This is a preview of our Texas 2036 newsletter discussing our new AI report, In Ctrl of AI in Schools. To receive this weekly look at our work, sign up here.
AI has already reached Texas classrooms. That does not mean the question is settled on whether its use in education cannot be controlled. Texas has an opportunity to ensure that any AI use in schools is grounded in safety and responsibility.
The state can take a practical approach by establishing clear rules, protecting students, and empowering teachers to ensure that AI does not replace the thinking that learning requires.
In a new report, In Ctrl of AI in Schools, we dive into the existing research on AI in education to provide policymakers with key insights on how to prioritize the safe and effective use of AI systems in Texas classrooms.
An Evidence-Based Approach to AI in Education
Like any other tool, people must put thought into how AI technology is designed and deployed. Safeguards are crucial to prevent harms to student learning and well-being.
Initial research suggests that, with proper guardrails, AI use has been associated with:
- Improved student academic performance
- Saved time for teachers
- Tailored feedback and instructional strategies
Where guardrails were missing, students faced risks, including shallower student thinking and accepting information without question.
AI has not changed what we know works for students: a strong teacher who supports them and helps them build a solid academic foundation. AI can be a useful tool for teachers when used responsibly and effectively.” — AI report author Renzo Soto, deputy director of education and workforce policy at Texas 2036
AI in the classroom: Some Numbers to Know
In fall 2025, 86% of Texas school and district leaders reported that teachers were using AI, while 61% reported student use. Only 29% of Texas school and district leaders reported having a district policy governing student AI use. Just 20% reported a policy for teachers and staff.
According to Texas 2036 analysis, 42 states have issued some form of statewide AI guidance, model policy, framework or support for schools. Texas is not among them.
Shaping the Impact of AI on Students Demands Urgent Action
The report finds that the state of research on AI’s impacts on learning and instruction is still early, but policymakers can’t wait until every question is answered before enacting strong guardrails. They can shape the conditions that determine whether AI helps or harms students now.
Building on Texas 2036’s recently released legislative agenda, the report identifies four priorities for responsible AI use in K–12 education:
- Establish statewide guidance. Give every school district a common, evidence-based foundation for responsible AI use, building on laws already enacted by the Legislature.
- Put student safety first. Ensure AI tools meet appropriate standards for data privacy, security and educational effectiveness before they ever reach Texas classrooms.
- Equip Texas teachers. Ensure educators have access to training and resources that help them recognize and respond to AI’s risks, understand its limitations and make informed decisions about its classroom use.
- Prepare students for an AI-driven future. Build students’ critical AI literacy skills in an age-appropriate manner, emphasizing critical thinking, responsible use and independent learning.
What Texas Voters Tell Us
Nearly 85% of Texas voters say protecting student data and privacy is extremely or very important if schools use AI. More than three-quarters prioritize safety and quality standards for AI tools, and 71% say teaching students to use AI responsibly and ethically is important.
It Pays to Empower Teachers On AI
🧠 On student learning: There’s a difference between helping a student find the right answer and helping that student reach the right answer themselves.
The research base on K-12 use is not extensive, but where student learning genuinely improved, there were usually meaningful guardrails built into the tool itself or in how students were exposed to the tool.
That includes ensuring a tool never gives students direct answers and that an educator oversees and intervenes in the tool’s use.
🧑🏫 On supporting teachers: AI may help teachers work more efficiently, but teachers still need to be in control of the decisions that shape how students learn.
Current evidence suggests AI’s benefits for educators are most evident when the educator remains in charge of making decisions.
🚸 On student safety: Protecting students shouldn’t depend on every school district independently figuring out whether an AI product is safe.
District leaders nationally are asking for the exact support that the state can provide, including model policy text, best practices for student safety and data privacy, and third-party vetting of tools for safety and reliability.
Parents should be able to trust that technology used in their children’s classrooms is safe, protects their privacy and actually helps them learn. AI has potential to support teachers and students when educators have the information, tools and flexibility to determine when and how it is appropriately used. Safety and effectiveness must be the starting point, not an afterthought.” — Mary Lynn Pruneda, director of education and workforce policy at Texas 2036
Strengthening the Texas Framework
Anticipating the increased use of AI, legislators in 2025 passed a set of laws setting responsible governance as the baseline for AI use in state and local government.
The next step is to apply that framework specifically to the classroom, where the stakes for students’ safety, development and learning are distinct and higher than general government use.
The goal? Ensuring every Texas student benefits from a consistent statewide approach to the responsible use of AI in the classroom.
The clock is ticking: As noted above, Texas is one of only eight states without a model policy on AI use in education.
👉 Read our full report on AI in Texas Classrooms
Up Next: What Other States Are Doing
A follow-up report is on its way; it will build on this work by analyzing the policies, guidance and resources from other states to help Texas build a statewide model policy that prioritizes student safety and learning.
