Arlington, Va. — November 12, 2025 — Leads & Copy — The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has launched its AI in Education Network, a collaborative research initiative to study and inform the transformation of K–12 education through artificial intelligence (AI).
This network is part of AIR’s broader initiatives to examine AI’s impact on education, workforce development, and health. Jessica Heppen, President and CEO of AIR, emphasized the need for evidence-based decision-making in schools as AI becomes more prevalent.
“As AI becomes part of everyday use in education, schools need more than marketing—they need evidence,” said Heppen. “Our goal is to provide clear, credible insights that help educators, school and district leaders, and policymakers make sound decisions about which types of AI-enabled tools to adopt, and which to avoid. This work reflects AIR’s commitment to applying rigorous research to the questions that matter most right now.”
The AI in Education Network brings together AIR researchers specializing in technology, learning, and evidence-based practices. Through six coordinated studies running through 2027, teams will investigate AI’s use in instruction, assessment, professional learning, and data-driven decision-making across U.S. schools.
These studies were selected through a competitive internal review process that prioritized innovative, timely work generating practical insights, and applied research to understand the potential benefits and risks of AI in educational settings.
The AI in Education Studies:
Teaching with AI: Testing the Promise and Empowering Educators: Led by Rebecca Bergey, this study examines how professional learning can help teachers responsibly and effectively integrate AI tools to enhance instruction.
3D Learning With ADAPT-AI: Evaluating Human–AI Collaboration in Science Assessment: Led by Bo Zhu, this research explores how human–AI collaboration in science assessment can improve student engagement and performance in science learning.
AI in the Classroom: Benchmarking and Testbed Framework for Evidence-Based Adoption in K-12: Led by Ruhan Circi, this study establishes a testbed to evaluate AI tools in real-world K–12 settings, aiding schools in making data-informed technology adoption decisions.
Smarter Data, Stronger Schools: AI-Powered Analytics for K–12 Education: Led by Tammy Kolbe, this initiative tests how AI can transform district finance and human resources data into reliable insights for staffing, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
Fair Play or False Start? Using AI-Generated Data to Examine Validity and Measurement Bias: Led by Sam Rikoon, this study investigates whether AI-generated data can replace human responses to assess the quality of survey and assessment items.
Rapid-Cycle Evaluation of CESA 4’s LIFToFFS Model: Learning Innovations for the Teaching of Future-Focused Students: Led by Rachel Chamberlain and Linda Galib, this project evaluates how AI-enabled learning tools and educator support can personalize learning to boost engagement and wellbeing for K-12 students and teachers in rural schools.
Rachel Garrett, a managing researcher at AIR and leader of the AI in Education Network, said the network projects will provide early answers to the questions many educators are asking, with updates shared through briefs, webinars, and practitioner resources on the AIR website.
“What can AI do well in education, where does it fall short, and how can we make sure it serves students and teachers?” Garrett said. “By linking these projects through a shared learning network, we can move faster, collaborate more effectively, and share insights that help schools and systems make informed decisions.”
Findings and updates from the AI in Education Network will be shared on a rolling basis through briefs, webinars, and practitioner resources on the AIR website.
The American Institutes for Research (AIR), established in 1946, is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization conducting behavioral and social science research and delivering technical assistance in education, health, and workforce. AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad.
Dana Tofig, American Institutes for Research, 202-403-6347, dtofig@air.org
Source: American Institutes for Research (AIR)
