ISTE CERTIFICATION

Criteria Guidelines
UPDATED APRIL 2021
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

Introduction
The ISTE Standards for Educators provide a framework for rethinking education,
adapting to a constantly changing technological landscape in education and preparing
students to enter an interconnected global economy. ISTE Certification recognizes and
celebrates educators who demonstrate competency with the standards.

This criteria guidebook is intended for educators currently enrolled in the ISTE
Certification Program. The criteria guidebook can be used by educators for preparing for
their portfolio creation while they are curating artifacts, writing contextualizations, and as
a review before portfolio submission. The guidebook includes specific information about
the criteria required for portfolio submission used in the review process. This criteria
guidebook is not to be downloaded or saved as it is a living document and changes will
be made, when necessary. Please contact Carmalita Seitz at cseitz@iste.org if you
need special requirements made for viewing.

The Criteria Guidelines Document was refreshed in April 2021 for branding and
accessibility. The guidelines and requirements for the portfolio evaluations did not
change.

Table of Contents
1. Learner Standard Criteria
2. Leader Standard Criteria
3. Citizen Standard Criteria
4. Collaborator Standard Criteria
5. Designer Standard Criteria
6. Facilitator Standard Criteria
7. Analyst Standard Criteria
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

LEARNER STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
As educators, we must set ❏ I have identified more
learning goals for our than one professional
professional growth. This learning goal and my
criteria is focused on the learning goals focus on
professional learning goals for the use of educational
yourself and how you plan to technology.
meet and learn to meet those ❏ My professional
goals. learning goals outline
the learning I will
2. Set professional learning What are at least two participate in to
goals. professional learning goals for strengthen my practice
effectively using technology in educational
have you set for yourself technology.
regarding the use of ❏ My artifact outlines the
technology? Have you met learning steps I will
these goals? If so, share the take to achieve/meet
learning that happened to meet my professional
the goals. If your learning goals learning goals.
are not met, share how you will
continue to learn to meet those
goals.

Virtual networks can deepen ❏ My artifact provides

your professional learning and direct evidence of my
connect you with peers, active participation,
experts, resources, and new creating discussions,
ideas. To make the most of and contributing to
professional learning networks, discussions, in the
we can consume but must also digital networks I am
be active contributors. What involved in.
digital networks are you part of, ❏ Discussions I have
3. Actively participate in a local and how have they contributed created are to request
or global digital network. to your professional growth? support in my learning
from my network.
Provide evidence of your active ❏ Discussions I have
participation in creating new replied to are to
discussions/posts on learning support others, in my
and engaging with your network, for their
network(s) by replying to learning.
others.
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

Staying connected to research ❏ My artifact or my

is essential as an ISTE Certified contextualization
Educator; this research should directly identifies the
always guide our instruction peer research that I
and allow for us to make read/investigated.
changes to our current ❏ I included a link or
practices as validated research screenshot of the
emerges. research in my
contextualization or
There is a difference between artifact.
4. Report changes made to research (studies that can be ❏ The research I read is
teaching practice based on cited) and reviews (thoughts, peer-evaluated and not
timely, research-based best opinions, and ideas). Reflect on just a blog, website, or
practices. research that has impacted general book reference.
your instruction and assisted ❏ I provide evidence of
you with the most effective my practice before I
ways to use technology. read/learned about this
new research.
Think about this statement ❏ I provide evidence on
when you are creating your how I changed my
submission for this criteria: practice based on the
research using
"I used to do __, but then I educational technology.
read/learned ___, so now I
do ___."

LEADER STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
❏ I directly state the
As a leader, you will seek out shared vision for
ways to promote the vision and learning with
policies of a group, technology in my
organization, or school that you contextualization and
are part of. This vision should my artifact.
5. Promote a shared vision. guide you in how you evaluate ❏ The shared vision in my
and adopt new instructional artifact was supported
strategies for learning with by multiple
technology. stakeholders, including
myself. (I may have
A shared vision is one you have been part of the
with others, not just your own creation but not
personal vision that you have required)
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

shared with others. How, as a ❏ The artifact shows how

leader, how are you promoting I promoted this vision
this vision to a larger audience beyond my own
than your own learners? learners.
❏ The artifact shows how
I led the promotion of
the shared vision to a
larger audience.

This criteria is about leveling ❏ I identified in my

the playing field or providing artifact the group of
opportunities where none learners with an unfair
existed for an underserved or disadvantage to
unserved population of learning.
learners. ❏ My artifact provides
evidence of how I
All learners have a right to advocated for access to
have access to educational support the identified
technology and digital learner(s) to
resources needed for learning educational technology
regardless of race, ethnicity, they did not currently
socio-economic status, gender have access to.
identity, sexuality, ability, ❏ My artifact provides
primary language, or other evidence of how I
6. Advocate for equitable specific learning factors. encouraged leveling the
access. playing field and
As a leader in education, how providing opportunities
do you or have you encouraged where none existed for
equitable access and an unserved or
opportunity for a group of underserved population
disadvantaged learners? How of learners.
have you participated in or
influenced decision-making for
access to a specific technology
or digital resources that were
previously not available to
them?

*Your evidence must extend

beyond just having access to
devices at school (1:1
initiatives).

Exploring, testing, and ❏ My contextualization

7. Model new resources or evaluating new tools or digital and artifact directly
tools. resources builds your skills to show the new digital
match the tool to the task and tool or resource that I
helps to design learning
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

activities that use technology introduced to

purposefully. Sharing newfound colleagues.
resources with colleagues can ❏ My artifact goes beyond
be the most influential just how to use tools to
endorsement and help increase the tool’s instructional
the adoption of digital tools and use.
resources for instruction. ❏ I provided evidence in
my artifact of how I
This criteria focuses on your modeled for colleagues
process to find, evaluate and the use of the tool in
model with your colleagues new instruction.
tools and resources for ❏ My artifact directly
instruction. shows the instruction,
to my colleagues, on
this tool.
This criteria moves away from
the how-to-use the tool to the
pedagogical practices this tool
supports.

CITIZEN STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
❏ My artifact directly
There needs to be ongoing shows my instruction
opportunities for learners to on how my learners are
practice to contribute positively instructed and guided
to online interactions and to be empathetic and
discussions. socially responsible
Many of us use protocols with when contributing to
learners that build practice in online discussions and
8. Implement learning
empathy and socially interactions.
experiences for students to be
responsible online discussions. ❏ I provide framework(s),
empathetic and socially
protocols, or guidelines
responsible.
This criteria focuses on the for learners to use in
learning and practice around a online interactions and
set of protocols introduced to discussions.
learners and opportunities to ❏ I give direct evidence in
experience, in a safe my artifact of how my
environment, the learners put these
implementation of this learning. guidelines into practice.
❏ If I am using a 3rd
party lesson, I showed
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

how I customized
and/or adapted it.

We are inundated with an ❏ My artifact shows

overabundance of information evidence of the
on a daily basis. How do we guidelines learners
learn to decipher if that used to evaluate online
information is valid, accurate, resources and
and relevant? information critically
❏ I provide examples of
Under the Citizen Standard, how I guided my
9. Promote student behaviors this criteria focuses on how you learners to evaluate
that encourage curiosity as guide your learners to online information and
they critically identify/examine understand digital literacy as a resources for the
online resources. guiding principle when author's biases,
researching and reading information accuracy,
information online. and relevancy when
researching information
found online.
❏ If I am using a 3rd
party lesson, I show
how I customized
and/or adapted it.

Under the Citizen Standard, ❏ My artifact provides

this criteria focuses on how you examples of direct
guide and mentor your learners instruction, examples,
on the proper use of intellectual and activities learners
property. All learners should participate in to
understand the importance and understand the proper
regulations for using others’ and ethical use of
work and understand intellectual property.
10. Mentor students in safe, Copyright, Fair Use, and ❏ My artifact provides a
ethical and legal use, including Creative Commons. clear picture of how I
intellectual property. For this criteria we are looking mentor my own
for specific learning about these learners regarding their
concepts in instruction. use of intellectual
property.
Mentoring: is ongoing ❏ If I am using a 3rd
instruction over a period of party lesson, I show
time that encourages learners how I customized
to manage their own learning and/or adapted it.
beyond the provided
instruction.
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

This criteria focuses on ❏ My artifact specifically

instructing learners to protect showcases the learning
their personal data and manage experiences I provide
their digital identity when to learners on how to
online. keep their digital
11. Model responsible use, identity and their
including protection of digital Model: Being transparent with personal data safe.
identity and personal data. how you protect your own ❏ I show how I model this
digital identity and personal in my own practice.
data. ❏ If I am using a 3rd
party lesson, I show
how I customized
and/or adapted it.

COLLABORATOR STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
❏ My artifact and
Collaboration is a vital practice contextualization
for innovating instruction, specifically show and
learning from each other, and outline how I worked
continual improvement. It is with other colleagues to
particularly powerful for design learning
learning design that leverages experiences using
technology. When we educational technology.
12. Collaborate with another collaborate with other ❏ I provide clear evidence
educator. educators we need to establish of each educator's role
roles and responsibilities for in the development of
the design and implementation the activity and how
of the project. each educator
contributed to the
It is important to reflect on how design and/or execution
we intentionally collaborate of this learning
with our colleagues to mutually experience.
improve the use of technology
in teaching.

Think of a time when you ❏ I identify the tool that I

learned a brand new digital tool co learned with my
13. Co-learn with students
or resource with a group you learners.
about a new digital tool.
were instructing; what ❏ The digital tool was
happened during this learning brand new to my
experience? learners and me.
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

Learning is a process; sharing ❏ I provide clear evidence

how we learn is a process. in my artifact of the
learning process
Learning with our own learners between my learners
is an important part of the and myself.
learning journey; failing ❏ I highlight my success
forward, working out solutions, and challenges as well
and finding new ways to utilize as my learners’
tools. successes and
challenges while
co-learning.

Technology allows educators to ❏ My artifact provides

bring experts in synchronously specific evidence of my
and virtually to deepen the active role in a meeting
learning experience. or meetings with an
outside expert,
For this criteria, we want you to synchronously and
think of a time where you virtually, that they do
provided this experience or not have normal access
14. Facilitate students’ virtual take the time to schedule and to.
meetings with experts or implement this experience for ❏ I have identified how
students. your learners. An expert can be this experience
another adult or even a k-12 enhanced learning.
student.

Remember, this is the

Collaborator Standard; how do
you collaborate with other
experts to bring that
experience and learning
opportunity to your learners.

For this criteria, identify who ❏ My artifact provides

your learners are and who their evidence of how I
supporters may be (e.g., for effectively
K-12 students, they may be communicate with my
guardians or counselors, with learners’ supporters
15. Demonstrate effective
adult learners, they may be around their learning
communication with all
their supervisors). goals and use of
students’ supporters.
educational technology.
❏ My artifact provides
Effective communication: is multiple examples of
an ongoing process in my effective
producing a desired or intended communication.
result.
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

DESIGNER STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
When designing learning ❏ I outline the specific
activities, educators specify content/subject area
targets and standards to standards that the
measure learning. In addition learning experience is
to the ISTE Standards, this aligned to.
criteria focuses on using ❏ My artifact drills down
content/subject area standards to the specific standard
16. Align to content area in your instruction. objective and not the
standards. high-level standard
name.
❏ The learning activity
the content/subject
area standards are
aligned to is with the
use of educational
technology.

Educators design learning ❏ My artifact directly

activities to address various showcases how I am
learner needs for active designing learning,
learning. When designing your using technology to
learning activities you want to access content in
focus on multimodal content various ways that fit
delivery using educational individual consumption.
technology so that you can ❏ My learning activities
17. Accommodate learner
personalize their learning include pictures, audio,
differences.
experience. video, contrasting
colors, graphics, and
Focus on the UDL Principle of clarifying vocabulary.
Representation for this
Criteria; visit this website for a
deeper understanding of this
criteria.
http://udlguidelines.cast.org/re
presentation
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

A digital learning environment ❏ My provided artifact

can be used wholly or in part to showcases the various
support learning. Educators activities that I have
can utilize a learning created in a digital
management system or design learning environment.
18. Design digital learning an interactive learning ❏ I show evidence of how
environment. experience using digital tools learners receive
and apps that focus on how you feedback, access
engage the resources, and interact
student-to-teacher with other learners in a
student-to-self and digital learning
student-to-student environment.
experience

FACILITATOR STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
Learner agency is a vital skill ❏ My artifact outlines how
that, as educators or leaders my learners are setting
working with K-12 or adult and working to achieve
learners, we can build in those their learning goals.
with whom we work. ❏ I provide evidence of
ways I support my
The ISTE Standards for learners in meeting
Educators require us to their learning goals.
effectively become facilitators ❏ I provide evidence that
of agency, including having the learning goals and
19. Facilitate and guide learning learners take ownership of their outcomes are with the
as students take ownership of learning goals. use of educational
their learning goals. technology.

Learning goals are goals

referring to the higher-order
ambitions you have for your
learners while learning
objectives are specific,
measurable competencies. The
ownership of these goals must
be highlighted along with how
you guided and facilitated your
learners to achieve those goals.

20. Manage the use of The use of technology for ❏ My artifact shows how I
technology for learning in a learning-- in classroom, keep learners engaged
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

nontraditional classroom blended, hybrid, or online and on task when they

setting. learning environments-- are learning in a
requires a combination of skill non-traditional way.
sets. ❏ I outlined the rules,
guidelines, and
From keeping learners engaged parameters, regarding
and on task and optimizing the use of technology I
space, time, applications, and use with my learners in
devices, this criteria focuses on a non-traditional
strategies for managing the use learning environment.
of technology in a way that
enhances learning.

Design and computational ❏ I provide evidence of

thinking are powerful the design and
competencies for implementation of a
problem-solving. Building recognized
those skills requires designing design-thinking or
and implementing activities computational thinking
opportunities for learners to process in my
21. Create opportunities for gain practice. instruction.
students to use a design
❏ My artifact outlines
process and/or computational
This criteria focuses on how each of the steps of
thinking.
you design for and implement either the design
on a regular basis, including thinking process or
using technology to do so. computational thinking
process.
❏ Each step explains the
learning activities and
process for learners to
complete.

Creativity and creative thinking ❏ My artifact

are part personal expression demonstrates my own
and critical for communication creativity in designing
of ideas and knowledge and opportunities for my
making meaningful connections learners to be creative
between ideas. with digital tools and
22. Model and nurture technology.
creativity. This criteria focuses on how ❏ My artifact provides
educators provide opportunities evidence of nurturing
for their learners, including creativity for my
modeling it in our own practice. learners with either the
This includes instructional opportunity of peer
strategies and technologies that feedback or
can support strategies. opportunities to
showcase the final
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

product to an authentic
audience.

ANALYST STANDARD

Criteria Criteria Focus Criteria Checklist

Statements
Technology affords learners to ❏ My artifact provides
showcase knowledge and skills evidence that my
that can be a powerful way to learners were provided
engage deeper learning when voice and choice in the
combined with learner choice. technology for their
final project and how
This criteria focuses on how they showcase the
23. Provide alternative ways for
educators design and development of their
students to show competency.
implement projects or learning final product.
experiences that allow learners ❏ I identify the choices
to choose how they want to my learners had for
demonstrate their learning. It their final product,
also requires educators to using educational
evaluate learner work in technology.
meeting objectives or
standards.

As educators, we have to draw ❏ My artifact showcases

on our experience and data to the data that I used to
ensure that our learners are analyze learning and
progressing in their inform a change in my
understanding. instruction.
24. Use assessment data to
❏ I show and explain the
inform and guide instruction
This criteria focuses on how process that I use to
based on individual student
you gather and analyze data collect and analyze data
needs.
and how you use the findings to using technology.
adjust instruction. ❏ I show and explain the
adjustments I made to
my instruction based on
the data that I collected
and analyzed.

Reflection is a key part of ❏ I show and explain how

25. Provide opportunities for learning. Allowing time for our I provide opportunities
students to reflect on their own learners to have access to and for my learners to
learning data. understand their own learning reflect on their own
data is an essential ingredient learning data using
to empowering learners.
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ISTE Certification Portfolio Criteria Guidelines

digital tools and

This criteria focuses on how technology.
technology-powered ❏ My artifact shows the
assessments can provide learning data used for
immediate feedback and data reflection and the
to the learner and educator. It reflection on that data.
also focuses on how technology
tools allow for learner reflection
to adjust their own work.