With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) use in K-12 schools, 34 state education agencies have developed guidance and policies to help K-12 schools and educators navigate the integration of artificial intelligence in K-12 classrooms. But with technology changing rapidly, states need help addressing emerging challenges. Fortunately, they don’t have to do it alone.

The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association) are leading the new initiative, AI Across State Lines, to bring states together to prepare for and implement AI in K-12 education. AI Across State Lines is funded by The Spencer Foundation. On May 6 and 7, the AI collaborative group of state education leaders, AI researchers and practitioners convened at the Friday Institute to exchange knowledge and co-design tools and frameworks that prioritize student opportunity and safety while being responsive to states’ needs.

“I’ve never been involved in a project where I was actually able to build it with other states,” said Dorann Avey, digital learning director for the Nebraska Department of Education. “It’s usually been [that] I read other states [guidelines], and I kind of put together something myself, but the thing I like about this project is that we’ve been able to convene really early in the process and share ideas early versus reacting to everything as it’s already in the past.”

During the convening, the AI collab group worked on a landscape report to analyze state guidance, legislation and implementation; discussed a fit-for-context toolkit that included a collection of adaptable, research-informed frameworks, policy templates and implementation resources that states can tailor to their users’ needs; and participated in ongoing professional learning, peer exchange and facilitated sessions focused on turning policy into practice.

To inform their guidance, the collaborative heard presentations from a school district that is intentionally focusing its AI integration on supporting what schools want. 

“In any state that is trying to adopt AI that is both a platform and as a feature for student learning, co-creation needs to happen, and that needs to happen between the state and the district,” said Rob Dickson, chief information officer at Wichita Public Schools. “It needs to happen, no matter how large the district is.”

Then, Kristin Woelfel, policy counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology, shared information on protecting students’ privacy, safety and civil liberties when developing policies. She shared how important AI guidance is, as 85% of teachers report that they used AI in the last school year (2024-2025), and school policies are trending toward permitting AI use.

“The goal behind integrating AI and technology into education is to help students succeed, to help teachers succeed, to make education better,” said Woelfel. “It’s about awareness and preparedness to kind of deal with some of these. Part of being able to be discerning is having access to information and being able to put whatever your needs are, your requirements, your specific state laws, policies and put a tech or an ed tech program or service up against those to know, is this something that is going to align with the values that your organization, your LEA, SEA has?”

A growing concern among state leaders is that school systems lack resources to evaluate new AI technologies or train educators in responsible classroom use. By working together, the state education leaders are developing shared materials designed to support educators across a wide range of school contexts.

“Being one of only two people on staff that is tasked with providing support and guidance for our districts in the field of AI, it can feel very overwhelming. The amount of resources and tools that are out there are immense, and we are exploring how to provide guidance and direction to pinpoint what’s best for North Dakota schools. Engaging in something like this helps finesse that process,” said Kate Waechter, assistant director of academic support at the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. “This collaborative is extremely helpful for us to lean on other states who have already created pathways in the work that we’re just starting.”

Researchers at the Friday Institute have been leading the conversation about AI in education policies and practices for a while and provided a resource for convening, problem-solving and solution building.

“Our goal is to co-build resources, tools and guidance that serve you in your roles. We want these ideas to support your leadership and strengthen your work at the state level,” said Krista Glazewski, principal investigator (PI) for this project, executive director at the Friday Institute and associate dean of translational research in the NC State College of Education, during the convening.

“This is a co-design project,” said Emma Braaten, co-PI for this project and director of digital learning at the Friday Institute. “We are not coming to you with a solution…this is something that is collectively built, this is collectively designed with your inputs, your voices, your collaboration. And so, I hope as we go throughout these next few days, you’ll really believe that to be true for us here at the Friday Institute but also with this network of folks.”

Combining the expertise of the Friday Institute with the collaborative structure of SETDA may provide a new, unique opportunity to cultivate an interstate network to provide specific, relative guidance and support.

“The biggest benefit I get out of it is actually just the collaboration, the ability to meet with other leaders that are working on AI,” said Steven Priest, digital learning consultant at the Wyoming Department of Education. “We don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel. We can share those ideas and be able to do things in a collaborative manner.” 

This post was originally published in William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation News.