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NCAC: NCAC Publications: National Organizations

National Organizations

American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
http://www.aacte.org/
AACTE is a national, voluntary organization of colleges and universities with undergraduate and/or graduate programs to prepare professional educators. Located in the National Center for Higher Education in Washington, D.C., the Association is the major catalyst for initiative and innovation in teacher education. The Association’s more than 700 member institutions include private, state, and municipal colleges and universities and together, they graduate more than 85 percent of new school personnel entering the profession each year in the United States. In addition, AACTE has a small but growing number of affiliate members, including state departments of education, educational laboratories and centers, and foreign institutions and organizations.

American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
http://www.aasa.org/
Founded in 1865, AASA is one of the most long-standing professional education leadership organizations in the nation. Its more than 15,000 members, located across North America and in other parts of the world, include top systems-wide school leaders such as superintendents, other central office administrators, principals, and board members, as well as professors and others who prepare educators for leadership positions. AASA’s four major focus areas include: (1) improving the condition of children and youth; (2) preparing schools and school systems for the 21st century; (3) connecting schools and communities; and (4) enhancing the quality and effectiveness of school leaders.

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
http://www.aft.org/
The AFT is a 950,000-member union of public and professional employees, including public and private school teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (PSRPs), higher education faculty and professionals, employees of state and local governments, nurses and health professionals. The union operates at the local, state, and national level to represent its members, strengthen public education and its members’ professions, and address issues that affect all children and working Americans.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
http://www.ascd.org/
ASCD is an international, nonprofit, nonpartisan education association committed to the mission of forging covenants in teaching and learning for the success of all learners. Founded in 1943, ASCD provides professional development in curriculum and supervision; initiates and supports activities to provide educational equity for all students; and serves as a world-class leader in education information services. ASCD’s 198,000 members, who reside in more than 100 countries, include superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, school board members, students, and parents who share a commitment to quality education and a belief that all students can learn in a well-planned educational program.

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
http://www.ccsso.org/
The Council of Chief State School Officers is a nationwide, nonprofit organization composed of public officials who lead the departments responsible for elementary and secondary education in the states, the U.S. extra-state jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. CCSSO assists the chiefs in preparing policies and represents them on nationwide policies for education. CCSSO assists state agencies in developing leadership capacity through government and foundation funded projects.

Education Commission of the States (ECS)
http://www.ecs.org/
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a nonprofit, nationwide compact of states and territories formed to help governors, state legislators, state education officials and others develop policies to improve the quality of education. The ECS mission is to help state leaders develop and carry out policies that promote improved performance of the education system as reflected in increased learning by all citizens. For over 25 years, ECS has reached out to thousands of people in literally every state, role group and major education organization, enabling them to analyze all sides of an issue and, more important, bring together people with diverse perspectives to work with and learn from one another.

National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)
http://www.nasbe.org/
NASBE is a nonprofit, private association that represents state and territorial boards of education. Our principal objectives include strengthening state leaders in educational policy making; promoting excellence in the education of all students; advocating equality of access to educational opportunity; and assuring continued citizen support for public education. The association services over 600 individuals, including members of state boards, state board attorneys, and state board executive secretaries. These members are responsible for the educational interests of more than forty million students in public schools and more than three million students in post-secondary institutions.

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
http://www.naesp.org/
Established in 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals serves 27,000 elementary and middle school principals nationwide. Dedicated to educational excellence and high professional standards among K-8 educators, NAESP works at the national, state and local levels to help school leaders provide the best possible education to the children and youth in their schools. Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, NAESP has an affiliate in every state and the District of Columbia.

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
http://www.nassp.org/
Established in 1916, NASSP has grown to over 42,000 members and is now the nation’s largest school leadership organization for middle level and high school administrators. Its membership includes principals, assistant superintendents, deans of students, and college and university professors. NASSP focuses on professional development programs to help school leaders become more proficient in serving America’s middle level and high school students. NASSP does this through a national convention, multi-day single topic seminars, workshops, and publications. The Association also promotes the interest of education in Congress, conducts research, and provides consultant services to members. The NASSP founded and administers the National Honor Society, and the National Association of Student Councils with a combined membership of over two million students.

The National Center on Educational Outcomes
http://www.coled.umn.edu/NCEO/
The National Center on Educational Outcomes provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements.

National School Boards Association (NSBA)
http://www.nsba.org/
The National School Boards Association is the nationwide advocacy organization for public school governance. NSBA’s mission is to foster excellence and equity in public elementary and secondary education in the United States through local school board leadership. Founded in 1940, NSBA is a not-for-profit federation of state associations of school boards across the United States and the school boards of the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NSBA represents the nation’s 95,000 school board members. These board members govern 14,722 local school districts that serve more than 45 million public school students -- approximately 90 percent of all elementary and secondary school students in the nation.

National PTA
http://www.pta.org/
The National PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer association in the United States, working exclusively on behalf of children and youth for over 100 years. The National PTA consists of more than 6.5 million members, over 26,000 local units in 50 states, District of Columbia, Pacific Congress, and European Congress (serving Department of Defense schools overseas). Members include parents, teachers, students, and other child advocates.

National Education Association (NEA)
http://www.nea.org/
NEA is America’s oldest and largest organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Founded in 1857 in Philadelphia and now headquartered in Washington, D.C., NEA has 2.3 million members who work at every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliates in every state as well as in over 13,000 local communities across the United States.