Students from All 50 States Produce

National Framework for AI in America’s Schools

BOSTON, MA AND ALEXANDRIA, VA - Creston Senior Dylan Dornack was one of two students representing Iowa at the National AI Student Senate. Students representing all 50 states have developed a sweeping national framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in K-12 education, proposing protections for authentic learning, student privacy, fairness, human judgment, and the relationships at the heart of education.

The “STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026” was created at America’s Youth AI Festival - a first-of-its-kind gathering that took place July 17-19, 2026 on the UMass Boston and MIT campuses. Select students participated in a “National AI Student Senate” which replicated the Senate process, in an exact model of the Senate chamber at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The “Student Senators” were divided into subcommittees to create, debate, and vote on a comprehensive bill that represented their thoughts, views, and hopes for the future of AI in public schools.

The effort was organized by Day of AI; MIT RAISE; AASA, The School Superintendents Association; and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. The Act, which passed by a vote of 82-16, would:

• Require AI-literacy instruction when students first use digital devices in school

• Prohibit students from using AI to complete artistic assignments or generate written assignments

• Starting in 9th grade, allow students to use AI - with teacher permission - as a supplementary aid for brainstorming, studying, and editing

• Give students the right to appeal accusations of improper AI use and require meaningful human review

• Prevent schools from using AI to profile students or independently determine grades, discipline, or hiring

• Allow students to demonstrate subject matter mastery through oral defenses, handwritten assessments, or in-person discussions

• Protect sensitive student information and establish transparency around data collection

• Preserve the right of high school students and educators to decline AI use in appropriate circumstances

The student-authored proposal rejects an outright ban on artificial intelligence, or its unrestricted adoption. Instead, it establishes clear boundaries around when AI can support education, and when original student work, professional judgment, and human connection must remain paramount. As the STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026 states, educators should avoid AI use in situations where “human connection is irreplaceable in the learning environment.”

“This is written by students, for students,” said Day of AI Executive Director Jeff Riley. “Students from across the country examined the benefits and risks of AI, debated difficult tradeoffs, and developed a serious framework that education leaders can now evaluate, test, and strengthen.”

Key features of the STUDENT FIRST Act of 2026 include:

Protecting authentic learning and creativity

The Act distinguishes between using AI to support learning and allowing it to replace students’ intellectual or creative work. Students at every grade level would be prohibited from using AI to generate written or artistic assignments. Beginning in 9th grade, students could use AI for brainstorming, studying, or editing their own writing, but only with teacher permission and clear disclosure.

AI use would also be prohibited on graded assessments. Students would have to verify AI-generated claims and disclose how authorized tools contributed to their work. Teachers could require an oral defense, handwritten assessment, or in-person discussion to confirm independent understanding, providing an alternative to relying solely on AI-detection software.

Guaranteeing fairness and due process

Recognizing concerns about false positives from AI-detection tools, the Act gives students the right to appeal findings of improper AI use. Suspected violations would require human investigation and review by multiple school officials. Teachers and administrators could not rely exclusively on automated detection to determine a grade or impose discipline.

Schools would also be required to publish clear policies explaining when AI is permitted, restricted, or prohibited, along with the consequences for misuse.

Beginning AI literacy early

The Act calls for age-appropriate AI-literacy instruction before students receive or use digital devices in school. Instruction would address how AI works, misinformation, plagiarism, system bias, privacy, responsible use, and AI’s environmental effects. Educators would also receive recurring training on responsible AI use, academic integrity, accessibility, and student privacy.

Protecting privacy, identity, and student choice

Students would have to be informed about what data an AI system collects, how it will be used, and whether the collection is necessary. Schools could not use AI to profile students by ethnicity, religion, appearance, beliefs, or values, and educators could not enter identifiable or sensitive student information into AI tools.

The Act would permit appropriate AI-assisted supports in IEP and 504 plans while maintaining strict privacy safeguards. High school students who decline to use AI would be entitled to an alternative assignment, while teachers and administrators could also opt not to use AI, provided they continue to meet applicable educational standards.

Keeping consequential decisions human

Schools could not rely solely on AI to determine grades, identify misconduct, hire employees, or make other consequential decisions.

Teachers could use AI to support lesson planning, practice materials, feedback, and classroom organization, but they would remain responsible for reviewing all materials for accuracy, bias, and appropriateness.

The proposal also draws a firm line around emotional support. AI systems should not replace school counselors or trusted adults, and students seeking serious life advice or mental-health assistance should be connected with qualified people.

Addressing deepfakes and AI-enabled harassment

The Act would prohibit students from using AI-generated images, video, audio, or messages to bully, harass, defame, or falsely accuse members of the school community. The provision addresses growing concerns that synthetic media can make traditional forms of harassment more scalable, convincing, and damaging.

The path ahead: A national process of review and refinement

The STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026 is intended to begin, not conclude, a broader national conversation about AI in education. In the months ahead, Day of AI, AASA, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, and MIT RAISE will work with the Student Senators as well as school leaders to share and examine the policy framework through webinars, workshops, public discussions, and in-person school visits. AASA will also share the STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026 with its network of more than 10,000 school leaders nationwide.

This process will give the Student Senators an ongoing role in explaining the reasoning behind their recommendations and to hear directly from school communities. In addition, it will allow districts to begin or continue their conversations about AI policies, consider if the STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026 framework can be strengthened or adapted, and enable Day of AI to gather feedback from across the U.S. 

“Students are not asking schools to ignore AI, nor are they asking schools to adopt AI without limits,” said Edward M. Kennedy Institute Chief Educator Officer Sarah Yezzi. “They want clear, fair rules that protect privacy, preserve the ability to think, and ensure this transformative technology supports and enhances human relationships. In fact, the collaborative, human relationships these students developed during the Youth AI Festival allowed them to work together across geographic and ideological differences to offer real solutions for this complex issue of AI use in schools.”

You can read the STUDENT FIRST Act of 2026 in its entirety here. You can also watch the live student debate and Student Senate vote on AASA’s website here, and get more details on the ongoing conversation and the school district events across the nation on Day of AI’s website here. 

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