to improve program outcomes” to its priorities.
In response to calls for agencies to develop evaluation frameworks to help schools vet AI tools for evidence-based practices, the final rule stated that agencies “will consider whether and how to use the evidence component in each grant competition, consistent with program authorities, if this priority is used.”
The department did not make any changes in response to these comments, but added that “with new and innovative practices and technologies, building evidence to understand what works is critical to the use of AI in education.”
The department’s final rule comes as school districts across the country are increasingly implementing AI.
For example, at a House subcommittee hearing in February, lawmakers and witnesses said teachers need more support. Professional development on AI tools To use technology safely and effectively for student learning. But Democratic lawmakers said it has become harder to commit federal resources to such efforts since the Trump administration shut down the Department of Education. Educational Technology Department In 2025.
Meanwhile, education leaders at the school district and state level are advising superintendents to rethink the way they think about education. Deployment of AI tools. In a webinar held by the ILO Group on March 30, several K-12 leaders said they could, for example, create AI leadership roles at the district level, consolidate AI responsibilities into existing district teams, or disperse ownership across school systems.
meanwhile, Gen Z’s views on AI They’re becoming increasingly negative, according to a recent survey from Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation, and GSV Ventures. Still, even though the majority of Gen Z K-12 students say AI will make “future learning more difficult,” they are more likely than adult Gen Z to use AI at least weekly.
The survey found that a growing number of students say their school has implemented AI rules, to 74% in 2026, up from 51% in 2025.
