Quarterly Publications. Student initiates to Kappa Delta Pi continue to receive the New Teacher Advocate their first year of membership, and those joining as graduate students or professionals receive the Kappa Delta Pi Record. All members receive the Kappa Delta Pi Record at renewal. To familiarize student initiates with the Record, they are sent quarterly e-mails with links to two articles from the current issue and an invitation to renew. Initiates seem to appreciate this preview, as evidenced by the high open rate of the e-mails.
KDP was fortunate to garner a four-part series by Sylvia Rockwell for the Record, entitled “Working Smarter, Not Harder: Reaching the Tough to Teach.” This expert on classroom management has presented pre-Convo workshops on that topic at the last two Biennial Convocations.

The past fiscal year was quite eventful for The Educational Forum, as the journal entered a new exciting chapter in its partnership with Routledge, a division of Taylor & Francis. Since fall 2007, the journal made the transition to the all-online manuscript submission and review process. Authors and editorial board members now use Manuscript Central, Routledge’s Web-based submission and tracking tool, to receive, log, review, and make decisions on articles for The Forum. After articles are approved in Manuscript Central, they move directly into Taylor & Francis’s electronic production process. Taylor & Francis also handles printing, distribution, and marketing for the journal. Aside from convenience, the online system facilitates the journal’s goal to grow internationally. All content since The Forum’s introduction in 1936 is now digitized and part of the Informa.com research repository.
In January 2008, the KDP Headquarters staff welcomed Kathy Murray as Managing Editor of The Forum. She comes to KDP with a breadth of talents and already has assumed significant responsibilities in the Publications Department and in the development of the KDP Connect initiative.

The New Teacher Advocate continues to be a well-received niche publication, and the number of bulk subscribers (multiple copies going to the same school or district) is increasing. Beginning fall 2007, NTA expanded to 16 pages (for more efficient production at lower cost), and is now mailed folded (to achieve a less expensive mailing rate).

Books. KDP’s new book of “telling stories,” titled So to Teach: Inspiring Stories that Touch the Heart, was published in October 2007 and launched at Convocation. That well-received title includes a Foreword by Nel Noddings. The next in the series of ABC’s titles is forthcoming this fall, on the topic of wellness for teachers.

KDP Online. The online Discussion Board, now two years old, has realized increasing traffic. That vehicle is still fulfilling its purpose to encourage networking among members.
The KDP Web site has grown so large that the original navigation and organization needed a makeover. Based on focus groups and surveys, an entirely updated site with a new look and navigation will be introduced in the fall.

Member communications. Beginning fall 2008, KDP will streamline e-mail communications so that members hear from the Society on a regular schedule rather than receive multiple e-mails on individual topics. New members will continue to receive the monthly New Member News during their first year of membership, and all members will now receive a monthly KDP News (rather than a quarterly). A separate e-mail to all members will feature the latest KDP resources.

In keeping with the trend toward online social networking, KDP joined Facebook in June 2008, giving KDP yet another vehicle for an online presence.