Demand for guidance on artificial intelligence in classrooms has grown quickly, and districts are looking for frameworks that describe what students and teachers should be able to do with AI tools. ISTE+ASCD has responded with an expanded Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate framework and AI literacy training delivered with Google.
Districts and states have introduced their own review and approval programs for edtech products, which keeps demand for independent reviews such as the ISTE Seal. Edtech procurement and professional learning budgets vary by state, so the organization's membership and certification activity remains tied to district spending.
ISTE+ASCD reaches educators through a membership community and the ISTE Standards, the organization's framework for technology use in teaching and learning. Its ISTELive conference and member network connect edtech providers with educator feedback on products and classroom practice.
The organization also runs the ISTE Seal, a certification that evaluates edtech products against indicators of usability, digital pedagogy, and the ISTE Standards. Partnerships with larger technology and education organizations, including Google's AI Educator Series training and a joint pledge with GreatSchools.org, extend its reach beyond its own membership.
As a nonprofit, ISTE+ASCD depends on membership revenue, conference attendance, and certification fees rather than on a commercial product line. Certification and professional development remain crowded fields, with state-run seals and other certification bodies competing for the same edtech vendors and district buyers.
Large technology vendors run educator training and product resources of their own alongside association partnerships, giving districts alternative sources of guidance. The 2026 name change to International Society for Transforming Education also requires continued work to keep the organization recognized under both its new name and the ISTE acronym.
