History of Iowa ASCD

The Beginning

Iowa ASCD was organized in November, 1947.  Evenlyn Peterson, Elementary Supervisor in Waterloo, was elected as the new organization's first president.  Dean Macobmer, of Drake University, was vice president and Ellen Hartnett of Iowa State Education Association was the Secretary-Treasurer.

The first business meeting was held March 31, 1948, at Drake University. The "mimeographed" constitution was approved as was the slate of officers.

On March 30 - April 1, 1948, a regional conference including Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, began with a dinner at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, followed by sessions at Drake University.  The focus of the conference was the curriculum programs of the participating states.  Breakout sessions included discussions and presentations on curricular needs of pre-service teacher programs, schools, desirable learning activities and instructional materials and "technology" to support student learning, evaluation of students, community and systems support for curriculum and learning.

Awards

Iowa ASCD has earned the following awards from ASCD:

• Affiliate Excellence Award - 1998
• Outstanding Communication Award - 2002
• Affiliate Excellence Award - 2013
• Affiliate Excellence Award - 2016
• Recognized 2025 Partner of ISTE+ASCD

A Transition is Coming in 2025/2026

The merger of ASCD with ISTE in 2024 created an opportunity to apply for a new relationship with ASCD. We became a recognized Partner of ISTE+ASCD in January of 2025.

As a Partner, we continue serving Iowa educational leaders. There are several advantages to our partnership including being able to access all of the resources and support offered at the national level.

As a result, stay tuned for more exciting news coming in the near future!