International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

News Summary:

Panelists at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference on July 2, 2026, encouraged school districts to become more disciplined in their investment of limited dollars, as they contend with shrinking budgets, declining enrollment, and expiring federal pandemic relief funds while facing pressure to improve student outcomes. This advice came at the conclusion of the second annual co-located ISTELive and ASCD Annual Conference, which convened 15,201 participants from 86 countries and all 50 U.S. states in Orlando, Florida, and online from June 28 to July 1, 2026. The conference featured major announcements, research, AI initiatives, and professional learning aimed at helping schools navigate the future of education. On June 30, 2026, ISTE also announced that its K-12 educator chatbot, Stretch, initially introduced in 2023, was finally ready for use, notable for its AI being trained solely on ISTE-developed or vetted materials. Earlier in the conference, on June 28, 2026, discussions focused on districts achieving AI progress by prioritizing teaching and learning goals, and building trust, governance, and cybersecurity into K-12 technology strategy from the start. The event also marked four years since the then-International Society for Technology in Education merged with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), a significant K-12 professional development association.