Every district teaches by its own instructional approach, such as Universal Design for Learning, mastery-based grading, or the science of reading. Learning Frameworks let you select those approaches once, at the organization level, so Dot and teacher Assistants shape lessons, rubrics, and feedback to match.
Learning Frameworks is part of the Scale plan. Your CSM can confirm what your organization has.
Looking to set district-wide guidance or standards instead? See Set Custom Instructions for Your District and Set Your District's Preferred Standards.
Who can set this up
A change here affects every teacher in your organization, so only users with the Owner role can turn frameworks on or off. Owner is assigned by the SchoolAI team, not by Admins. If no one in your district has the Owner role yet, reach out to your SchoolAI contact. See User Roles in SchoolAI for details.
Where to find it: Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner, select Organization, and scroll to Learning frameworks.
What learning frameworks do
The frameworks you select shape how Dot and teacher Assistants structure lessons, build rubrics, and word feedback.
They shape how, not what. Frameworks change the approach, not the topics Assistants cover.
The baseline still applies. With no frameworks selected, SchoolAI already uses scaffolding, age-appropriate design, and built-in safety. Frameworks add your district's emphasis on top.
The catalog is curated. SchoolAI maintains the guidance behind each framework, informed by published research. You choose which frameworks are on; you don't edit the guidance itself.
If your district currently asks teachers to paste framework guides into their prompts, this replaces that.
How frameworks fit with your other district settings
Learning frameworks sit alongside Custom Instructions and Preferred Standards on the same Organization page. Each one does a different job:
Custom Instructions set district rules and context, such as tone, sensitive topics, and local expectations.
Preferred Standards set which standards Assistants align to.
Learning frameworks set the instructional approach Assistants use.
Platform safety always comes first, and nothing in these settings can loosen it. A teacher's own instructions to Dot or an Assistant take priority over frameworks.
How to turn frameworks on
Open Organization settings and scroll to Learning frameworks.
Review the catalog of six research-based frameworks (below). A framework marked Coming soon can't be turned on yet.
Use the switch on each card to turn a framework on or off. You can turn on as many as apply.
Each change saves immediately, and you'll see a Learning frameworks saved confirmation. The badge above the cards shows how many frameworks are selected, and the section records when the selection last changed and who changed it.
Framework | What it emphasizes |
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) | Options for engagement, representation, and expression, designed in from the start |
Mastery / Competency-Based Learning | Progress tied to demonstrated proficiency, not completion or seat time |
Teacher Clarity & Feedback (Hattie research) | Visible learning goals, success criteria, and student progress |
Project-Based Learning (PBL) | Extended, authentic projects instead of isolated tasks |
Science of Learning (Retrieval & Explicit Instruction) | Teach new material directly, then have students practice recalling it |
Structured Literacy (Science of Reading) | Explicit, systematic reading instruction. Applies to K–5 reading and spelling only |
Inheritance
Frameworks are set at your top-level organization and apply to the schools and organizations beneath it. If your organization inherits from a parent organization, the switches are locked and the section shows Managed by with that organization's name. Schools can view the selection but can't change it.
Changes apply to conversations going forward.
What teachers see
Teachers don't set anything up, and nothing new appears in their workflow. They ask Dot or an Assistant for a lesson, rubric, or feedback the same way as always, and what comes back reflects the frameworks currently enabled.
For example, a teacher asked Dot for an end-of-unit assessment with UDL and Mastery / Competency-Based Learning both enabled. The result included a vocabulary support box (UDL) and a proficiency-level rubric (Mastery).
The AI generally won't name your frameworks in its responses, so teachers may not know which ones are on. If your selection is something staff should know, share it through your usual channels as well.
What Learning Frameworks can help you do
Carry a district instructional adoption into the materials teachers create with Assistants
Stop relying on teachers to paste framework guides into their prompts
Give every teacher output that models your district's approach, with no new workflow
Frequently asked questions
Who can change our framework selections? Organization Owners. Owner is assigned by SchoolAI, not by Admins, so if no one in your district has it, reach out to your SchoolAI contact.
Do teachers have to turn anything on? No. Your selection applies to Dot and teacher Assistants automatically.
Can we select more than one? Yes. Turn on as many as apply.
What if we select nothing? SchoolAI's built-in approach still applies. Frameworks add emphasis on top of it.
Does this change what topics the AI covers? No. Frameworks shape how Assistants help, not what they cover.
Does this change student Spaces or Sidekick? No. The selection applies to Dot and teacher Assistants only.
Do frameworks override a teacher's own instructions? No. When a teacher gives Dot or an Assistant specific instructions, those take priority. Platform safety comes before everything.
What if enabled frameworks pull in different directions? The system reviews each user message and applies the relevant aspects of every active framework. If frameworks conflict, it interprets the user's intent and delivers the best response while balancing the enabled approaches.
Can schools choose their own frameworks? Not currently. Frameworks are set at the top-level organization and inherited by the schools beneath it.
When do changes take effect? Changes save immediately and apply to conversations going forward.
Can I see who changed our selection? Yes. The section shows when the selection last changed and by whom.
Will the AI announce our frameworks? Generally no. The emphasis shows up in the responses and generated content.
Why does Structured Literacy apply only to K–5 reading and spelling? Its guidance is specific to early reading instruction, so other subjects and grades aren't pulled into that approach.
Our district uses a framework that isn't listed. Can we add it? Not as a custom framework. Use “Submit a framework for review” at the bottom of the section to tell us about it.
Is SchoolAI certified or endorsed by these framework organizations? No. The guidance is informed by published research, and SchoolAI doesn't claim certification or endorsement.
Why don't I see the Learning frameworks section? Learning Frameworks is available on the Scale plan and may still be rolling out to your account. Your CSM can confirm what your organization has.