The Task Exposure Indexv2026.Q3
Occupation · SOC 25-2021.00 · Job Zone 4

AI exposure: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level.

Reading this score

computed

33.9% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education at the 58th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.1 out of 4 on what a current system can produce, and the frictions that hold other jobs in place are comparatively weak here.

What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 38 tasks it averages 1.92 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.

The most exposed thing this job does is Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those..., at 86.7%. The least is Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required, at 0.0%. A gap of 86.7% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.

Within educational instruction and library occupations, this one is less exposed than the median of 42.4% across the group's 62 roles, with 48 scoring higher. Being in an exposed family does not make a particular job exposed, and the reverse holds too.

What would move this score. Of 38 tasks, 18 are currently banded exposed, 5 assisted and 15 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take systems being given deeper access to the organisation's own records and history, which is already happening. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.

Task by task

38 tasks, O*NET 31.0
TaskExposedAssistedUntouchedImportanceBand
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.86.7%13.3%0.0%4.36exposed
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.86.7%13.3%0.0%4.15exposed
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.80.0%20.0%0.0%4.63exposed
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.80.0%20.0%0.0%4.46exposed
Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling.80.0%20.0%0.0%4.21exposed
Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.76.7%23.3%0.0%4.13exposed
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.66.7%33.3%0.0%4.29exposed
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among the students.50.0%25.0%25.0%4.79exposed
Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.70exposed
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.69exposed
Assign and grade class work and homework.45.0%30.0%25.0%4.34exposed
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.45.0%30.0%25.0%4.05exposed
Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of elementary school programs.45.0%30.0%25.0%4.04exposed
Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or with special academic interests.40.0%35.0%25.0%4.75exposed
Involve parent volunteers and older students in children's activities to facilitate involvement in focused, complex play.40.0%35.0%25.0%3.24exposed
Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.38.5%28.1%33.3%4.30exposed
Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.30.0%20.0%50.0%4.36exposed
Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.28.7%13.0%58.3%3.25untouched
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.28.3%21.7%50.0%4.10exposed
Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.25.0%50.0%25.0%4.67assisted
Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine student strengths and needs.23.3%26.7%50.0%3.84assisted
Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.23.3%26.7%50.0%3.08assisted
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.22.2%27.8%50.0%4.52assisted
Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.20.0%30.0%50.0%4.35assisted
Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.18.8%18.8%62.5%4.52untouched
Read books to entire classes or small groups.15.0%10.0%75.0%4.52untouched
Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.13.8%23.8%62.5%3.58untouched
Instruct students individually and in groups, using teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.11.7%13.3%75.0%4.95untouched
Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.11.7%13.3%75.0%4.30untouched
Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.10.0%15.0%75.0%4.49untouched
Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.5.0%20.0%75.0%4.17untouched
Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.0.0%0.0%100.0%4.60untouched
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.0.0%0.0%100.0%4.23untouched
Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.0.0%0.0%100.0%4.17untouched
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.0.0%0.0%100.0%3.88untouched
Organize and label materials and display students' work.0.0%0.0%100.0%3.56untouched
Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.0.0%0.0%100.0%3.48untouched
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.0.0%0.0%100.0%3.40untouched

Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.

Where the score comes from

judged

Every task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.

DimensionMeanScale
Capability2.090-4
Embodiment0.980-3
Presence1.610-3
Accountability0.860-3
Context1.920-3
Verification cost1.090-3

What this means in practice

Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.

Occupations either side of this one

The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.

Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.