A new Virginia law that took effect July 1, 2026, directs the state Department of Education to create AI guidelines for public schools, eventually requiring every local school board to adopt its own AI policy. Two reports from Virginia Commonwealth University's Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium reveal that most Virginia districts currently lack any AI policies, leaving teachers and students to navigate the fast-moving technology without consistent guidance.
How teachers and students are using AI
"The percentage of teachers nationwide who report using AI in their work has increased sharply in recent years," said David Naff, Ph.D., associate professor in VCU's School of Education and a lead author of the reports. Teachers often turn to AI for lesson planning and differentiating instructional materials for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Students use AI for homework support and feedback on their writing.
Despite the rapid adoption, Naff said, "It's something that school systems are still trying to wrap their heads around. There's a lot of variability right now, and there could be some benefit from more consistent and central guidance."
Policy gaps across Virginia
The researchers examined 10 Virginia school districts and found that six had no policies explicitly referencing AI. The remaining four included only some AI-related language in their guidebooks, and that guidance was often nonspecific. Only two districts had rules covering AI use by teachers, and most had not updated data privacy systems to protect student records from AI systems.
"Right now, it's a patchwork," said Jesse Senechal, Ph.D., an assistant professor and lead author. "The places with almost no coverage are staff use and training. There's no old technology policy that tells a teacher what they're allowed to do with AI the way an acceptable-use policy tells a student. AI governance hasn't caught up to how fast the tools have shown up in classrooms and schools."
What the new law requires
The July 1 law doesn't instantly change classroom practice, but it creates a compliance mandate that didn't exist before. The Virginia Department of Education will issue statewide guidelines, and then each local school board must adopt a policy aligned with that guidance. Previously, whether a division had any AI policy was a purely local decision.
Senechal expects the current patchwork to narrow once the state guidelines are released and divisions begin aligning. Nationally, 28 states have published some form of AI guidance for schools, but Virginia is among a smaller group that has turned guidance into a legal requirement for local boards.
What schools should consider when writing policies
Naff emphasized that AI can reduce teacher workload by saving time on lesson planning and personalizing instruction, but human oversight remains essential. "While AI can potentially help to enhance teaching and learning, it is still important for there to be human oversight by expert teachers over AI-generated outputs," he said.
He also noted that students and teachers hold complex views about AI. They recognize potential benefits but worry about undermining critical thinking, perpetuating bias, and facilitating plagiarism. The reports stress that developing AI literacy for both groups is a pressing challenge, requiring clear state and district guidelines.
Why this matters for educators
The upcoming mandate means Virginia educators will soon need to operate within formal AI policies, rather than making ad hoc decisions. For teachers who have been using AI tools without formal training, the shift will require building new skills quickly. Structured programs can help bridge that gap - the AI Learning Path for Teachers covers lesson planning, classroom integration, and ethical use, aligning with the areas where the VCU reports found the most urgent need.
With the state set to issue guidelines, districts that begin planning now can avoid a rushed adoption process. The research makes clear that waiting for mandates to arrive before addressing training and policy leaves classrooms without the guardrails they need.
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