2008-01-01

Connecticut Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is celebrating its 50th anniversary during the 2007-2008 school year.

"Celebrating 50 years is a tremendous benchmark for CASCD," says LeRoy Hay CASCD Historian. "Throughout the years CASCD has been recognized as a premier professonal organization for all educators" said Hay.

Throughout the 2007-2008 year CASCD will be celebrating its 50 years of success as well as planning for the next 50 years. Our new website is a great first step in providing 21st century services for our members.

Newly released is the first ever historical record of the first 50 years. Please take the time to download your copy of CASCD's First 50 Years!

Below, please find the introduction to our 50 year history. We hope you will enjoy the introduction, it will intice you to read the entire history.

As a member you can find the complete publication on the Handouts link on the CASCD Home page.

Some time in the mid 1950’s, a group of approximately twenty Connecticut educators who were members of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) met to discuss establishing a Connecticut affiliate of ASCD. Unfortunately, we have very few records from the early years and thus cannot be precise about the founding year. Records of both the 1950’s and 1960’s are very limited and very incomplete.

From that small group of professional educators has evolved an organization that has not only grown significantly in numbers but also has provided exemplary service for and advocacy on behalf of educators across the state of Connecticut for over fifty years. This history attempts to trace that growth and to document the many contributions of CASCD to educators and education in our state.

This history of CASCD has been pieced together from the available archives and from conversations with CASCD members who were leaders over the years. At various times during its first thirty years, it was noted in the minutes of the executive board that CASCD should be maintaining an archive of its history. Apparently this was not done systematically until 1995 when the position of historian was added to the CASCD’s Board of Directors, and Arthur Roberts was appointed as the first CASCD historian. Art was a CASCD leader for over 25 years in various capacities, including president.

This history characterizes CASCD by the decade, highlighting its major accomplishments and noting some of the challenges to which it has had to respond. It also recognizes the hundreds of educators who have volunteered their time and talents to serve CASCD as well as the many CASCD members who have served in leadership roles for ASCD.

CASCD has a long, rich history of providing professional development, products, and services to Connecticut educators. CASCD has always focused its offerings on the most important educational topics of the day and has brought to Connecticut some of the most prominent education experts from around the country.

Following the history are a number of lists that provide more specific information about CASCD and that recognize the hundreds of individuals who have served the association through the years. You may move to a specific section of this history by using the following hyperlinks. Press “control” and click your mouse on the link you desire to activate).