Riverside, California (NAPSI) -America’s classrooms are changing, and so are its students. That means America’s teachers have to be prepared to change as well.

That’s the word from a group of experts that provides teachers with the practical tools and professional development required to meet the needs of today’s students.

Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is considered a global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products and services intended to empower educators to support the success of each learner.

Encouraging Best Practices

Its programs, publications and events, such as conferences, are designed to encourage best practices; present new ideas from contributors across the field; and deliver information in a conversational, accessible manner to reach every reader and benefit both teachers and students.

Each year, its conferences host more than 10,000 educators for compelling professional development events designed to improve teacher effectiveness and support educators as they network to find common solutions to common problems.

This year’s major national conference featured presenters such as author and poet Maya Angelou, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, renowned educator Freeman A. Hrabowski III and others.

A Global Leader

Comprised of 140,000 members—superintendents, principals, teachers and professors from more than 134 countries—the ASCD community also includes 56 affiliate organizations.

The nonprofit’s leadership considers its diverse, nonpartisan membership its greatest strength, allowing the organization to project a powerful, unified voice on educational issues to decision makers around the world.

Annual Report Online

To learn more about its recent accomplishments and its plans for the coming year, visit its online Annual Report at www.ascd.org/2012annualreport.

At this site, visitors can see the many ways the nonprofit association is supporting teachers and administrators and working to improve education.