AI Leadership & District Readiness Self Assessment Survey

AI Leadership & District Readiness

A Six-Domain Self-Assessment for Executive District Leadership Teams
The six domains describe where AI is showing up across every school system. This self-assessment turns that map into an honest, team-level picture of where your district stands today.

The statements draw on AI readiness domains from ESC Region 16 and are informed by what more than 100 senior leaders experienced across Educate Texas’ AI Collaborative in 2025-26.

Before you begin: Take a few moments to revisit the 10 leadership characteristics in the AI era. How do these characteristics show up in each of the domains below?

How to use it: As a leadership team, discuss each statement together and mark the response that best reflects where your district stands today.

The goal isn't a perfect score. It's an honest, shared picture that becomes the starting point for your team's action plan.

Done well, it produces the three outcomes the Center for Creative Leadership calls the heart of real leadership:
→ Direction
Agreement across your team on your overall AI vision and goals.

→ Alignment
Coordinated, connected work across departments and schools.

→ Commitment
A shared sense of mutual responsibility for the outcome.
How Educate Texas will use this information
Educate Texas will only use this information to identify areas to provide additional support for leaders in the region.
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01 GOVERNANCE & POLICY

Vision, Policy Frameworks, Legal Compliance & Board Engagement

Please select the response that most accurately describes where your district is today for each statement.

Rows	Yes, we're on it!	Somewhat, but we need to grow.	No action yet. But we're thought about it.	Haven't thought about it, but we should!	Not applicable
A. Our district has a documented vision statement that specifically addresses AI in education.
B. Our strategic plan includes measurable AI-related goals with clear owners, timelines, and review cycles.
C. We have formal, written AI guidance for students and staff, embedded in our Acceptable Use Policies and paired with guiding principles, developed with meaningful input from teachers, parents, and community members.
D. We have reviewed our AI tools against FERPA, COPPA, and Texas requirements (HB 149, SCOPE Act, DIR TAC 219), and have signed data agreements with vendors.
E. A specific person or team has clear responsibility and authority for AI vendor vetting and ongoing compliance monitoring.
F. Our school board is engaged in its own AI learning and understands the district's AI vision, priorities, and risks well enough to provide informed governance and support.
G. We continually scan for AI-related opportunities and risks, technological, political, and community.

02 INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATIONS & ACCESS

Operational Efficiency, Digital Opportunity & Human Capacity

Please select the response that most accurately describes where your district is today for each statement.

Rows	Yes, we're on it!	Somewhat, but we need to grow.	No action yet. But we're thought about it.	Haven't thought about it, but we should!
A. We have mapped where staff spend the most time on routine tasks that AI could responsibly handle.
B. Our digital infrastructure (devices, connectivity, and security) is ready to support the AI tools we plan to use.
C. We maintain a current inventory of AI tools in use across the district and review outcomes on a regular cycle.
D. We have assessed whether AI access and quality is equitable across student subgroups (income, special education, English learners) and reviewed tools for algorithmic bias.
E. When AI frees up staff time, we have a clear plan for reinvesting that human capacity in students and relationships.

03 LEADERSHIP & STAFF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Leaders Go First: Mindset, Literacy & Continuous Learning

Please select the response that most accurately describes where your district is today for each statement.

Rows	Yes, we're on it!	Somewhat, but we need to grow.	No action yet. But we're thought about it.	Haven't thought about it, but we should!	Not applicable
A. Our leadership team has a clear, shared understanding of what AI is and its specific strategic applications for our district's goals.
B. Our senior leaders (superintendent, cabinet, principals) have participated in structured AI learning in the past six months.
C. Most of our senior leaders (superintendent, cabinet, principals) are actively using AI tools in their own work.
D. We bring genuine humility to what we don't yet know about AI, treat missteps as learning opportunities, and actively seek feedback to adjust our approach.
E. We have assessed staff AI literacy and confidence levels to directly inform our professional development plan.
F. Educators have access to structured, ongoing AI professional development that goes beyond a single one-time session.
G. Staff feel confident enough to use AI tools thoughtfully, or to decide not to use them, in their own practice.

04 TEACHING & LEARNING

Instruction, Academic Integrity & the Human Element

Please select the response that most accurately describes where your district is today for each statement.

Rows	Yes, we're on it!	Somewhat, but we need to grow.	No action yet. But we're thought about it.	Haven't thought about it, but we should!	Not applicable
A. Our team genuinely believes AI can positively impact student learning, while protecting the human element of teaching as we adopt it.
B. We are actively piloting or adopting AI tools for teaching and learning, with regular opportunities for staff to collaborate and share results.
C. We select AI tools based on evidence of effectiveness, not novelty or marketing, and monitor whether they are actually improving outcomes.
D. We have updated our academic integrity policy for the AI era and given teachers guidance on rethinking how to teach with AI in thoughtful ways that push students' learning and understanding.
E. We consider how AI can proactively reduce barriers to learning for all students, including students with disabilities and Emergent Bilingual students.

05 FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Communication, Trust & Shared Governance

Please select the response that most accurately describes where your district is today for each statement.

Rows	Yes, we're on it!	Somewhat, but we need to grow.	No action yet. But we're thought about it.	Haven't thought about it, but we should!	Not applicable
A. We proactively communicate with our principals, educators, and staff, in plain language, about how AI is, and is not, used in our schools.
B. We proactively communicate with parents and families, in plain language, about how AI is, and is not, used in our schools.
C. Community members have meaningful, structured opportunities to give input on our AI policy and practice.
D. Students and families are formally represented in our AI advisory, vetting, or governance structures.
E. We have a plan for managing public concerns or misinformation about AI, including clear safeguards for student well-being.
F. We anticipate how AI-driven change will affect students, families, and staff, and include the perspectives of those closest to the work.

06 POST-SECONDARY & WORKFORCE PREPARATION

Pathways, AI Fluency & the New Economy

Please select the response that most accurately describes where your district is today for each statement.

Rows	Yes, we're on it!	Somewhat, but we need to grow.	No action yet. But we're thought about it.	Haven't thought about it, but we should!	Not applicable
A. We are rethinking our programs, pathways, and high school design so that all students, not just those in technology pathways, are prepared for an AI-powered economy, postsecondary success, and life.
B. AI fluency is being built into all pathways (college prep, CTE, dual enrollment), with explicit instruction in using AI as a thought partner: prompting, evaluating, iterating, and building on AI outputs.
C. We are in active dialogue with local industry, higher education, and workforce partners about the skills and credentials employers value in our local economy.
D. We have mapped which AI-era skills our current curriculum and programs develop, and which they leave out.

Should be Empty:

AI Leadership & District Readiness

01 GOVERNANCE & POLICY

02 INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATIONS & ACCESS

03 LEADERSHIP & STAFF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

04 TEACHING & LEARNING

05 FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

06 POST-SECONDARY & WORKFORCE PREPARATION