NYC Schools AI Policy 2026: Keeping Teachers at the Center

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in K–12 education, school districts are taking a closer look at how technology supports student learning and classroom instruction.

In September 2026, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) announced new artificial intelligence (AI) and screen time guidelines for the 2026–27 school year. The policy includes a temporary restriction on student-facing generative AI for younger students, limited AI opportunities for high school students, and a broader focus on evaluating the technology used in classrooms.

While much of the conversation has focused on restricting AI, the guidance raises an important question for educators and school leaders:

How can schools embrace useful educational technology while keeping teachers and meaningful instruction at the center of learning?

The answer starts with understanding the policy and recognizing the role that thoughtfully designed instructional tools can play in supporting educators.

Understanding NYC’s New AI Policy for Schools

The NYCPS AI guidance establishes different expectations for students based on grade level and instructional needs.

For the 2026–27 school year, the policy includes:

• Grades 2-K–8: A one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI tools.
• Grades 9–12: Limited access to approved AI programs through supervised pilots and certain career-readiness activities.
• AI literacy: Two required 45-minute AI literacy modules for high school students.
• Screen time: Recommended limits of 30 minutes per day for individual screen use in grades 3–5 and 45 minutes for grades 6–8, with separate restrictions for younger students.
• Accessibility: Continued access to necessary assistive technologies and accommodations for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

The guidance also prohibits companion chatbots across grade levels.

Importantly, these restrictions focus on particular uses of generative AI and student technology. They do not represent a blanket prohibition on all digital learning tools.

NYCPS has also committed to strengthening its evaluation of classroom technology, with increased attention to instructional value, student privacy, safety, and effectiveness.

Source: NYC Public Schools — Guidance on Artificial Intelligence and Screen Time

What NYC’s AI Guidance Means for Teachers

One of the most important distinctions in the NYC schools AI policy is the continued role of teacher judgment.

Under the guidance, educators may use approved AI tools for instructional planning and operational tasks, subject to district privacy, security, and procurement requirements.

However, AI is prohibited for grading, behavior monitoring, and placement, promotion and graduation decisions.

This distinction reinforces an important principle: technology should assist educators, not make critical instructional decisions on their behalf.

Teachers bring context, experience, and an understanding of individual student needs that technology alone cannot replicate.

They know when a student needs additional practice, when a different instructional approach may be helpful, and how to interpret assessment results within the larger picture of student learning.

The most valuable educational technology helps teachers act on that expertise more effectively.

Why Teacher-Led Assessment and Practice Still Matter

As districts review their classroom technology, it is worth considering how digital tools support the fundamentals of effective instruction.

Not every useful educational technology requires generative AI.

Teacher-directed practice and assessment platforms can help educators deliver targeted learning opportunities, monitor student understanding, and identify areas where additional instruction may be needed.

For example, educators can use digital assessment tools to:

• Assign standards-aligned practice that reinforces classroom instruction and learning objectives.
• Provide timely feedback that helps students understand mistakes and strengthen their skills.
• Monitor student progress through assessment data and performance reporting.
• Identify learning gaps to inform reteaching, intervention, and differentiated instruction.
• Maintain instructional oversight by selecting assignments and determining how results inform the next steps.

These capabilities support a classroom where technology helps organize learning and make information accessible while educators remain responsible for instructional decisions.

The goal is not to eliminate technology from education. It is to ensure that the tools schools use serve a clear educational purpose.

Evaluating Classroom Technology Beyond AI

NYC’s guidance also highlights a broader conversation about how schools evaluate educational technology.

When considering the role of a digital learning platform, school and district leaders may benefit from asking several important questions:

Does the tool support a clear instructional objective?

Technology should help educators and students work toward specific learning goals rather than simply adding more screen time.

Does it preserve teacher oversight?

Educators should be able to determine what students practice, how progress is measured, and how the information supports instruction.

Does it provide meaningful information about student learning?

Assessment and reporting tools are most valuable when they help teachers recognize strengths, identify gaps, and make informed instructional decisions.

Does it meet district requirements?

Privacy, security, accessibility, procurement, and instructional effectiveness are all important considerations when evaluating classroom technology.

These questions extend beyond generative AI. They apply to nearly every digital resource used in today’s classrooms.

Supporting Teacher-Led Learning with Castle Learning

At Castle Learning, we believe educational technology should support the expertise of teachers and help students build confidence through meaningful practice.

Castle Learning provides a digital practice and assessment platform that allows educators to create and assign standards-aligned learning activities across mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies.

With Castle Learning, teachers can select questions from an existing content library, create their own assignments, provide students with instructional feedback, and review performance data to inform their teaching.

The platform supports teacher-directed instruction through capabilities such as:

• Standards-aligned questions and customizable assignments
• Instructional feedback through hints and explanations
• Automated scoring for supported question types
• Student performance reporting and progress monitoring
• Flexible assignment settings based on instructional goals

These capabilities give educators tools to reinforce classroom learning while maintaining control over assignments and instructional decisions.

As districts review their educational technology, Castle Learning welcomes conversations about how its features support teacher-led practice and assessment, including questions about district-specific requirements.

Keeping Teachers at the Center of Educational Technology

New York City’s 2026–27 AI guidance is an important reminder that adopting technology in schools should never be the goal on its own.

Whether districts are evaluating generative AI, traditional assessment platforms, or other digital learning resources, the priority remains the same: supporting meaningful learning experiences for students.

Technology can help provide practice, organize information, deliver feedback, and make student progress easier to understand. But teachers remain essential to interpreting that information, guiding instruction, and helping students succeed.

As schools continue navigating changing technology policies, one principle should remain constant:

The best educational technology strengthens the work teachers do, rather than replacing it.

Explore Teacher-Led Practice and Assessment with Castle Learning

Looking for ways to support standards-aligned practice, meaningful feedback, and data-informed instruction?

Discover how Castle Learning helps educators create learning opportunities that keep teachers at the center.

By. Danielle Cox

Danielle is a New York State Education Solutions Consultant for Harris Education Solutions, bringing more than 28 years of experience in education. Prior to joining HES, Danielle served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and school administrator. She now partners with school and district leaders to deliver tailored solutions that support student success, data-informed decision-making, and operational efficiency.

Editorial Note: This article is based on publicly available guidance from New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not establish or imply product compliance, certification, endorsement, or approval by NYCPS. School districts should consult current NYCPS policies and applicable review and approval processes when evaluating educational technology.

For years, Castle Learning has helped educators provide students with meaningful opportunities to practice, review, and strengthen their understanding of important concepts. But learning does not stop when students leave the classroom or complete an assignment.

When students study independently, they may not know where to begin, what material to revisit, or which strategies will actually help them retain what they have learned. Studying can quickly turn into rereading notes, reviewing everything at once, or cramming the night before an assessment.

That challenge led our team to an important question:

How can we help students make effective studying and review a more consistent part of their everyday lives?

That question became the starting point for the Castle Companion App.

“Castle Learning already does a great job supporting the work teachers assign. What we kept hearing about was the other half—what happens when a student sits down alone the night before a test and doesn’t really know where to start. Most students aren’t struggling because they don’t care. They’re struggling because nobody ever taught them how to study. Rebuilding Castle Learning on a phone wouldn’t have touched that. We wanted something that belonged to the student, not something they were assigned.” — Meghan Ricketts, Content Manager

Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom

Castle Companion was created to work alongside Castle Learning and extend the learning experience beyond traditional assignments.

The goal was not simply to recreate Castle Learning inside an app. Our team wanted to build an experience designed specifically for independent study—one that felt approachable, engaging, and easy for students to use whenever they had a few minutes to review.

Rather than expecting students to determine what and how to study on their own, Castle Companion helps guide the review process. Students can revisit concepts, make connections, track their progress, and develop stronger study habits through shorter, more focused practice sessions.

This creates a bridge between the work students complete through Castle Learning and the independent review that helps those concepts stay with them.

Designed Around Better Ways to Study

Every Castle Companion feature was developed with a purpose.

Smart Stack uses spaced repetition to help students revisit content over time instead of reviewing everything at once. Study Match makes review more interactive while reinforcing important concepts. Mind Mapping allows students to organize information visually and understand how ideas connect.

Together, these tools support more than content review. They help students become more active, confident, and independent learners.

“We started from what the research says actually works—recalling information instead of rereading it, testing yourself, and connecting ideas rather than memorizing them in isolation. But we also know students don’t all think the same way. One student needs quick repetition to make facts stick; another needs to see how everything fits together before any of it makes sense. These three tools cover the full arc, from first getting something into your head to really understanding it, and they let students find the approach that fits them.” — Meghan Ricketts, Content Manager

Instead of reading the same material repeatedly and hoping it sinks in, students actively retrieve information, check their understanding, and identify knowledge gaps while they still have time to address them.

Students can study on the go, fit practice into their schedules, and continue making progress between classroom assignments. Educators can feel confident that students have another meaningful way to engage with Castle Learning content outside the classroom—without adding another responsibility to the teacher’s workload.

Built Through Collaboration

Castle Companion may appear as one seamless experience to the student, but bringing it to life required the ideas, expertise, and dedication of people across Harris Education Solutions.

Team members from product development, technology, design, education, customer support, and other areas worked together throughout the process. Each person brought a different perspective to the project.

Some team members understood the technical requirements needed to turn the idea into a working mobile experience. Others brought years of experience supporting Castle Learning educators and understanding how students interact with instructional technology. Feedback, testing, problem-solving, and thoughtful conversations helped move Castle Companion from an early concept to an app students could begin using.

This collaboration mattered because creating an educational app requires more than adding features. Every interaction had to be considered from the student’s perspective:

• Is it easy to understand?
• Does it encourage the student to continue?
• Does it make studying feel manageable?
• Does it help the student recognize their progress?

Those questions kept the team focused on creating something genuinely useful—not simply something new.

“Every improvement we make ultimately has to answer one question: Does this help students learn better? The Castle Companion App was built with students at the center, making it easier for them to build good habits and take ownership of their own progress. It’s a meaningful step forward in making Castle Learning even more student friendly.” — Dr. Brad Hunter, VP of Operations

Why This Work Matters to Us

We are passionate about Castle Companion because we believe students deserve tools that help them feel capable of taking the next step in their learning.

Independent study can be challenging, especially when students do not know what to review or feel overwhelmed by the amount of material in front of them. Teachers are already stretched covering required content, which means there is not always enough time during the school day to teach students how to study effectively.

Castle Companion supports students beyond the classroom without placing one more task on a teacher’s plate.

“Kids get handed plenty of tools for doing schoolwork, but almost nothing for the part that happens on their own—after school, the night before a test, when no one is checking in. The app treats studying as a skill a student can own, not another task assigned to them. Phones are already in their hands every day, so meeting them there felt obvious rather than clever. Castle Companion is about giving kids independence in the one part of learning that’s genuinely theirs.” — Danielle Cox, Education Solution Consultant

The right support can make studying feel more manageable and help students recognize that progress is built through small, consistent efforts. Castle Companion gives students a place to practice, explore, and strengthen their understanding at their own pace.

Most importantly, it can help transform studying from something students feel they have to do into something they know how to navigate.

A New Chapter for Castle Learning

The launch of Castle Companion represents more than the introduction of a new app. It is another step in the continued evolution of Castle Learning and our commitment to supporting students wherever learning takes place.

We are proud of what our team has created, grateful to everyone who contributed along the way, and excited to see how educators and students use Castle Companion to extend learning beyond the classroom.

Meaningful success, however, will not be measured only by downloads or usage numbers.

“Success is a student walking into a test knowing they’re ready. Not hoping, not cramming the night before—actually prepared, because they had a way to get there on their own. Numbers can tell me an app was opened; they can’t tell me a kid felt steady instead of anxious. If students come away more confident in their own ability to prepare, the app has done its job.” — Danielle Cox, Education Solution Consultant

As students and educators explore the app, their experiences and feedback will continue to shape its future. Castle Companion began with a question about how we could help students study more effectively. Its next chapter will be written with the educators and learners who put it into practice.

Current Castle Learning customers are eligible to participate in a complimentary Castle Companion trial during the 2026–27 school year.

Ready to discover a new way to extend learning, strengthen review, and support independent study?

By Mary Beth St. Dennis, Product Success Manager

The weeks before students return are some of the most valuable for instructional planning. While classroom walls are being decorated and lesson plans are taking shape, one resource often gets overlooked until after school starts: assessment data.

Instead of waiting for the first benchmark or quiz, teachers can use the data they already have to enter the new school year with a clearer understanding of where students are likely to need support. Even a few hours spent reviewing past performance can lead to more targeted instruction, stronger interventions, and greater confidence on the first day of school.

Here are five ways teachers can put assessment data to work before students even walk through the door.

1. Identify Learning Gaps Before They Become Learning Obstacles

Assessment results from the previous school year provide valuable insight into the concepts students mastered and the skills that may need additional attention.

Rather than reviewing every standard equally, focus on recurring areas of difficulty. If multiple students struggled with fractions, informational text, or scientific reasoning, those concepts can be intentionally woven into early lessons and review activities.

Starting with data helps teachers prioritize what matters most instead of relying on assumptions.

2. Group Students for Targeted Support

Student groups rarely need to wait until new assessments are given.

Using historical assessment data allows teachers to begin thinking about flexible instructional groups before the school year begins. While these groups will certainly evolve as new data is collected, having an initial plan makes it easier to differentiate instruction from the very beginning.

Whether it’s small group reading instruction, math intervention, or enrichment opportunities, early planning saves valuable instructional time once school is underway.

3. Set Meaningful Goals for Student Growth

Beginning the year with clear goals creates a stronger sense of purpose for both teachers and students.

Past assessment data can help establish realistic growth targets based on each student’s starting point. Instead of focusing only on end-of-year achievement, teachers can create milestones that celebrate progress throughout the year.

When goals are data-informed, it’s easier to monitor growth, adjust instruction, and recognize successes along the way.

4. Plan Review Activities That Matter

Back-to-school review doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all.

Assessment data helps teachers identify which concepts truly need reinforcement and which skills students have already mastered. This allows review lessons to be more intentional, reducing unnecessary repetition while dedicating more time to areas where students need additional practice.

Targeted review helps students rebuild confidence while preparing them for new learning.

5. Prepare for Data-Informed Conversations

The first few weeks of school often include conversations with administrators, intervention teams, and families about student needs.

Reviewing assessment data ahead of time allows teachers to enter those discussions with confidence. Instead of relying on general observations, educators can reference specific performance trends, strengths, and areas for growth.

Having a clear understanding of the data also makes it easier to explain instructional decisions and collaborate on strategies that support student success throughout the year.

Turn Assessment Data into Action

Assessment data is most valuable when it leads to meaningful instructional decisions. Reviewing student performance before the school year begins helps teachers start with a plan instead of starting from scratch.

Tools like Castle Learning make this process even easier by providing educators with actionable assessment data alongside a large library of standards-aligned practice questions, assignments, quizzes, and formative assessments. Teachers can quickly identify learning gaps, create targeted practice opportunities, and monitor student progress throughout the school year—all from one platform.

When teachers begin the year with both data and the right instructional resources, they’re better prepared to meet students where they are and help them reach where they’re capable of going.

Ready to Learn More?

Discover how Castle Learning helps teachers transform assessment data into meaningful instruction with standards-aligned practice, instant feedback, and actionable reporting.

By Danielle Cox

Danielle is a New York State Education Solutions Consultant for Harris Education Solutions, bringing more than 28 years of experience in education. Prior to joining HES, Danielle served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and school administrator. She now partners with school and district leaders to deliver tailored solutions that support student success, data-informed decision-making, and operational efficiency.