2026 Predictions for AI and Ed Tech in K-12 Education: What Industry Leaders Are Saying
In an open call last month, we asked education-serving industry leaders to weigh in on how AI and ed tech will impact schools and districts in the coming year. Here's what they told us.
AI Will Become Essential to Education Infrastructure
"In 2026, educators will turn to human-centered AI to move beyond outdated one-size-fits-all approaches, embracing differentiated learning and motivation science to keep students engaged and performing at their best. With AI handling the heavy lifting, teachers can focus on the essential human side of their work: building authentic relationships, guiding goal-setting, recognizing effort, and helping students turn their challenges and frustrations into growth opportunities. Districts will also continue to prioritize ed tech solutions backed by real evidence and measurable outcomes. With budgets limited, leaders will seek tools that demonstrably boost student motivation and performance, ensuring investments drive meaningful results while minimizing risk." — Jenna Pipchuk, CEO, Studient
"In 2026, classrooms will be supported by intelligent AI companions that deliver deeply personalized learning experiences. These companions will adapt to each learner's pace, style, and needs, providing real-time feedback and guidance that builds confidence and mastery. As AI-native students grow up expecting tailored support, the most impactful solutions will be those that seamlessly weave AI into core curriculum experiences. The future of personalization will come from AI companions grounded in strong instructional design; enhancing teaching, not replacing it." — Bethlam Forsa, CEO, Savvas Learning Company
"In 2026, the districts that make real progress in literacy, especially for adolescent learners, will treat improvement as a systems challenge and use technology to make high-quality instruction easier to deliver at scale. Teacher training will always matter, but districts will increasingly demand platforms that integrate across the ecosystem, reduce fragmentation, and turn data into clear instructional next steps — because educators are challenged with managing disconnected tools and dashboards. AI will be part of that shift, but the conversation will move beyond 'AI = ChatGPT.' The question isn't whether AI belongs in schools, it's how it's designed, governed, and used. Districts will look for purpose-built, responsible AI with guardrails that helps educators identify skill gaps faster, personalize support, streamline planning and progress monitoring, and improve consistency, without replacing professional judgment or enabling shortcuts. At the same time, scrutiny around accuracy, privacy, and transparency will rise, raising the bar for solutions that can earn trust. Those chosen will be solutions that prove measurable growth while simplifying workflows: integrated, evidence-based systems that blend AI with human expertise to support explicit, effective literacy instruction both consistently and equitably, even amid staffing and time constraints." — Nick Gaehde, president, Lexia
"My prediction for 2026 is that AI's most meaningful role in education won't be in replacing teacher-delivered instruction but strengthening the educators who deliver it. As districts continue investing in high-impact tutoring, I anticipate AI tools emerging as instructional coaches for tutors rather than working directly with students. These tools can analyze patterns in student work, suggest scaffolds, and highlight misconceptions tutors might otherwise miss. They won't automate tutoring but will play a significant role in improving a tutor's ability to deliver outcomes by giving feedback to the educator to better personalize learning. I expect the biggest advances will come from AI that reduces cognitive load for educators. By synthesizing assessment data, surfacing trends across sessions, as well as supporting tutors in giving feedback, scaffolding instruction, and adjusting pacing, AI can free teachers to focus on their professional judgment and connection with students. This will require strong data governance, transparent systems, and AI models designed using research-aligned instructional practices. But if implemented responsibly, AI can become a quiet instructional partner, allowing tutors additional time to focus on relationship building, responsive instruction, and targeted feedback. In the year ahead, the real innovation may not be AI-delivered tutoring, but AI-empowered tutors." — Devon Wible, vice president, Teaching & Learning, FullBloom
"In 2026, AI will move from experiment to essential partner in guiding students toward meaningful, fulfilling lives. It will do more than personalize learning. It will provide insights that help students understand their aptitudes and connect them to education and career pathways that align with their strengths. By handling administrative tasks and analyzing learning patterns, AI will free educators to mentor, guide, and create experiences that connect classroom knowledge to real-world opportunities. This connection between students' natural talents, their learning, and career pathways will form the foundation for individual success, stronger communities, and a more resilient economy that benefits from a more adaptable, skilled workforce. In 2026, the most successful classrooms will use AI to build bridges between learning and opportunity, students and their potential, and education and the workforce." — Edson Barton, CEO & co-founder, YouScience
"In 2026, as districts use AI to analyze attendance and engagement data more deeply, new insights will emerge about when students start to disengage. Recent analysis of more than one million students shows that attendance is strongest in grades two through five but begins to decline in sixth grade, where chronic absenteeism starts to accelerate. As AI tools surface these patterns more clearly, districts will begin to see the middle grades as a critical phase for intervention. The next opportunity will be to involve sixth graders in shaping solutions that help them stay connected and feel part of their school community. AI will make the pattern visible. Educators will make the difference." — Dr. Kara Stern, director of education, SchoolStatus
"In 2026, AI will finally bridge the communication gap between home and school. Families won't hunt for information because AI will deliver it in real time, personalized and understandable in 250-plus languages. A parent will simply ask, 'How is my child doing?' and receive a unified picture drawn from assignments, attendance, behavior, and teacher notes. This shift will free educators from repetitive communication and empower them to focus on the human work of culture-building, equity, and meaningful family partnership. AI will become the quiet engine handling the complexity; stronger relationships will be the outcome." — Chaks Appalabattula, founder and CEO, Bloomz.
"Heading into 2026, AI's role in education will evolve from experimental into essential infrastructure, so long as human oversight and student safety remain at the core. Through working with districts nationwide, it's evident that the true value of AI is not simply improving efficiency, but rather its ability to help educators provide more personalized support and classroom experiences that lead to stronger teaching and learning outcomes for students. Based on research and pilot programs, AI shows the greatest impact when it supplements teaching — offering individualized feedback and tailored guidance — while educators focus on deeper instruction and student connection. As the surge in AI adoption continues, the question is less about whether AI belongs in the classroom and more about how it can be integrated thoughtfully in ways that ensures it's secure and pedagogically sound. Navigating this change will require districts to establish AI strategies that prioritize governance, privacy protections, and professional development so educators are equipped with the tools and confidence they need to use AI responsibly." — Sara Romero-Heaps, chief operating officer, SchoolAI
"By 2026, the AI conversation in K–12 will move beyond governance and into what can be described as cognitive stewardship. The central question will not be whether AI belongs in classrooms, but how schools determine which cognitive work must remain human and which barriers to learning should be removed. Early district responses emphasized access, compliance, and broad restrictions. That phase is giving way to a more nuanced understanding that AI's impact depends less on the tool itself and more on how it is embedded within instructional tasks. The same technology can either support learning or unintentionally substitute for it. Evidence from learning science and early implementation suggests AI is most effective when it strengthens the conditions for learning rather than performing the learning itself. Reducing extraneous cognitive load through clearer access to language, real-time comprehension support, and contextual clarification can expand participation without diminishing rigor. In contrast, AI that supplies reasoning, completes sensemaking, or collapses complex work into finished answers risks weakening students' capacity to build understanding over time. Forward-looking districts will evaluate AI at the level of cognition and task design. Instead of asking what a system can generate, they will ask what students are still required to process, articulate, and defend. Does the tool preserve desirable difficulty? Does it make student thinking more visible? Does it improve attention and comprehension without outsourcing reasoning? The result will not be uniform policy, but informed professional judgment grounded in how learning actually works." — Nathan Lang Raad, VP of business development, Lightspeed Technologies
"The question for 2026 isn't whether AI can replace teachers: It can't, and it shouldn't try. The real opportunity lies in repositioning AI as what it actually is: a tool in service of the educator. Think of it as an 'idea incubator' that amplifies what teachers already do best. When a teacher sketches out a lesson concept, AI can instantly generate three variations tailored to different learning styles. When they're drowning in administrative paperwork, AI handles the busywork in seconds. This isn't about automation; it's about restoration and giving educators back the time and mental space to do the creative, deeply human work that drew them to teaching in the first place." — Fabien Dupuis-Planchard, head of SEO tech, Superprof
"Increased focus on moving from generic gen AI approaches to applying AI to functionally specific tasks for specific user personas (i.e. teachers, for lesson plan creation, test/quiz preparation, test/quiz grading, content recommendations; or administrators, for real-time analysis of curriculum recommendations, asset usage, proficiency trends, teacher efficacy, etc.)." — Charles Foley, executive chairman, Critical Links
"In 2026, the conversation around AI in education won't be about replacement, it will be about renaissance. The most forward-thinking schools will use AI to automate the mundane so teachers can focus on what only humans can do: connect, inspire, and challenge students to think critically and create boldly. The future belongs to those who can harness both computational power and human imagination." — Jason McKenna, VP of global educational strategy, VEX Robotics
Districts Will Prioritize Evidence-Based Ed Tech
"In 2026, educators will increasingly look for education technology that truly impacts teaching and learning. This includes:
- Learning science becoming non-negotiable: The next generation of ed tech will be grounded in validated learning frameworks that shape how practice, feedback, and progression are designed — not just how instruction is presented.
- Personalized practice that optimizes learning for each student: Students should engage in meaningful, individualized work that targets their specific needs. The most valuable tools will offer real-time personalization that teachers simply can't replicate manually, especially in classrooms with wide skill ranges.
- An emphasis on teacher efficiency: As budgets tighten and scrutiny increases, schools will invest in tools that can demonstrate measurable gains in student achievement, while providing teachers with clear, actionable insights they can use immediately."
— Dr. Carolyn Brown, chief academic officer and co-founder, Foundations in Learning
"As reading proficiency continues to lag across the nation, 2026 will be pivotal in determining how K-12 schools use technology to address literacy gaps — especially in middle school. Districts can no longer rely on one-size-fits-all interventions; instead, we'll see literacy-focused ed tech become mission-critical, with an emphasis on personalization, accessibility, and measurable outcomes before students enter high school. Digital libraries and adaptive reading platforms will play a central role, using data-driven insights to match students with content aligned to their skill level and interests. These tools will increasingly support targeted interventions, enabling educators to identify gaps earlier and adjust instruction in real time. Rather than serving as supplemental resources, literacy platforms will be integrated into core curricula and accountability frameworks. Audiobooks and other digital formats are also expected to gain momentum in 2026 as schools seek scalable ways to support comprehension and fluency for diverse learners. When paired with interactive features and educator oversight, these formats can help re-engage struggling readers while reinforcing foundational skills. Ultimately, the most effective literacy technologies in 2026 will focus not just on a simple fix but on rebuilding student confidence and fostering consistent, enjoyable reading habits, both in and out of the classroom, to close learning gaps and support long-term academic success." — Renee Davenport, vice president of North American schools, OverDrive
"In 2026, K–12 districts are going to start cutting ineffective ed tech solutions. With budgets tightening and every dollar under scrutiny, leaders can't keep adding new tools while the ROI of their already bloated ed tech stacks remains hidden and scattered across disconnected platforms. Guesswork won't cut it anymore; districts will need clear insights into what to cut and why. Districts will need to rewrite the playbook. Leaders will look for clarity through a single, centralized platform that brings together financial, staffing and performance data to reveal the true impact of each edtech solution. They'll work to break down silos that create unnecessary complexity and share accessible data that tells a clear, actionable story for every stakeholder. This centralized visibility will allow districts to quickly identify underperforming tools, sunset redundant systems and redirect resources toward interventions that improve student outcomes, maximize instructional time and restore district leaders' confidence in decision-making." — James Stoffer, CEO, Abre
"In 2026, districts will move beyond treating 'high-quality instructional materials' (HQIM) and 'high-quality professional development' (HQPD) as separate checkboxes and start investing in what actually changes outcomes: a high-quality instructional experience (HQIX). After a decade-plus of initiatives, math achievement still lags because materials, training, coaching, and teacher confidence are too often delivered as disconnected islands. Expect procurement to shift toward integrated experience expectations: How well are teachers equipped (HQIM), trained (HQPD), supported over time (coaching and data cycles), and encouraged so they can make better instructional decisions in real classrooms? District leaders will seek partners that design for coherence across grades — especially K–8 pathways built around a clear algebra-readiness goal — rather than point solutions tied to a single strand, product, or grade band. As districts get more transparent about the 'math gap' and what drives it, success will be measured less by adoption and more by implementation quality: teacher efficacy, instructional consistency, and whether students experience aligned learning day after day. Vendors that can't connect materials with meaningful pedagogy support will be pressured to prove impact, while those that unify resources and practice into HQIX will become the north star for sustained, systemwide math improvement strategies." — Al Noyes, CEO, BW Walch
"In 2026, the ed tech shift won't be a flashy new app — it will be schools treating communication as core infrastructure for outcomes and competitiveness. Chronic absenteeism will force districts to connect earlier, consistently, and in ways every family can access. Meanwhile, school choice will push districts to differentiate on service and trust, making the parent experience a priority. Families will gravitate to schools that feel responsive, clear, and easy to engage with. That combination will accelerate demand for unified platforms that bring family tools together — messaging, forms, attendance support — instead of a patchwork of logins and channels. AI will move from 'pilot' to expectation inside these workflows. Educators and families will want AI that reduces friction (drafting messages, translating, surfacing patterns behind absences) while staying transparent and compliant. More states will codify guardrails — stronger privacy rules, approved channels, and limits on phones in class. The norm will be clear, secure school-home platforms, not ad-hoc tools. My worry is trust: privacy missteps and students defaulting to influencers or AI instead of adults. 2026 will also be about teaching critical thinking and digital discernment. The strongest tech will connect people and help parents and teachers raise independent thinkers." — Anupama Vaid, president and founder, ParentSquare
"In 2026, district leaders will increasingly recognize that their brand is built in the classroom. As family engagement becomes more immediate, digital, and expectation-driven, every interaction between teachers and families now shapes how a community perceives its schools and district. Districts will treat classroom visibility as a strategic asset, creating consistent, connected experiences for families across every school. On the technology side, more districts will standardize on secure, interoperable engagement platforms that unify classroom updates, translation and accessibility, and districtwide governance — so 'everyday learning moments' can be shared in real time with the right privacy controls and consistent brand experience. The new frontier of district reputation will be forged in the everyday learning moments that families can see, share, and feel." — Dr. Chad A. Stevens, head of growth & partnerships, ClassDojo for Districts
"In 2026, the long arc of NGSS implementation will reach a new tipping point. More districts will shift decisively away from traditional direct instruction and toward learning environments that mirror how people actually solve problems. Educators will increasingly prioritize instructional approaches that immerse students in deep learning, evidence-based reasoning, and real-world application. Three-dimensional assessment that considers not only what students know about Disciplinary Core Ideas but also how they use Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts to show understanding will become the expected norm. Rigorous teaching and assessment will help students actively construct and evaluate their knowledge." — Melanie Snow, Ph.D., learning experience designer, Kognity