Nonprofit Education Association Opens Middle East Offices

ASCD Middle East is first organization of its kind to provide educators in the
region with tailored professional development and capacity building

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) announced the formation of ASCD
Middle East. Sharing ASCD's mission and vision, ASCD Middle East will provide
professional development and capacity building to the region's educators --
school administrators, officers of regional ministries of education,
university professors, and classroom teachers, among others -- and will ensure
that ASCD resources and programs are accessible and aligned with the needs of
local educators.

ASCD Executive Director Gene Carter said, "I'm pleased to work with ASCD
Middle East to extend our reach into a region where local educators are eager
for resources and support. The importance of attaining shared understanding
through education cannot be underestimated in today's global society. Sharing
education best practices across borders today will help our students
collaborate with people across the world to solve common problems years from
now."

Joseph Ghaly, former leader of the ASCD Qatari Connected Community, is ASCD
Middle East's executive director. The organization, a culmination of more than
three years of work, will have offices in Qatar and Turkey.

"Educators in the Middle East are hungry for sound professional development
programs that address their unique local needs," said Ghaly. "ASCD Middle East
will respond by offering resources and tailored training programs for
educators in their native languages."

ASCD Middle East will work to ensure all learners receive a high quality
education and will promote ASCD's Whole Child Initiative
(www.wholechildeducation.org), which calls on parents, educators,
policymakers, and communities to join forces to ensure all learners are
healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. The organization will also
provide educators in the region with on-site and online professional
development and training, with supported, documented evidence of learning that
can be used for teacher certification. Additionally, educators will be
provided with translations of ASCD books and multimedia resources; customized
capacity-building to meet local curriculum, leadership, and instructional
needs; and opportunities to attend local, regional, and international ASCD
conferences and institutes.

"In developing professional development programs that serve the needs of
teachers around the globe, ASCD is a responsible leader in the field of
education and a key player in forming a better and peaceful world for future
generations," said Ibrahim Betil, chair of both the Community Volunteers
Foundation in Turkey, which works to empower youth, and the Enka Schools in
Adapazari, Turkey, a K-12 school established to serve socio-economically
disadvantaged communities.

ASCD Middle East will focus initial efforts on translating up to 20 key ASCD
resources over the next year. The first book, How to Differentiate Instruction
in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, 2nd edition (2001), will be translated in Arabic
and Turkish.

In addition, ASCD Middle East will convene a conference in Istanbul, Turkey,
November 8-9, 2008, with the theme, "The Whole Child: Embracing a Global
Vision." Conference sessions will support educators in addressing the
holistic, as well as academic, needs of every learner. Sessions will also
focus on ASCD's major professional development programs: Differentiated
Instruction, Understanding by Design, and What Works in Schools.

ASCD has long been committed to worldwide educators. More than 13,000 ASCD
members live outside the United States and dozens of ASCD books and videos
have been translated in 28 languages. ASCD collaborates with government
officials and educators in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Singapore to
advance new approaches to teaching and learning.

For more information about ASCD Middle East, go to:
http://www.ascd.org/ascdmiddleeast

ASCD

Founded in 1943, ASCD, a nonprofit association, is one of the largest
professional development organizations for educator leaders. It provides
education information services; offers cutting-edge professional development
for effective learning, teaching, and leadership; and supports activities to
provide educational equity for all students. ASCD's membership of more than
175,000 includes principals, teachers, superintendents, professors of
education, and other educators from 119 countries. The Association also has
nearly 60 affiliates throughout the world.

ASCD Middle East

ASCD Middle East was launched with the mission of creating a community for the
region's educators -- school heads, officers of regional ministries of
education, university professors, classroom teachers, and many others
committed to the success of each learner. Our goal is to become a vibrant and
diverse group, and a trusted voice influencing policy and practice. Our
expertise and resources are indispensable for excellence in learning,
teaching, and leadership.

SOURCE Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Joseph Ghaly, executive director of ASCD Middle East, +1-404-348-3486,
jghali@ascdme.org, or Barbara Michelman, communications director of ASCD,
+1-703-575-5764, press@ascd.org