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Good practice Imported

California's Statewide Model Policy on AI in K-12 Education

United States of America · Sacramento · See the United States of America profile · See the Sacramento profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 70% 40/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

California's Department of Education published a voluntary Model Policy on AI in Education on 25 June 2026, giving TK-12 districts and charter schools a template requiring privacy-by-design, consent before AI grades student work, and parent/guardian review rights.

Details

Promoter
California Department of Education / California AI in Education Working Group
Period
Published June 2026 (voluntary)
Keywords
K-12 education, AI policy, governance, data privacy

Context

On 25 June 2026, the California Department of Education (CDE) posted a Model Policy on Artificial Intelligence in Education, developed by the California AI in Education Working Group convened under Senate Bill 1288 (Becker, 2024). The template is aimed at local educational agencies and charter schools serving transitional kindergarten through grade 12.

Objectives

The policy aims to give districts a voluntary template ensuring AI supports rather than substitutes for human decision-making, that AI tools are locally authorised and privacy-compliant, and that students, staff and parents retain rights over how AI is used with student data and work.

Activities

The template requires that any AI tool used by staff or students be locally authorised and comply with privacy and conduct policies; that confidential education records not be entered into AI tools without district authorisation; and that notification and consent are required whenever AI is used to grade or give feedback on student work. It names AI literacy as a core academic competency, preserves parent/guardian review rights, and complements CDE's separate 2025 AI Guidance document.

Results

Adoption is explicitly voluntary: under Education Code Section 33308.5, compliance with the model policy is not mandatory, and districts are encouraged to adapt it locally.

Conclusions

Because the policy was released only in mid-2026 and adoption is voluntary, no district-level uptake or outcome data has yet been published; independent education reporting (EdSource) notes California districts remain divided on how much AI to allow in classrooms even as the state promotes a common template.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k)
Time to results
Short (< 1 year)
Staffing & skills
California Department of Education (CDE), California AI in Education Working Group (convened under Senate Bill 1288, Becker 2024)

Conditions for success

  • Requires local authorisation and privacy/conduct compliance for any AI tool used by staff or students
  • Requires notification and consent when AI is used to grade or give feedback on student work
  • Complements CDE's separate 2025 AI Guidance document
  • Preserves parent/guardian review rights

Common failure modes

  • Adoption is voluntary under Education Code Section 33308.5, not mandatory
  • No district-level uptake or outcome data published yet
  • EdSource reporting notes districts remain divided on how much AI to allow

Commonly funded by

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Data sources

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