Texas ASCD remains on the cutting edge of educator needs in the ever-changing world of education. What remains unchanged and as vibrant today as it was in its infancy is the commitment and dedication to lifelong learning for educators.
Texas ASCD has 20 regional affiliates spanning the state. Regional affiliates, the liaison between Texas ASCD and local schools, concentrate on regional policy issues and offer professional learning to their members.
It has a diverse membership of over 3,000 superintendents, principals, teachers, curriculum directors, staff developers, students, and professors. Texas ASCD is a state affiliate of the International ASCD.
Vision
Texas ASCD is the premier network for learning, teaching, and leading.
Mission
Texas ASCD advances leadership and innovative capabilities of diverse educators and influences policy to ensure each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
History
Founded in 1947, Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Texas ASCD) is a non-profit organization committed to improving teaching and learning for the success of all learners.
Profile of a Transformative Leader
Transformative leaders achieve extraordinary results that are sustainable and transcendent. They embody leadership practices and behaviors that can be employed by an individual willing to make a difference.
These practices include:
Modeling the Way
• Transformative leaders are role models marked by optimism and enthusiasm.
Inspiring a Shared Vision
• Transformative leaders have clarity of priority and enthusiasm of collaboration.
Challenging the Process
• Transformative leaders challenge the status quo and encourage creativity and diversity.
Enabling Others to Act
• Transformative leaders forge opportunities for others by helping to clear the path.
Encouraging the Heart
• Transformative leaders truly value people and actively seek to engage them fully.
(Source – Texas ASCD)
Texas Whole Child
The Whole Child philosophy is based on a broad concept that, in order for a child to be educated successfully, he/she must be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. These descriptors are embedded in the five ASCD Whole Child Tenets.
Texas ASCD proposes to strengthen education in Texas by explicitly linking educational reform infrastructure to the ASCD Whole Child initiative.
Strategic Plan
Texas ASCD defined four goals supported by three objectives with success measures to ensure we meet them.
- Influence and advocate for policies and practices that positively impact teaching, learning, and leadership.
- Connect, engage and challenge leaders through programs and services designed to promote academic excellence to ensure that each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged.
- Clearly define the member and non-member prospects in order to strengthen the knowledge of the Texas ASCD network.
- Cultivate leaders to transform the association’s future.
Legislative Agenda
Texas ASCD advocates for policies and practices that positively impact teaching, learning and leadership. As a member, your voice will be heard by Texas state legislators as our Influence Committee meets with policymakers at national, state and local levels.
The Board of Directors and members of Texas ASCD take an active role in influencing policies and practices through the lens of the Texas Whole Child Initiative, most noticeably at our Legislative Day, an opportunity to meet face-to-face with state representatives.
Pyramid for Learning
The Pyramid for Learning is a Texas ASCD representation of the design of the quality professional learning opportunities available for educators. The three sides of the Pyramid represent the format, the depth of the learning, and the breadth of the opportunity designated by the learners. The graphic illustrates that the format for learning can be:
- An annual conference with its many topics, graduating from the awareness level to the full implementation level,
- A regional conference with specific topics and more time for learning,
- An institute that engulfs one day on a specified topic,
- An academy which may have only one focus and in-depth learning in a multiple-day session, and
- A self-paced/guided learning opportunity over a period of time with designated resources, both human and material, provided by Texas ASCD.
The Pyramid for Learning provides entry-level points to educators depending on their learning needs and the level of depth and breadth of the learning that the educators identify for themselves.
Publications
Receive publications with your membership that include weekly emails, a digital periodical, and a business newsletter.
The Quarterly Newsletter
from Texas ASCD
Texas ASCD’s Leadership is the business newsletter of Texas ASCD. It brings members up-to-date on association business, committee action, current education trends and contains opportunities for member involvement.
The Bi-Monthly Academic Journal
from Texas ASCD
Leaders of Learners is a great learning tool for interdisciplinary teams, members of site-based teams, and all people concerned with curriculum issues. It is an award-winning publication published four times a year and brings to light the most current developments in the world of education.
Texas ASCD Summaries
of TEA Publications
One Liner is an electronic summary of all TEA publications emailed directly to your desk every Monday morning.
It explicitly identifies information from TEA and reminds you of when and how to respond to TEA requests and actions. Learn the proper channeling channeling of information and how to organize all TEA correspondence in this publication. Links to TEA web sites and documents mentioned in articles are included in each issue.
Awards
Every year, Texas ASCD presents awards to a select few to honor their hard work and dedication to education. Each award recipient is nominated by Texas ASCD members.
Annual Conference Nominations
Texas ASCD Annual Conference awards seek to show appreciation to valued colleagues or new teachers who go “above and beyond” in their classrooms throughout the school year. You may also nominate a journalist or an organization that does exceptional work reporting on education-related issues. The Texas ASCD Awards are awarded at the Annual Conference in October or at the recipient’s district. The nomination period for the 2024 award recognition ends on September 9, 2024.