NCTE-led project enters new phase as teacher cohorts apply, refine guidance for helping students think critically with AI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), with support from a national grant from Google.org, has published a working framework for English language arts educators seeking to understand the appropriate role of AI in the discipline—a pressing issue facing every school and student. As the professional organization for literacy teachers spanning preK through college, NCTE now invites ELA educators to review the framework and contribute their feedback to the classroom teacher cohorts who are further developing the framework.
“NCTE and our members have been at the forefront of connecting English and technology for decades. We are now at a pivotal moment for English language arts education,” NCTE Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick said. “This is our moment to center teachers in discussions and decisions around where and how AI can be used responsibly, and how best to prepare students to succeed as critical thinkers in today’s world. Our 60 cohort members bring the expertise and dedication that is needed to create guidance and resources to support ELA teachers everywhere.”
The working framework centers on three elements for teachers to consider as they explore how AI can support ELA instruction and learning in the classroom: the elevation and fostering of student voice and agency by emphasizing critical thinking; attentiveness to critical AI literacy, empowering students to examine AI outputs; and refining what academic integrity and scholarly pursuit look like in the age of AI. The framework seeks to provide strategies to uphold academic standards and advance the fundamental goals of the ELA classroom—cultivating critical thinkers, empathetic readers, and effective communicators—by ensuring that even as technology evolves, intellectual exploration and authenticity remain at the core of instruction.
“AI is no longer a futuristic possibility but a ubiquitous reality; it is not an ‘either/or’ proposition for our schools or our students, but a permanent shift in how we navigate information and how it will affect instruction,” said Bill Bass, a cohort leader who serves as innovation coordinator in the Parkway School District in St. Louis. “This framework provides much-needed guidance for teachers while prioritizing human voice and intellectual rigor, ensuring that AI serves as a partner in inquiry rather than a substitute for thought.”
The framework was conceived by three dozen ELA thought leaders spanning classroom teachers, teacher educators, and researchers during a weekend of collaborative inquiry hosted by NCTE in Los Angeles in February 2026. The working document is now being applied by 12 cohorts comprising 60 classroom teachers who were selected through a competitive application process to create specific, thematic materials and additional frameworks for both pedagogy and teacher leadership to support educators and students across the country. The areas of focus include:
- Accessibility and Administrative Tools
- Art, Media, and Multimodal Resources
- High-Impact and Immediate-Use Resources
- Resources for Preservice Teacher Education
- Middle School Resources
- High School Resources
Each cohort is being facilitated by an NCTE member with deep expertise in teaching and learning with AI. In addition to their geographic diversity, cohort members bring a range of experience, from early career to veteran teachers, and represent a mix of tribal, rural, urban, suburban, charter, public, and parochial schools. Their work will continue through December, with NCTE sharing resources they create along the way.
“NCTE’s leadership in this space is not only timely and necessary, it continues a century-long legacy of advancing literacy education by providing actionable resources for all teachers,” said NCTE President Antero Garcia, who participated in the Los Angeles event and is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. “As just one of millions who have benefited during my career, I feel honored to help guide our field through this new era.”
Learn more about the cohorts and access the framework and feedback form.
About NCTE
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the professional organization for literacy teachers spanning preK through college. Through expertise and advocacy from its members’ professional research, practice, and knowledge, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911. For more information, please visit ncte.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Allie Ciaramella, NCTE: media@ncte.org