Build AI-ready culture
Students and staff throughout your school are already using AI. According to the 2025 AI in Education report, over 80% of surveyed educators are using AI this year, up 21 points from 2024 as its role expands from just an assistant to a thought partner. At the same time, approximately one in three surveyed United States K-12 educators still lack confidence in using AI effectively and responsibly, and more than half of surveyed students report that they haven't received AI training. This highlights the pressing need for schools to lay the groundwork for a strong AI culture and effective training programs.
Generative AI brings modern technology and new learnings, offering immense potential for innovation in education. A professional learning plan plays a crucial role in adopting these technologies wisely. It encourages responsible practices while supporting institutions to remain relevant and ready for change. Start with low-stakes experimentation to build familiarity and trust, then apply these strategies to shape your plan.
- Conduct a needs assessment to find the gaps and opportunities for adoption. Consider users' roles and ability levels and how they can receive help from AI skills.
- Define clear and measurable goals that align with your AI priorities. Decide what learners should know and do after completing the AI learning plan.
- Choose content that is relevant and engaging. Make sure it covers the topics and skills your learners need. You can use existing resources or create your own.
- Select the delivery method for content: in-person, online, synchronous, asynchronous, or a mix. This choice should match the learner's needs. If you need help, reach out to the Microsoft Global Partner Training program or a Training Service Partner.
- Collect feedback and test the effectiveness of your AI learning plan. Use data and evidence to check progress, refine your plan, and improve your AI adoption.
- Create a community of practice. Here, learners can share their experiences, challenges, and best practices with AI. Encourage continuous learning for your users as AI evolves.
Take professional learning further
Microsoft offers a variety of free resources to support AI skilling. Microsoft Learn offers technical documents and self-paced training for various roles and skill levels. Explore these curated professional learning resources, modules, and guides to help your staff build AI skills.
| Resource type | Guidance | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation and resources | Track training progress and certifications of learners within your tenant using the Microsoft Learn Organizational Reporting Overview | K-12 and Higher education IT leadership and IT department |
| Documentation and resources | Explore the Copilot Chat Adoption Kit or the AI for Education topic page, featuring the AI for education learning path, and Classroom toolkit. | K-12 educators and leaders |
| Documentation and resources | Access AI curriculum, labs, assessments, and industry-recognized credentials via Microsoft Learn for Educators. | Higher education faculty and leaders |
| Self-paced | Learn how to Prepare your organization for Microsoft 365 Copilot and how to implement it at your institution. | K-12 and higher education IT leadership and IT department |
| Self-paced | Gain essential knowledge to set up, deploy, and use AI solutions, including what to enable to use or build internal AI solutions. | K-12 and higher education IT leadership and IT department |
| Self-paced | Discover the five pillars that help institutions on the path to AI transformation. | K-12 and higher education IT leadership and IT department |
Empower stakeholders
Implementing AI needs careful planning, clear communication, and teamwork. Work with stakeholders who have distinct roles and experiences with AI. Explore key challenges and practical strategies to:
- Build trust and support for AI-powered tools.
- Understand and address your community's concerns.
- Define and communicate your goals and plans.
Build trust and support with stakeholders
Engaging stakeholders is essential for AI adoption. Effective approaches include:
- Seeking feedback from diverse groups is important.
- Using translation services as needed for speakers of other languages.
- Aligning initiatives with shared values that prioritize student success.
Familiarize yourself with these key points. They help you have better conversations with community partners.
- Efficiency: Use generative AI to streamline tasks and focus more on students.
- Accessibility: Create inclusive content and diverse learning pathways for all students.
Understand and address community concerns
Meeting community members reveals their diverse concerns and needs. Use this chance to build empathy, display AI expertise, and inspire support.
| Role and concern | Education leader response |
|---|---|
| School leaders: "Schools face more cyberattacks now, so data security is a top priority." | Student privacy is one of our biggest concerns. We check every tool for data protection. We also use Security Copilot to spot threats, automate our responses, and fix issues quickly. |
| Educators: "I'm hesitant to adopt new technology due to past experiences with quickly forgotten initiatives." | We're committed to ensuring that you and your students know how to use AI tools responsibly. Our plan includes age-appropriate materials, conversation starters, and an iterative approach to AI policies. You can also refer to resources like Microsoft Learn's Equip your students with AI and tech skills for today—and tomorrow and Empower educators to explore the potential of artificial intelligence courses for self-paced learning. |
| Families and caregivers: "It's important that schools prepare my child for employability." | We're dedicated to getting students ready for the future. We do this by using AI tools in our teaching. We're also exploring guardrails to support safe and effective student use. |
| Community members: "I expect my tax dollars to be used efficiently and responsibly." | AI tools help us analyze data and improve resources. This allows us to direct more funding to student learning. AI helps us find ways to improve. This could mean adjusting bus routes, optimizing utilities, or refining staffing. |
No matter where you are in your journey, you'll work with various stakeholders on AI topics. Be prepared to address evolving community questions throughout the process.
| Community question | Use Copilot Chat to create thoughtful responses |
|---|---|
| How can I protect the privacy and security of students' data when using AI-powered tools? | "We begin by checking the terms of service and privacy policy of each AI tool. This ensures they prioritize privacy and meet our expectations. Microsoft's generative AI tools, such as Copilot and Azure AI Foundry, help with legal compliance. They also protect student data privacy. They use advanced encryption and data handling policies to secure sensitive information. Microsoft's AI solutions offer access controls and clear data usage. They also have regular audits. This helps ensure high privacy and security standards. We can adjust privacy settings to meet our compliance needs and data rules." |
| How can I prevent academic dishonesty and plagiarism when using AI-powered tools? | "To keep our school's academic integrity strong, all users should learn to use AI wisely. We're beginning with professional development for educators, modeling responsible use, and having open discussions. We've also paired our training with a clear acceptable use policy." |
| How do these AI solutions accommodate language differences among students, educators, and faculty in our institution? | "Microsoft's AI solutions, like Copilot and Azure AI Foundry, support multilingual environments. They provide real-time translation and multilingual features in over 100 languages. This helps students, educators, and faculty engage with content in their preferred language. As a result, comprehension and participation improve." |
| How can I help students with different learning needs and styles when using AI tools? | "Educators can use tools like Copilot and Learning Accelerators to personalize lessons for each student. With Copilot, they can quickly change content into different languages or reading levels. They can also use prompts to create custom explanations or analogies based on students' interests or age-appropriate knowledge. Copilot allows generating prompts in numerous ways, like text or voice. Plus, Microsoft 365 Copilot has screen reading features." |