The discipline of treating the technology ecosystem as a living system requiring regular attention — including annual review, policy revision, ecosystem recalibration, leadership transition continuity, and periodic re-completion of the TERI self-assessment itself. Distinct from Outcomes Measurement (5.3): that checkpoint asks "are we getting results?" — this one asks "are we maintaining and improving the system itself?"
Why it matters
Even strong districts drift over time — new tools arrive, state laws change, staff turn over, student needs shift. Scheduled re-audit cadence is what keeps the work alive across leadership transitions and keeps current practice from being mistaken for last year's plan.
Connects to
ISTE Essential Condition: Ongoing Evaluation. The Framework: supports all 12 Conditions by maintaining their integrity over time.
Maturity levels
Not Started
No continuous improvement structure. Policies and curriculum age without systematic revision. When leadership changes, work often restarts or ends. No re-audit cycle.
Emerging
Some annual review happens, usually tied to specific policy renewal cycles. No integrated cross-ecosystem review. No formal re-audit. Work survives or dies based on individual leader commitment.
Established
Annual integrated review of the full tech/AI/digital wellness ecosystem. TERI (or equivalent ecosystem instrument) re-audit every two to three years. Policy revision cycles documented. Transition documentation supports leadership changes. Improvement framework in place.
Expanding
Continuous improvement is embedded culture, not annual event. TERI re-audit integrated into strategic planning cycles. Leadership transitions managed with explicit ecosystem continuity plans. Work is documented well enough to outlast any single leader. Ecosystem health tracked and reported as openly as academic outcomes.
Go deeper with
Example resource
Carnegie Foundation — Networked Improvement Communities
Also consider
Learning Forward — continuous improvement standards for educator learning
AASA leadership transition and superintendent continuity resources
Education Development Center — sustainability research for K-12 initiatives
Balanced Scorecard for Education — strategic measurement and improvement