Idaho’s first draft of K-12 artificial intelligence standards would teach students to use AI responsibly, think critically about its outputs and prepare to live and work in a world increasingly shaped by emerging technologies.

The K-12 AI Standards Writing Committee, made up of 27 educators and industry experts, recently spent a week in Boise developing the state’s first draft of standards.

The effort stems from Senate Bill 1227, which requires the Idaho Department of Education to create guidelines for AI use in schools. Over the next year and a half, the State Board will review the draft standards, giving teachers and the public opportunities to submit comments. During the next legislative session, legislators will vote to adopt the standards. If adopted, the final standards will come into effect for the 2027-28 school year at the earliest.

Work thus far emphasizes grade-level expectations informed by AI standards adopted in other states. The draft standards also emphasize academic integrity, teaching students to understand when AI is appropriate for schoolwork, when it isn’t, and how to disclose its use when required.

The law does not require teachers to bring AI into their classrooms but directs the state to provide guidance if they do use it. Many teachers and administrators use generative AI for clerical duties and lesson planning. The state also requires students to take an AI-proctored reading test called Amira.

Teachers have dealt with generative AI in the classroom since around 2022, when OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public.

AI standards: Creating a path by grade level

Idaho Department of Education spokeswoman Andrea Dearden said state education standards revolve around one question: “What should students learn?”

A standard is usually one sentence because schools and districts choose how to meet them. Standards provide a goal, while educators fill in the blanks. The state maintains updated lists of content standards, which serve as a statewide minimum threshold for what students should know at each grade.

One of the AI writing committee’s goals was to vertically align standards — a progression of technology skills and knowledge from one grade level to the next:

• In grades K-2, students would learn basic ways of thinking about AI, like how it has no emotions and that technology can help people solve problems. They would also learn basic skepticism: Ask a trusted adult when something seems confusing online.
• In grades 3-5, students would learn how people use AI in their daily life, how to decide when to use AI and to protect their

  

  personal information.

• In middle school, students would learn how AI systems are trained, how bias can affect their outputs, and how to evaluate AI-generated content for accuracy and reliability.
• By high school, students would deepen their understanding of AI algorithms and be capable of solving complex problems with AI. They would learn to strengthen their critical thinking skills and to use AI in certain career applications.

Click here for a copy of the K-8 draft content standards and here for a copy of the high school draft standards.

Standards that are ‘human centered’

Skills developed form the standards would help prepare students to be adults, said Paul Zimmerman, a committee member and Blaine County School District’s director of technology. “Because in the workforce, they’re going to say generally you can use AI … but you have to have those rules and guardrails, kind of like if I give you a car, but you need driver’s school to know how to use it.”

A key effort for the committee was deciding how advanced high school AI standards should be, he said.

Representatives from Boise State University, which recently established a School of Computing, worked with the committee to find a balance for high school standards.

“That was something we went back and forth on a bit to kind of figure out what’s the best spot to stop and say ‘Alright, you’re doing good. If you want to keep going, BSU is ready for you,’ or whatever university,” Zimmerman said.

Boise State allows students to study AI up to the doctoral level. The University of Idaho and Idaho State University are rolling out AI bachelor’s and master’s degree programs as well.

“Our goal was to stay human centered, especially with K-5,” said Stacie Knight, a West Ada School District engineering teacher who helped develop the elementary AI standards.

One of the committee’s goals, particularly for elementary grades, was to create standards teachers can accomplish without using technology.

A theme throughout the draft is that AI is a tool to support learning — not replace human judgment, critical thinking or decision-making.

“We want our kids to know that AI is not something that can make your decisions for you,” said Knight. “That you have a brain, that you are valued, that you have critical thinking; it does not.”

The committee also reviewed AI standards from states including North Dakota and Ohio while developing Idaho’s draft. Those states, like Idaho, emphasize age-appropriate instruction, responsible AI use and critical thinking, though each takes a slightly different approach.