Ensure Competency in Digital and AI Literacy

The development of digital literacy has become an essential educational priority for learners in both K-12 and postsecondary settings. As digital technologies increasingly shape communication and information access, work and economic mobility, and civic life, learners need the knowledge and skills to navigate digital environments thoughtfully and responsibly. In recent years, the rapid expansion of AI tools has further heightened the importance of digital literacy, requiring learners not only to use technology effectively but also to understand its capabilities, limitations, and broader societal implications.

Activities to develop digital literacy should include an AI component that teaches learners how to responsibly use new tools and how to determine the validity of information that may be produced by AI. To protect learners, AI should be introduced in a developmentally appropriate manner and in a controlled environment at first. The AI-Enabled Professional Competencies Framework outlines how seven competencies, including AI and data literacy, problem-solving and creativity, computational skills, and continuous learning, can be scaled to different educational and professional levels.1 Developing digital literacy across educational levels supports adaptability in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

States have increasingly embedded digital literacy requirements within K-12 systems, often through computer science standards, media literacy laws, or broader digital learning frameworks that emphasize skills such as information evaluation, digital citizenship, and technology use. For example, New Jersey mandates instruction in information literacy across grades, while states such as Arizona, North Dakota, Utah, and Virginia have developed comprehensive digital literacy frameworks that are integrated into core academic standards.2