AI readiness in schools: institutional policies and technological capacity in Spanish secondary education and vocational training

Introduction The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence in education is transforming schools faster than our ability to understand whether they are truly prepared for it. Despite growing policy attention, explicit institutional policies for AI remain scarce globally, with schools often relying on individual teachers' discretion, resulting in inconsistent practices. This study examines the institutional readiness of Spanish secondary and vocational education centers for AI adoption through the development and statistical validation of an instrument designed to capture two critical dimensions: institutional policies and technological resources. Methods During the 2024-2025 academic year, data were gathered through an online questionnaire administered by pre-service teachers during their school placements, who consulted school leadership teams to obtain accurate organizational information. A total of 80 centers from 14 Spanish autonomous communities participated, representing diverse school ownership types (public, state-funded private, and fully private) and educational modalities (secondary, vocational training, and adult education). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor model with strong psychometric properties (CFI = .955; TLI = .938; Cronbach's α ≥ .86). Results Results reveal moderate institutional readiness overall: while ethical awareness regarding AI use is relatively established, the development of formal policies, specialized support roles, and sustained teacher training remains limited. Pronounced differences emerged between school types and modalities, with public schools and adult education centers showing the lowest readiness levels. Discussion These findings expose structural vulnerabilities that may compromise the responsible and equitable adoption of AI in education and highlight the need for targeted interventions. The validated instrument offers a comprehensive tool for identifying institutional strengths and weaknesses and provides evidence to support strategic decisions aimed at building robust, future-ready schools.