Teaching with AI: Testing the Promise and Empowering Educators
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming K–12 education, offering both significant opportunities and challenges for teachers and students.
As AI tools become more common in classrooms, teachers need to learn what AI is and how to use it to help students learn better. Professional learning will be a critical lever to ensure educators can confidently and responsibly integrate AI to enhance teaching and learning.
Building Capacity with Public Schools
AIR seeks to build teachers’ capacity to use AI responsibly and effectively. We will work with public schools to learn how teachers are using AI now and to test training modules that help teachers build their AI skills.
The work will be conducted in three phases:
- A landscape analysis to understand current AI use and professional learning needs;
- Collaboration with teachers and district staff to refine training modules; and
- A rigorous evaluation study using a randomized control design to assess the impact of the modules on teacher and student outcomes.
Data collection will include surveys, focus groups, and teacher logs, focusing on how teachers use AI in the instructional cycle and AI’s effects on efficiency, personalization, and student engagement.
Next Steps
The study is preparing for initial data collection and recruitment for the 2026-2027 academic year evaluation. The team will share findings and engage with the field throughout the study, ensuring that insights are timely, accessible, and immediately applicable for the K-12 education community.
