AI Adoption Must Include Families

November 2025

AI adoption is accelerating across the country. But the the latest 2025 research reveals something important: Most districts still do not have a family-facing AI plan.

The EdChoice 2025 parent survey found that 65 percent of parents want schools to teach students how to use AI responsibly. Pew Research Center noted that teen AI use is rising each year. And RAND’s 2025 report shows that while teacher training is increasing, readiness varies widely across districts.

What do all these findings have in common?

AI doesn’t begin or end in classrooms. It follows young people home.

Families shape the routines, boundaries, and habits that determine whether AI becomes a shortcut or a learning partner. They influence how students study, problem-solve, and make decisions. But right now, many families are navigating AI and emerging technologies with no roadmap, no shared language, and no invitation from school to share their wisdom and expertise.

This is not a tech challenge.
It is a systems challenge grounded in family engagement.
It is a call to action to learn and design together.

If you want coherence in AI adoption, lean on your family engagement strategies. As we see with nationwide decreases in chronic absenteeism, these strategies are some of our strongest tools for building shared understanding, aligned expectations, and trust across home and school.

Because when families, educators, and community partners learn together, students thrive. Digital wellness strengthens. And innovation has room to grow.

How are you bringing family engagement into your AI efforts so shared learning becomes shared growth?

Need support? Contact the Powerhouse Collective team for a discovery call.