FOR SCHOOLS (K-12)
The 6 Domains of AI Readiness Every School Must Assess Before Deploying AI Tools
Founder, AI User Safety Initiative
Schools rarely fail at AI because they chose the wrong tool. They fail because they deployed a tool into an institution that wasn't ready to govern it. Readiness isn't a single yes-or-no — it's a posture across six distinct domains, and a domain-based assessment is what stops a school from mistaking policy documentation for functional governance.
Here is what each domain actually measures — and the question to ask honestly before the next tool goes live.
Domain 1 — AI Policy & Governance Infrastructure
Not whether a policy exists, but whether it is current, reviewed, and owned. A ratified policy with a named accountable owner and a review schedule governs behaviour. A draft in someone's inbox does not.
Domain 2 — Teacher AI Readiness
Beyond one-off training. The measure is whether teachers operate from a shared, ongoing framework — able to articulate the school's position and model responsible use — rather than improvising individually.
Domain 3 — Student AI Safety & Literacy
Progressive, grade-appropriate literacy built into the curriculum — not assumed understanding, and not a single assembly. Students should be taught to use AI responsibly, not just told what they cannot do.
Domain 4 — Data Privacy & Vendor Accountability
A formal evaluation process before a tool is adopted, a maintained inventory of what's approved, and named accountability for compliance. Without it, your school accepts data obligations it cannot trace.
Domain 5 — Instructional Integrity
A defined institutional position on when AI assistance is legitimate and what disclosure looks like — applied consistently — rather than each teacher drawing their own line.
Domain 6 — Leadership Oversight Capacity
The capacity to make informed decisions and respond when something goes wrong: named senior accountability, a defined escalation pathway, and AI on the strategic plan.
A school strong in three domains and absent in three is not "half ready" — it is exposed in three specific, nameable ways. Assessing all six together is the only way to see which.