State education leaders are navigating a challenging moment: federal policy is shifting, budgets are under pressure, and AI is transforming classrooms faster than most agencies can respond. The question isn’t whether to act, but how to act wisely. That’s the premise behind the Virtual State Leader Learning Community, launched last month by the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) and Imagine Network. The community helps state leaders use education research and development (“ed R&D”) to make evidence-based decisions on their biggest challenges, building on the State Education R&D Playbook, which ALI developed in partnership with Education Reimagined and Transcend.
One of the first states to share its approach with the network is Utah, which has become a national example of how to integrate emerging technologies in schools through deliberate education R&D infrastructure investments and evidence-driven improvement.
In 2012, Utah’s education leaders began building statewide education technology infrastructure through a collaboration among local school systems, the Utah State Board of Education, the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), and the state legislature. That early investment meant Utah entered the pandemic with digital learning systems already in place, while many states were scrambling to stand them up.
Now Utah’s leaders are applying the same frameworks to AI, treating it as an R&D undertaking rather than just a technology rollout. Here’s what that looks like:
- In-House AI Expertise: After conducting a risk assessment, the Utah State Board of Education identified AI as their greatest risk. In response, they created the first dedicated education AI specialist role in the country. In hiring for that role, the state prioritized risk-awareness, rather than pure AI enthusiasm, helping to balance opportunity with responsible guardrails.
- Efficiency and Scaling: Utah’s use of consortium pricing for statewide purchases, a large-scale teacher professional development grant program (which led to training for nearly 7,000 teachers), internal use of AI tools, and a higher education–led research consortium demonstrate practical ways SEAs can stretch limited capacity.
- Principles for Sustainability: According to Dr. Sydnee Dickson, former Utah Superintendent of Public Instruction, five core principles guided this work:
- Establish clearly defined learning outcomes.
- Build in cycles of inquiry and feedback at the onset of any initiative.
- Provide grant-based funding for local leaders eager to innovate, with funding available for all, supported by readiness assessments and coaching on local implementation plans.
- Provide professional learning for leadership, including on change management.
- Develop and implement strong plans for communication and reporting to promote accountability.
What Other States Can Take from Utah
Education leaders across America are grappling with how to integrate AI in schools safely, responsibly, and effectively. State education leaders can learn from Utah’s leadership to ensure adoption of new technologies is based on evidence. This includes:
- Using existing resources and partnerships to drive effective and evidence-based AI adoption. Many states and districts already have research teams, collaborative cross-agency cultures, rich data systems, Regional Educational Lab support, and innovation zones. State leaders can set a clear vision for AI adoption, then direct these existing assets toward evidence-based implementation.
- Developing clear guardrails and evidence standards for integrating AI in educational settings. Once leaders have built capacity, they can focus on creating clear, informed policies and a rigorous vetting process for AI-powered edtech.
Driving this work are committed public servants in state education agencies across the country. ALI’s State Leader Learning Community is demonstrating that education leaders can support each other to meet the moment. By sharing insights, resources, and lessons learned, these state education leaders are better positioned to ensure the adoption of emerging technologies like AI is grounded in evidence and in service of student outcomes.
