WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the 2024-25 school year, six in 10 teachers reported using an AI tool for their work. Out of a list of nine specific tasks related to their work, teachers used AI tools most often for preparing to teach (37% used it at least monthly), making worksheets or activities (33%), or modifying materials to meet student needs (28%).
Across all nine of these tasks, 32% of teachers are using AI tools at least weekly, and 28% are using AI less frequently (monthly or less).
The latest data are from the most recent Walton Family Foundation and Gallup study on educator perspectives, Teaching for Tomorrow: Unlocking Six Weeks a Year With AI, which is aimed at answering whether AI tools can help teachers do more for their students with their limited time. The study was conducted from March 18 to April 11, 2025, by web with a sample of 2,232 U.S. teachers working in public K-12 schools. Teachers were recruited from the RAND American Teacher Panel, a nationally representative, probability-based panel of U.S. public school teachers.
When teachers use AI for one of nine types of work tasks, majorities — ranging from 60% to 84% — report that AI saves them time. Very few (7% or less) report that their work takes more time when they use AI.
Regular Users Earn an Estimated “AI Dividend” of 5.9 Hours per Week
For teachers who invest the time in becoming a regular AI user, the tools can earn them a hefty “AI dividend” — time savings that teachers receive from using AI tools. Teachers who use AI tools at least weekly estimate they save 5.9 hours per week, on average. Over the course of a 37.4-week school year, these time savings add up to the equivalent of six weeks per school year. Qualitative data from the study show that teachers reinvest the time they save with AI into things like providing more nuanced student feedback, creating individualized lessons, writing emails to parents and getting home to their families at a more reasonable time.
The time savings are estimated by the half-hour on a task-by-task basis by teachers who said they use AI for at least one of their work-related tasks and that AI impacts the amount of time they spend on that task (either saving or adding time). Nonoverlapping tasks were added together to create a total. More information about calculating the AI dividend is available in the methodology.
Most Teachers Who Use AI Tools Say They Improve the Quality of Their Work
AI tools are not just time savers; teachers also report improvements in quality. Majorities of teachers who use AI for various tasks say it improves the quality of their everyday work tasks at least somewhat. The range of improvement is from 57% for grading and feedback to 74% for administrative work. Few teachers (16% or less) say the quality of their work decreases.
The AI Dividend Pays, but Only for Those Who Invest
Educators must invest in using AI tools to earn a dividend — a return of time savings and improved work quality. While teachers who use AI tools monthly also report time savings, it is much less than the 6 hours estimated for weekly users.
Teachers who use AI weekly also see higher quality of their work tasks when using AI compared with monthly users. In many cases, teachers who use AI at least weekly are twice as likely as less-frequent users to say that AI results in “much higher quality” of their work.
Bottom Line
During a typical school day, teachers must find time to plan engaging lessons, review student work, communicate with parents, and serve as mentors and tutors for their students. The latest findings from the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup Teaching for Tomorrow study show that teachers who invest in using AI regularly are earning an AI dividend that allows them to save time and, in most cases, improve the quality of their many work tasks.
If teachers have the resources they need to innovate with AI tools, the AI dividend has the potential to reach more teachers and students. With six in 10 teachers already using AI tools — and three in 10 using them weekly — teachers are off to a running start. As the 2025-26 school year approaches, AI tools could be a powerful force in reshaping teachers’ workload and, ultimately, student outcomes.
Learn more about the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup Teaching for Tomorrow study.
