U.S. surveys from 2025 put the share of teachers using AI at 53 to 60 percent, and RAND found that 54 percent of students used it for school. The gap between the teacher figures comes from who was asked: RAND counted teachers of English language arts, math, and science, while Gallup counted public K-12 teachers in every subject. The only Canadian figure found in official sources is an OECD estimate for Alberta lower secondary teachers, 61 percent in 2024, which the OECD flags for caution.
Key takeaways
- RAND reported on September 30, 2025 that 54 percent of students and 53 percent of English language arts, math, and science teachers used AI for school, a rise of more than 15 percentage points over one to two years.
- A Walton Family Foundation and Gallup survey found that six in 10 U.S. public school teachers used an AI tool for work in 2024-25, and 32 percent used one at least weekly.
- Guidance trails use: Gallup reported in May 2026 that 18 percent of teachers had received formal guidance on AI, and RAND found that over 80 percent of students said teachers had not explicitly taught them how to use it.
- The OECD's 2024 teacher survey puts the average at 36 percent of lower secondary teachers across participating systems, against 61 percent in Alberta.
- A usage count says how many people tried a tool. It does not say whether students learned more.
What RAND counted in 2025
The RAND Corporation drew on nationally representative samples of teachers, school leaders, district leaders, students, and parents. Its September 2025 report found that 54 percent of students and 53 percent of English language arts, math, and science teachers said they used AI for school. Both numbers were more than 15 percentage points higher than in surveys from the previous one to two years. High school students reported more use than middle school students.
The same report measured the support around that use. As of spring 2025, 35 percent of district leaders said they trained students on AI, and 45 percent of principals reported school or district policies or guidance on AI. Only 34 percent of teachers reported a policy on AI related to academic integrity. Half of students said they worried about being falsely accused of using AI to cheat.
What Gallup counted among teachers
The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup surveyed 2,232 public K-12 teachers from March 18 to April 11, 2025, using teachers drawn from the RAND American Teacher Panel. Gallup reported that six in 10 had used an AI tool for work during 2024-25, with 32 percent using one at least weekly and 28 percent less often. The margin of sampling error for the full sample was 2.5 percentage points.
Preparing to teach (37 percent at least monthly), making worksheets or activities (33 percent), and modifying materials for student needs (28 percent) were the most common tasks. A follow-up fielded February 9 to March 2, 2026, with 2,069 teachers, asked about guidance. Gallup reported on May 26, 2026 that 18 percent received formal guidance, about one-third (34 percent) received none across the 10 tasks it measured, and about half (48 percent) received only informal guidance.
Alberta in the OECD teacher survey
The OECD's Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 asked lower secondary teachers whether they had used AI in their work in the previous 12 months. The OECD average was 36 percent. The Alberta country note reports 61 percent, with an asterisk: estimates for Alberta should be read with caution because of a higher risk of non-response bias. Across systems the spread was wide, from about 75 percent in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates to under 20 percent in France and Japan, as summarized in the OECD's Digital Education Outlook 2026.
Alberta teachers who used AI most often generated lesson plans or activities (71 percent), learned about or summarized a topic (64 percent), and drafted feedback or messages to parents and guardians (53 percent). Marking student work and reviewing participation data were each at 15 percent. Among Alberta teachers who had not used AI, 67 percent said they lacked the knowledge and skills, and 26 percent said their schools lacked the infrastructure.
The four counts side by side
| Survey | Who was asked | When | Headline figure | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAND survey panels | Students; English language arts, math, and science teachers | 2025 | 54 percent of students; 53 percent of teachers | Teachers of other subjects not in the teacher figure |
| Walton Family Foundation and Gallup | 2,232 public K-12 teachers, all subjects | March 18 to April 11, 2025 | 60 percent used AI for work; 32 percent weekly | Self-reported; United States only |
| OECD TALIS 2024, Alberta | Lower secondary teachers | 2024 | 61 percent used AI in the prior 12 months | Flagged for non-response bias |
| OECD TALIS 2024, average | Lower secondary teachers across participating systems | 2024 | 36 percent | Wide spread between systems |
Questions to ask before quoting an adoption number
- Which group was counted: all teachers, one grade band, or certain subjects?
- Did "use" mean ever, in the past year, or weekly?
- Was the sample random, and does the source publish a margin of error?
- Did the survey ask about teachers, students, or both, and in which country or province?
- Does the number say anything about outcomes, or only about activity?
FAQ
Do most teachers use AI?
In the 2025 U.S. surveys, a little over half did. RAND reported 53 percent for teachers of English language arts, math, and science, and Gallup reported 60 percent for public school teachers overall. Weekly use was much lower, at 32 percent in Gallup's data.
How many Canadian students use AI for schoolwork?
No official national count turned up in the sources checked for this article. Industry-commissioned surveys exist, but their methods could not be checked here, so no figure is given. The Alberta teacher result from the OECD is the closest official number.
Does high use mean AI helps learning?
No. Both RAND and Gallup measured use, guidance, and attitudes. Neither survey tested what students learned, so adoption figures cannot answer that question.
Why do so few teachers have formal guidance?
The surveys do not give a cause. They show the pattern: RAND found that 45 percent of principals reported school or district AI policies in spring 2025, and Gallup found formal guidance reaching 18 percent of teachers in early 2026.
Related reading
- Impact and potential of AI in education
- How AI is being used in the learning experience
- A decade of AI in special education
- OpenAI's education products and student rules
More in AI in education.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- AI Use in Schools Is Quickly Increasing but Guidance Lags Behind: Findings from the RAND Survey Panels, RAND Corporation, RR-A4180-1, September 30, 2025
- Three in 10 Teachers Use AI Weekly, Saving Six Weeks a Year, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, June 24, 2025
- Most Teachers Receive No Formal Guidance on AI Use, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, May 26, 2026
- Results from TALIS 2024: Alberta (Canada), country note, OECD, 2025
- OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026, OECD, January 2026