Table Of ContentEducation Reimagined
Leading Systemwide Change with the
ISTE Standards
About ISTE
The International Society for Technology in Education is the premier
membership association for educators and education leaders
committed to empowering connected learners in a connected world.
Home to the ISTE Conference & Expo and the widely adopted ISTE
Standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age, the
association represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide.
We support our members with professional development, networking
opportunities, advocacy and edtech resources.
What Are the ISTE Standards?
The ISTE Standards are the standards for learning, teaching and
leading in the digital age and are widely recognized
and adopted worldwide. They work together to transform education.
Learn more about the standard at iste.org/standards.
Join our Community of Passionate Educators!
ISTE members get free year-round professional development
opportunities and discounts on ISTE resources and conference
registration. Membership also connects you to a network of
educators who can instantly help with advice
and best practices.
Join or renew your membership today! Visit iste.org/membership or
call 800.336.5191.
© 2018 International Society for Technology in Education
World rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
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any information storage or retrieval system—without prior written permission from
the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
First Edition ISBN: 978-1-56484-689-1
Printed in the United States of America.
®
ISTE is a registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in
Education.
Contents
Introduction
Digital Age Leadership
Overview
ISTE Standards for Students
ISTE Standards for Educators
ISTE Standards for Education Leaders
Themes Across the Standards
Essential Conditions
Finding Yourself in the ISTE Standards
Principal/Assistant Principal
Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent
Chief Academic Officers and Chief Innovation Officers
Chief Technology Officer/Chief Information Officer
Higher Education
Professional Learning /Development Staff
Questions for All Leaders
Vignettes
Equity and Citizenship Advocate
Visionary Planner
Empowering Leader
Systems Designer
Connected Learner
Connecting Leadership Standards
Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)
National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP)
Learning Forward
Future Ready
Crosswalk of ISTE Standards for Education
Leaders and ISTE’s Essential Conditions
Strategic Planning Is Ongoing Work
The Standards and the Essential Conditions
Development Team and Credits
Introduction
Schools and districts are made up of a diverse and interconnected
community of students, educators and other staff. As research
develops and new technology tools and resources proliferate,
educational leaders are faced with an increasingly complex task as
they consider how to provide appropriate, personalized learning for
all. Digital technologies are multifaceted tools that educational
leaders can leverage to best meet the needs of students. The ISTE
Standards for Education Leaders provide a full framework with all the
individual components needed for strong, positive systems change
for learning with technology in a manageable, easy to follow format.
The standards reflect research-based best practices and
developments in education technology and have evolved from the
original set released in 2001, the revised 2009 standards and the
newest version in 2018. More than 130 people from 50 states and 32
countries were involved in the standards refresh.
The leader standards are not intended to be used alone. Strong
leaders also use the ISTE Standards for Educators and the ISTE
Standards for Students to bring about holistic change with a shared
vision and direction for all. Each set of standards are highly relevant
to the educational leader and are collectively used throughout this
booklet.
Digital Age Leadership
The digital era demands a need for change in school structure and
leadership practices. The traditional model of “school leader as
manager” comes from the industrial era and does not have a place in
today’s schools. Managers of the past developed a controlled
environment where students were tethered to their desks and
teachers were isolated in their classrooms. Technology has had a
disruptive effect on this type of structure as it has opened up the
possibility of different types of relationships, interactions and learning
(Merchant, 2012).
Schools and districts are historically based on a hierarchical
pyramidal structure of power, privilege and access to information.
The how, when, where and what should be learned is regulated by
national, state and district requirements. However, digital
technologies put power in the hands of learners and educators, and
great school and district leaders integrate digital technologies to
develop a learning landscape that embraces shared leadership, trust
and encouragement.
“
Learning is natural, ubiquitous and
essential to our humanness.
The ISTE Standards for Educators provide guidance on how the
educator role can shift from one of authority figure to one of facilitator
and supporter as educators become learning guides and
pedagogical pioneers. The ISTE Standards for Students regard
students as reflective, active directors of learning as they become
adaptive, creative problem solvers. The ISTE Standards connect
with the philosophy that learning is natural, ubiquitous and essential
to our humanness (Alexander, Schallert & Reynolds, 2009) and
provide a road map for how digital technologies can be effectively
integrated into education to empower students, educators and
leaders in reaching their learning potential.
The role of the educational leader is paramount in developing a
culture of change. It is important that school and district leaders
recognize that, rather than managing people through a directed
approach, the leader provides the environment, culture and
opportunities to nurture and empower educators and students to be
self-driven.
From Management to Facilitation
Moving toward student-centric learning is not a new concept. After
all, John Dewey promoted the idea in the 19th century. What is new
are the many ways digital technologies allow educators to
personalize learning. Often change comes from a shift in culture,
which is built on the nebulous foundation of traditions, values, beliefs
and rituals built up over time. School culture is all encompassing, yet
elusive and often difficult to interpret. Nonetheless, the school culture
determines the attitudes, beliefs, decisions and actions of educators
and students. The ISTE Standards for Education Leaders provide a
set of guidelines and examples to enable school and district leaders
to move the school toward a positive school culture by promoting
equity, change, empowerment, strong systems and connected
learning experiences.
It is important to recognize that leadership appears in many forms.
District leaders make changes across multiple schools, principals
across their schools and teacher leaders within and across grade
levels. The top-down model is no longer the only avenue of change.
School and district leaders value and encourage expertise and
ideas. Great initiatives are now recognized from leadership provided
by strong educators with valued experience and knowledge. Change
is multidirectional to allow all members of the education community
to contribute. Leaders create the culture and conditions for
innovation and earn respect by modeling an open policy of
leadership.
Figure 1. Educators transform learning, leaders transform systems, students
reflect those changes with transformative learning.
Alexander, P. A., Schallert, D. L., & Reynolds, R. E. (2009). What is learning anyway? A
topographical perspective considered. Educational Psychologist, 44(3), 176–192.
Merchant, G. (2012). Mobile practices in everyday life: Popular digital technologies and
schooling revisited. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(5), 770-782.
Overview
The ISTE Standards for Education
Leaders, Educators and Students and
the ISTE Essential Conditions
The ISTE family of standards provides a comprehensive road map to
effective technology integration into PK–12 schools. The standards
focus on different roles in educational structures that support the
individual in best meeting the needs of the learners. Nonetheless,
roles do not function independently, and the standards are
developed to go hand-in-hand and inform across all roles. For
example, the role of leader is not a position only for those at the
district or principal level. Teachers take on strong leadership roles,
such as grade-level leader and curriculum specialist, and the ISTE
Standards for Education Leaders inform all types of educational
leaders. Classroom teachers focused on their role as educators will
use the ISTE Standards for Educators, but they will also use the
ISTE Standards for Students to determine what students should be
accomplishing in the classroom with technology.
