The Rise of AI in Classrooms: Opportunities and Challenges
Classrooms across the country have become real-time experiments in the use of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are utilizing AI to complete assignments while teachers are leveraging it to design lessons, optimize grading, and manage administrative tasks. The rapid rise of generative AI is transforming the education landscape.
According to a recent national survey data from RAND, AI use among both students and teachers has risen sharply by more than 15 percentage points in the last one to two years alone. However, despite this surge in AI adoption, the education sector and political landscape have not kept pace. Schools and districts are still in the process of developing professional development, student advising, and clear usage policies to address this shift, leaving educators, students, and parents to grapple with both opportunities and concerns.
Key Findings on AI Use in Schools
AI experienced rapid growth in the 2024-2025 school year.
By 2025, over half of students (54 percent) and core subject teachers (53 percent) were using AI for schoolwork or instruction. This marked an increase of more than 15 percentage points compared to just a year or two earlier. High school students were the most common users, and teacher acceptance of AI increased steadily from elementary through high school.
Concerns about the potential downsides of AI are prevalent among students and parents.
Interestingly, while 61 percent of parents, 48 percent of middle school students and 55 percent of high school students believe that increased use of AI could harm students’ critical thinking skills, only 22 percent of district leaders share the same concern. Additionally, half of students expressed fear of being falsely accused of using AI to cheat on assignments.
Training and policy development lag behind AI use in schools.
Despite the widespread use of AI, only 35 percent of district leaders reported that their schools provided students with AI training. More than 80 percent of students claimed their teachers did not explicitly teach them how to use AI for schoolwork. Policy guidelines also remain limited – only 45 percent of school leaders said their schools or districts have policies on the use of AI, and only 34 percent of teachers said policies specifically target academic integrity and AI.
Recommendations for AI Usage in Schools
As AI technology continues to evolve, consistent, regularly updated guidance on effective AI policies and training from trusted sources, particularly state education agencies, is essential. This guidance should aim to help educators and students understand how AI can be used to complement learning rather than replace it.
District and school leaders need to clearly define what constitutes responsible AI use versus academic dishonesty and communicate these expectations to both teachers and students. In the short term, teachers and students urgently need clarity about what constitutes AI cheating.
Nearly half of elementary school teachers are already experimenting with AI, and these early years are crucial for students to develop foundational skills and habits. Providing age-appropriate, coherent AI instruction at this stage can reduce misuse and confusion as students progress through school and expand their AI skills.
In conclusion, district leaders should develop comprehensive AI policies and training programs that equip teachers and students to use AI productively and ethically across all grade levels.
Laura Ascione is the editorial director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Her expertise lends credibility to this analysis of AI’s growing impact on education.
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