Early Adopter Districts and AI: Strategic Pathways, System Strain, and the Conditions for Amplifying Transformation
School districts are making consequential AI decisions largely on their own—purchasing tools, training teachers, setting policies for student use, and trying to determine what responsible and effective adoption looks like. Without clear federal guidance or a reliable roadmap, what are the most advanced districts learning, and what does it reveal about what the field needs […]
Getting Beyond the Lightbulb Stage: Why AI Is Not Yet Transforming Education
New AI tools are entering the ed tech market every day. But how are they actually playing out in schools and classrooms? Drawing on semi-structured interviews with more than 50 stakeholders across ed tech, philanthropy, policy, teaching, and advocacy, this brief identifies the gaps between what AI developers are building and what students, teachers, and […]
Reimagining Learning for the Age of AI: Visions from CRPE’s Think Forward Fellows
Will AI reinforce existing models of schooling, or will it help us build learning environments that center purpose, relationships, and real-world contributions? This is the question that our inaugural cohort of Think Forward AI Fellows explore in this compendium. Conversations about AI often center on details like tools and workflows rather than major concerns like ends […]
States and AI: An Early Look at How Early Adopters Are Approaching AI in Education
As AI use expands in schools, states are beginning to define their role—often without clear federal direction. What actions are they taking, and how are they approaching AI integration in K–12 education? CRPE’s new State AI Early Adopter Database compiles publicly available information on AI-related actions across 20 early adopter states in 2024 and 2025, including guidance, […]
The Debate over AI in Education Is Stuck. Let’s Move It Forward in Responsible Ways That Truly Serve Students
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how we work, communicate, and create. In education, however, the conversation is stuck. Sensational headlines make it seem like AI will either save public education (“AI will magically give teachers back hours in their day!”) or destroy it completely (“Students only use AI to cheat!” “AI will replace teachers!”). These […]
Smartphones and Absenteeism are Noisy Problems, but the Quiet Crisis in Math Is Instruction
Everyone needs foundational math skills. Numeracy predicts higher earnings, better health, and increased access to fast-growing jobs. Algebra is the gateway to advanced math and to many college and workforce programs. Yet America has a math problem—and it didn’t start with Covid. After two decades of gains, national math performance peaked around 2013 and has […]
2026: A Year for Leadership
The start of a new year is always a moment for reflection, but 2026 leaves little room for pause. This is not a year for incrementalism or hoping someone else will lead. It is a year that demands decisive action. In education, responsibility for student success has shifted: the federal government has abandoned many of […]
Virtual 1:1 Literacy Tutoring in Oakland Unified School District: Implementation and Effectiveness of a Pilot at Scale
In 2024–25, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) launched a districtwide pilot of virtual, high-dosage, 1:1 literacy tutoring in partnership with three providers: Hoot, Ignite Reading, and OpenLiteracy. This initiative aimed to address early reading gaps, particularly in phonics, for K–2 students who were below grade level. Key Findings High implementation fidelity: Over 80% of tutored […]
A Truce in the Accountability Wars
In American education, the scars of the “accountability wars” still run deep. More than two decades after the federal No Child Left Behind Act established punitive, high-profile accountability requirements for America’s K–12 schools, states and districts remain wary of debates over testing, student performance, and school improvement. This understandable backlash has pushed many states toward […]
Meeting the AI Moment Requires a New Education R&D Infrastructure
Depending on where you sit in the education ecosystem, 2025 has felt either deeply discouraging or full of possibility. On one hand, earlier this year, the federal government signaled retreat from its commitment to education research, and just this week, the Trump administration took further steps to dismantle the Department of Education. National assessments show […]