Districts are asking for guidance. That's our work.
The evidence is early, and design matters
Stanford's 2026 review found that only 20 of 818 papers on AI in K-12 offered strong causal evidence, and none were high-quality causal studies of students in U.S. K-12 schools. That's one more reason our guides are living documents.
Source: Fesler, L., Martinez, J., Agnew, C., & Loeb, S. (2026). The Evidence Base on AI in K-12: A 2026 Review. AI Hub for Education, SCALE Initiative, Stanford University. Study details: Bastani et al. (2025), high school students in Turkey; Roy et al. (2024), Year 7/8 science teachers in England.
The only materials are the two guides, with every comment left visible. About 25 of our 60 minutes go to discussion and decisions.
- 01 Why we're here Welcome, our purpose, and the UT AI stance we build on.
- 02 Student Guide walkthrough Section by section, with every comment showing.
- 03 Does it fit your district? What works, what needs a different lens, what's missing.
- 04 How we'll work Feedback, due dates, meeting 2, and a Staff Guide preview.
Council roadmap
The two guidebooks
Staff Guidebook
Expectations, best practices, ethics, and practical guidance for AI in instruction, administration, and daily operations.
- Student data privacy and FERPA
- Choosing and vetting AI tools
- Keeping humans in the loop
- Checking AI output for bias and accuracy
Student Guidebook
Age-appropriate expectations for responsible AI use, academic integrity, digital citizenship, and AI in learning.
- When you can and can't use AI
- Understanding generative AI
- Disclosing your AI use
- Privacy and data safety
Consistent with The University of Texas at Austin's commitment to be both AI Forward and AI Responsible, we adopt AI only in ways that advance learning and human development, protect the privacy and safety of students and staff, uphold academic integrity, and keep people in charge of decisions.
Our standing charge
Three districts, Pre-K through 12
UT Public Schools brings together the three public school districts within the College of Education. Council guidance has to work across every grade band below.