What we’re studying and why

K-12 school systems across the United States are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence, but decision-makers have little rigorous evidence to guide them. Existing studies often rely on self-reported surveys, which offer limited insight into real-world use or impact.

This gap in understanding AI adoption matters: as research in other sectors has shown, the benefits of generative AI depend heavily on how leaders deploy tools within organizations and how users interact with them (Brynjolfsson, Li, and Raymond 2023; Noy and Zhang 2023). Schools are likely to see similar patterns. How AI gets used will shape not only how students learn, but also how teachers allocate their time. AI tools can change how teachers plan lessons, assess students’ work, and spend time with students. Because schools play a vital role in forming human capital, the skills and habits students develop in school lay the foundation for how they solve problems, make judgments, and engage with the world around them. As a result, early decisions about AI adoption could have lasting consequences for teaching and learning.