Is your district adequately preparing students for a future with AI?

The debate on integrating generative AI in education extends beyond colleges and universities, where a growing number of students now have access to the technology and participate in AI-focused opportunities. Whether districts have begun addressing AI in their own classrooms or not, generative AI is also impacting the daily lives of K-12 students.

Three immediate impacts stand out. First, there is an emerging divide: on one side are students who know about AI and have the means to access it, and on the other are those who have neither the exposure to AI nor the resources to engage with it. This divide tends to reflect and reinforce existing socioeconomic inequality.

Second, trust between students and teachers is declining as AI sheds doubts on student academic integrity, effort, and core skill development. Strong teacher-student relationships are more important than ever to keep kids engaged in learning and attending school daily, but teachers feel unprepared to directly engage with families about an uncertain future with AI.

Finally, generative AI tools like ChatGPT are flooding the internet and social media with images and content that may contain misinformation and bias. Furthermore, stories of inappropriate AI use influenced by social media are sowing anxieties amongst educators and parents alike.

Districts must respond, but how?

These impacts raise critical questions for K-12 educators. How can schools balance the potential opportunities of generative AI with existing risks? Will AI impact students’ future in the workforce? Are certain content areas and skills no longer critical to teach?

District leaders receive conflicting advice on how to respond to these questions. Some experts urge caution in addressing AI head-on, citing the need to focus on existing priorities (like student behavior and absenteeism) and the ethical implications of investing too early in student-facing AI tools. Others advocate for a proactive stance, encouraging educators to experiment with AI as soon as possible to avoid getting left behind.

The stark reality is that students already interact with AI in their daily lives, and two-thirds of educators agree students need knowledge of AI because of that. 97% percent of superintendents agree: districts have the responsibility of preparing their students to interact with AI effectively and responsibly, in addition to tackling their other critical priorities.

Three reasons districts are struggling to educate students on AI

Unfortunately, less than a third of districts are prepared to educate their students about AI. In calls with almost 100 district leaders, EAB surfaced three critical barriers districts face as they grapple with how to teach students about AI:

EAB’s playbook for overcoming these barriers

Answers to these problems aren’t coming from state and federal legislation—in fact, only seven states have released early guidance as of March 2024. Even in these states, district leaders are still searching for concrete examples of how other districts are navigating these barriers.

Through our conversations with district leaders and experts, EAB surfaced a three-phase playbook for superintendents that directly addresses these three barriers.