The big news: Idaho’s draft K-12 AI standards, triggered by the passage of Senate Bill 1227 earlier this year, are moving through the State Board of Education review process — and IEA members were key to their development.
• Twenty-seven educators, industry representatives and parents served on the standards writing committee, including four IEA members.
Why it matters: The standards aren’t a mandate to put AI in every classroom. Instead, they’re guidance for how educators can handle the rapidly developing technology.
• AI usage, and how it will affect the day-to-day lives and livelihoods of people across the country, has been one of the biggest sources of fear and possibility in 2026, with opinions and attitudes evolving month to month.
• Senate Bill 1227 was part of a nationwide trend to address AI usage head-on. The bill requires the development of an AI framework for K-12 public schools; district adoption of AI policies; standards and assessments for students and a professional development plan for educators; parental and community engagement; and procurement and technology requirements, including granting authority to the Idaho Department of Education to build an approved vendor list. It was passed during the 2026 legislative session.
• The framework will be used to guide district policies as they create them.
• Already, 64% of teenagers report using AI chatbots, according to Pew Research. Three in 10 use them every day.
Why it matters: AI is advancing at warp speed, and educators and policymakers are working to evolve with the technology.
• Allyson Randall of the Boise Education Association served on the writing committee and said she is glad there is more awareness about the potentials and pitfalls of AI than there was about social media. “I think nobody could have predicted the negative impacts it was going to have,” she said of social media. “But it did have a negative impact, and we weren’t teaching appropriate use in school.”
• The responsibility for teaching appropriate AI use shouldn’t fall entirely on educators, she pointed out. “But I do think it’s a place to start for those that are willing,” she said.
What the standards do (and don’t do): The standards are not a mandate to use AI in classrooms. They are intended as guidance on how to build AI literacy, including age-appropriate use and ethics, and it puts educators’ voices into the process.
• “It’s people first, AI as a tool, and then how we use that tool ethically, safely, and effectively,” said Melyssa Ferro, a member of the Caldwell Education Association who serves on the Idaho Education Association board. She also served on the writing committee.
• Katie Bosch-Wilson, the computer science and emerging technologies coordinator for the Idaho Department of Education, coordinated the committee. “It’s important for these (standards) to be standalone at the high school level,” she said. Doing so allows for a split into a general education lane and technical/computer science lane, which gives older students a chance to deep dive into AI if they are interested. The K-8 standards will live inside existing tech standards.
• A big focus was on age-appropriate use and literacy. “There are Kindergarten AI standards, but does that mean we want to put a Kindergartner on ChatGPT and let him just go to town? No,” Ferro said. Instead, the standards emphasize early AI literacy: “Conversations with kids about what’s human and what’s not human,” Ferro said.
What’s next?: The framework was approved by the State Board of Education earlier this month.
• The standards will be introduced at the State Board level, with a 21-day public comment period expected in October. The standards will be available on the Idaho Department of Education’s website, where educators and other members of the public can comment.
• If the Idaho Legislature approves during the 2027 session, the standards will be official on July 1.
How you can get involved: The Idaho Department of Education has plenty of ways for educators to learn more.
• The department is hosting a series of webinars: “When Should AI Be Used for Learning?” on Oct. 15, “Redesigning Tasks for Academic Integrity” on Feb. 18, and “Grading and Feedback with AI” on April 8. All webinars are free to attend. (Download the flyer for the webinars using the link below this article.)
• Sign up to crosswalk the AI standards with existing academic standards and develop AI guidance documents for use in classrooms.
• Add your name to the Idaho Department of Education’s monthly technology newsletter mailing list for more updates and opportunities.
