AI adoption in schools has moved very fast from theory to measurable reality. New data from a Stanford University SCALE study offers one of the clearest looks yet at how K-12 educators are using generative AI in their daily work and what that might mean for the profession.
Researchers partnered with SchoolAI, an education technology platform powered by generative AI. They studied usage of SchoolAI among more than 9,000 U.S. teachers during the first months of the 2024–25 school year. The analysis tracked every teacher action on the platform, from logging in to creating lesson plans, quizzes, or student-facing chatbots.
Until now, most understanding of AI use in schools has relied on surveys and anecdotal reports. This dataset, drawn from real classroom behavior, shows which tools teachers choose, when they use them, and how their patterns shift over time.
Regular Use by More Than 40% of Teachers
The study grouped teachers into four engagement categories based on activity during a 90-day period:
- Single-Day Users (16%) logged in once and did not return
- Trial Users (43%) used the platform between two and seven days
- Regular Users (41%) used it between eight and 49 days
- Power Users (1%) logged 50 or more active days
While attrition was evident, about a third of teachers stopped after their third day. More than 40 percent became Regular or Power Users. That puts the platform’s retention above typical benchmarks for software adoption in other sectors, where three-month retention rates often hover around 30 percent.
