UT High School Launches State-Certified AI Training Series for Educators and School Districts

The University of Texas High School (UTHS) has announced the launch of its AI in Education: Security, Privacy & Responsible Use series, a self-paced professional learning program now available to school districts across Texas. The three-part series equips educators with the knowledge and tools to use artificial intelligence responsibly while protecting student data, intellectual property, and academic integrity.

UT High School has been certified as a vendor for the 30-CPE-hour program by the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) for 2026–2027, and the program satisfies the artificial intelligence training requirements under Texas Government Code §§ 2054.5191 and 2054.5193, enacted under House Bill 3512. This makes UTHS a compliance-ready partner for districts navigating the state's new AI training mandates.

Practical, Compliance-Focused Curriculum

The three modules of the AI in Education program are:

Module 1: Intro to AI & Prompting — Foundational AI literacy, classroom applications for planning and differentiation, prompt design, and verifying accuracy and bias.

Module 2: AI, Intellectual Property & Emerging Risks — Student data governance, copyright and fair use, academic integrity, parent communication, and building clear AI use guidelines.

Module 3: Core Data Privacy & Cybersecurity — FERPA and COPPA compliance, protecting personally identifiable information, phishing and ransomware awareness, secure file sharing, and incident response.

Participants receive practical tools and templates to support real-world implementation and develop workable policies aligned to district compliance and classroom realities.

A Look Inside the Course

These sample screens show what participants experience as they work through the self-paced modules.

Select a screenshot above or a link below to view it full size:
Review call | X-ray a real export | Designing for Integrity | Two Truths and a Hallucination

Who It Serves

The program is designed for teachers, instructional coaches, campus leaders, and district administrators. Bulk pricing is available for districts enrolling groups: the full three-module series is $295 per person for 1–9 participants, $250 for 10–49, and $225 for groups of 50 or more.

Built by Educators, for Districts

"This past year we presented on AI at the Texas Rural Education Association's annual conference and at TCEA, and it was the same story every time. District leaders and educators kept telling us they couldn't actually use AI tools because everything was turned off. Their leadership and technology teams were worried about what might happen once they opened that door, and worried about security. When the state legislature mandated training, we already knew exactly what districts needed," said Melissa Freeman, Director of District Programs.

Freeman’s background in professional development and online instruction shaped the series' design. She led the project with UTHS Technology Director James Garza, who built out the program's data privacy and cybersecurity modules, and Lead Instructional Specialist and AI Coordinator Sara Dawson, who developed the classroom-facing content and serves as the district's point person on AI policy.

"We built the series in-house, without outside partners. Between our backgrounds as classroom teachers and our work in ed tech and instructional design, we had the right expertise on the team already. We wanted to ease administrators' and teachers' concerns about AI in the classroom while giving them tools and knowledge they could immediately implement. We wanted to fill a real gap for K-12 educators, not just check a compliance box, but give teachers something they'd be proud to earn a certificate for," Freeman said.

For more information about the series, please contact the UT High School Professional Development Team at pd@uthighschool.org.

About UT High School

The University of Texas High School is UT Austin's accredited online high school program, serving more than 6,000 students with over 25 years of proven success. Beyond its diploma programs, UTHS offers professional development, credit-by-exam services, and partnership opportunities for schools nationwide.

To learn more or enroll in this new professional development program, visit highschool.utexas.edu/ai-awareness.