New Report: AI Remains Top State EdTech Priority Amid Growing Debate About Technology in Schools

SETDA's fifth annual survey finds states responding to a growing debate over edtech with new AI policies, more statewide cell phone bans, and higher standards for evidence when they buy.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SETDA, the principal membership association representing state and territorial educational technology and digital learning leaders, published its fifth annual State EdTech Trends Report. The report looks at the priorities and challenges facing K-12 education technology leaders across the country.

The 2026 report, developed in collaboration with Whiteboard Advisors, draws on 73 survey responses from state edtech directors, chief information officers, and other state education agency leaders in 45 states and one territory. As in prior years, the report pairs survey data with state spotlights. This year's spotlights cover North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, and Colorado, and show how states are responding to AI, concerns about screen time, purchasing decisions, and professional learning.

This year's report comes as the public debate over technology in schools has expanded from cell phones to the laptops and tablets students use for instruction. State leaders are now expected to show that the technology in schools helps students learn, keeps them safe, and is worth what states and districts pay for it. Many are doing this work with limited resources. Seventy-four percent of respondents disagree that their state has a dedicated, sufficient edtech budget, and 76% have five or fewer staff working on edtech.

"Families want to know that their children are safe online, that their data is protected, and that the technology used in classrooms is actually helping them learn," said Stephen D. Dackin, Director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, in his preface to the report. "These are fair questions, and education leaders at the state and district levels owe families clear answers… Our answer should not be to reject technology, and it should not be to adopt it without question."

Among the key findings in the 2026 report:

• AI tops the list of state priorities again, and states are moving from guidance to formal policy. Seventy-nine percent of state leaders named AI a top technology priority, up from 68% in 2025, and 83% of states have an AI initiative. For 23% of states, state law now requires AI guidance, up from 4% in 2024.
• Public skepticism about edtech is growing, but most states lack the data to respond. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said their state has a lot of edtech but does not always use it effectively, the largest percentage since the annual report launched in 2021. At the same time, 52% said their state collects no data on the use or effectiveness of edtech tools.
• Statewide bans are now the most common state policy on student cell phones. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported a strict statewide ban, up from 22% in 2025. Many states are pairing bans with support for responsible use: 76% support digital citizenship education.
• States are raising their standards for edtech purchases, but verifying vendor claims remains a challenge. Fifty-three percent of states have published guidance on buying AI-enabled tools, and 79% of that guidance now includes evidence standards, up from 45% last year. Still, 68% of state leaders said it is difficult to independently verify vendor claims about AI products.
• Professional learning for educators is the fastest-growing unmet edtech need. Sixty-two percent of respondents named professional learning a top unmet need, up from 47% in 2025, the largest increase of any need in the survey.

"Effective technology use has always been less about the tools themselves and more about the systems that support them," said Dorann Avey, Chair of SETDA's Board of Directors and Digital Learning Director at the Nebraska Department of Education. "For too long, our investments in devices and software have outpaced our investments in the leadership, planning, professional learning, and evidence needed to maximize their impact. The members of SETDA remain deeply committed to closing that gap."

The full report is available at https://www.setda.org/priorities/state-trends/

About SETDA
SETDA is the principal membership association representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology and digital learning leaders. Through a broad array of programs and advocacy, SETDA builds member capacity and engages partners to empower the education community in leveraging technology for learning, teaching, and school operations. 

For more information, please visit our website https://www.setda.org.

SOURCE SETDA