ISBE K-12 AI guidance (2026)
Illinois State Board of Education Issues Statewide Guidance on AI in K-12 Schools Under SB 1920 / P.A. 104-0399 (July 9, 2026)
Illinois · Illinois State Board of Education, AI guidance for K-12 schools (July 2026), issued under P.A. 104-0399
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- July 9, 2026
- Applies to
- None (advisory guidance to Illinois school districts)
- Enforced by
- Illinois State Board of Education
Illinois' state education board published long-form, non-binding guidance to help schools and districts decide whether and how to use AI in teaching, grading, lesson planning and school operations, including academic-integrity issues. A 2025 state law required the board to produce it. It sets out recommendations, not rules, and stresses that AI is a tool, not a substitute for human teaching.
Who is protected: Illinois K-12 students and educators
Legal detail
ISBE guidance on artificial intelligence in K-12 education (409 pages), released 2026-07-09 pursuant to SB 1920 (Public Act 104-0399, 2025). Non-binding: 'does not lay out rules or mandates about how schools and districts should use AI.' Covers student and educator use cases (lesson planning, grading, academic integrity) and school operations. ISBE disclosed that portions were drafted/refined with generative AI tools.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | July 9, 2026 |
| Citation | Illinois State Board of Education, AI guidance for K-12 schools (July 2026), issued under P.A. 104-0399 |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | None (non-binding guidance) |
| Topics | education AI · children's online safety · government use of AI |
| News report | Illinois State Board of Education issues AI guidance written with help from AI — Capitol News Illinois |
More AI rules in Illinois
- Illinois Children's Social Media Safety Act — algorithmic recommendations ban for minors · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Illinois SB 3114 — Transparency in Downcoding Act · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- AI Safety Measures Act (frontier model audits) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Algorithmic rent price-fixing ban · Expired
- Illinois HB 3851 — deepfake cyberbullying in schools (2026) · In effect
- Illinois data center tax-incentive pause (DCEO, July 2026) · In effect
Related education AI rules elsewhere
- Blanchester OH schools AI policy EDEC (Jun. 29, 2026) · In effect
- Portland Public Schools genAI pause (Jun. 23, 2026) · In effect
- CA AB 2148 no-AI school employees (2026) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- FCPS formal generative AI restrictions — elementary ban, secondary authorization required · In effect
- NYC DOE Generative AI Moratorium (K-8, 2026-27) · In effect
- SF5231 · Expired
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