Capital Area School Development Association

What Capital Area School Development Association does

Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) is a New York State non-profit chartered by the Board of Regents and incorporated by the State Education Department, founded in 1949 and recognized as the oldest school study council in the United States. Operating from the University at Albany main campus in Albany, NY with 11-50 employees, CASDA delivers consulting, coaching, technical assistance, and professional development services to more than 100 member school districts spanning five BOCES regions in the Greater Capital Region. The organization functions as the institutional bridge between the UAlbany School of Education's research output and K-12 district practice, providing customized embedded professional learning through services including Instructional Design Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Program Evaluations, Special Education Reviews, SEL and Trauma-Informed Education, SWOT/Strategic Planning, and Administrator Well-being programs. A role-specific roundtable portfolio (Principals, School Counselors, Special Education, MTSS, Mental Health Providers, Athletic Directors) and an event-based layer (College and Career Fairs, Students and Teachers Who Make a Difference, Friends of Education Awards) extend engagement across district stakeholders. CASDA monetizes primarily through annual district membership dues (BOCES agencies pay $635/year, with higher per-district rates for individual members) and fee-for-service technical assistance contracts covering coaching, program reviews, and merger studies. Content distribution is supported by CASDA EdCasts and It's Intentional podcasts, a Virtual Educational Leadership Collaborative, CASDA Research Briefs, and quarterly newsletters, with active social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. The 15-member Executive Committee, comprising sitting superintendents and UAlbany SOE leadership including the Dean, structurally aligns research supply with district demand.

Name

Capital Area School Development Association

Legal name

Capital Area School Development Association

Website

https://casdany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) is a 1949-founded, NYS-chartered non-profit serving 100+ school districts in the Greater Capital Region with coaching, technical assistance, and professional development, bridging University at Albany research with K-12 practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Consulting Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

District Accountability, Performance & Improvement Offices (EDADABAI)

Keywords

• K-12 professional development
• School improvement consulting
• Educational leadership coaching
• Teacher training services
• School district membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. District Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from school districts in the Greater Capital Region. Membership provides access to professional development, technical assistance, workshops, roundtables, and other services. BOCES agencies pay $635 per year.
2. Technical Assistance Contracts: Fee-for-service technical assistance contracts with school districts for coaching services, program reviews (human resources, special education, district operations), and merger studies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CASDA provides school improvement consulting, instructional design and leadership coaching, program evaluations (including special education reviews), strategic planning, and staff training for K-12 school districts in the Greater Capital Region of New York. Services are delivered through a district membership model and fee-for-service technical assistance contracts, complemented by roundtables, workshops, conferences, podcasts, research briefs, and recognition programs.

Product overview

CASDA is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of educational support services rather than a traditional technology product. The portfolio consists of core consulting services (including School Improvement Services, Instructional Design Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Program Evaluations, Special Education Reviews, Strategic Planning, SEL Services, Trauma-Informed Education, and Administrator Well-being) delivered directly to school districts, supplemented by professional development programs such as roundtables (Principal Collaborative, MTSS Support, School Counselors, Special Education, Mental Health Providers, Athletic Directors), workshops (New Leaders Seminar, Tier 1 Instructional Design), and conferences (Music Educators Symposium). CASDA also produces digital content including the CASDA EdCasts podcast series, It's Intentional Podcast, and Virtual Educational Leadership Collaborative, along with research publications (CASDA Research Briefs, Quarterly Newsletters). Event-based programs include College and Career Fairs and recognition programs (Students and Teachers Who Make a Difference, Friends of Education Awards). All services are designed to bridge University at Albany School of Education research with K-12 educational practice in the Greater Capital Region of New York State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Improvement Services Comprehensive consulting services to help school districts improve operations, achieve efficiency, and facilitate effective professional learning through customized embedded professional learning approaches; for public, private, parochial, and BOCES school districts.
• Instructional Design Coaching Coaching services focused on designing effective instructional practices and curriculum for school districts.
• Leadership Coaching Coaching services for educational leaders to develop skills and strategies for effective school administration and leadership.
• Program Evaluations and Reviews Comprehensive program reviews for school districts covering human resources, special education, district operations, and merger studies.
• Special Education Reviews Specialized reviews of special education programs for school districts throughout New York State.
• SWOT for Next Level Strategic Planning Strategic planning services using SWOT analysis methodology to help districts achieve next-level goals.
• Long Range Planning for Student Success Long-term planning services focused on achieving sustained student success outcomes.
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Services Services to help schools support the social and emotional development of students.
• Trauma-Informed Education Training and support for educators to implement trauma-informed practices in schools.
• Interactive Strategies Approach (ISA) A structured approach to implementing interactive teaching and learning strategies.
• Administrator Well-being Support services focused on the professional and personal well-being of school administrators.
• Non-Instructional Staff Training Training services for non-instructional school staff.
• District Membership Program Annual membership program providing school districts access to professional development, technical assistance, workshops, roundtables, research resources, and other CASDA services. BOCES agencies pay $635 per year; individual district rates published in a membership rate chart.
• Technical Assistance Contracts Fee-for-service technical assistance contracts with school districts for coaching services, program reviews (human resources, special education, district operations), and merger studies.
• Principal Collaborative Professional development forum for principals and assistant principals to develop leadership and practice in a joint forum.
• MTSS Support Roundtable Research-based strategies and supportive community for sharing ideas, best practices, and reflections on Multi-Tiered System of Supports implementation.
• School Counselors Roundtable Collaborative forum for school counselors, offered jointly with the Capital District Counselors Association.
• Special Education Roundtable Forum for special education teachers, directors, and administrators to connect and share innovative practices.
• Mental Health Provider Roundtable Forum exploring benefits and challenges of working collaboratively in a Multi-Tiered System of Support for mental health providers.
• Athletic Directors Roundtable Platform for athletic directors to communicate, collaborate and share practices with peers in the Capital Region.
• New Leaders Seminar Workshop designed for new school leaders to equip them with essential skills, strategies, and insights to thrive in their leadership journey.
• Tier 1 Instructional Design for Attention and Retention Session exploring how to design learning experiences that capture attention, reduce cognitive overload, and support long-term retention with MTSS connections.
• Capital District Regional Music Educators Symposium Annual symposium for music educators in the Capital District region.
• College and Career Fairs College fair series facilitating fairs around the Capital Region to provide college and career engagement for students and families with representatives from colleges across the country.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record attendance at Office Professionals Workshop
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University at Albany School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1949Long-term partnership with UAlbany School of Education providing research access and institutional support. CASDA bridges the university with K-12 educational community. The Dean and professors from the School of Education participate on CASDA's Executive Committee. Collaboration on research translation and professional development delivery.
• Common Thread ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with Common Thread Consulting for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) training services. Provides training for audiences at all levels of school organizations to advance equity work in member districts.
• Hanover ResearchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing access to deep base of research through Hanover Research, complementing UAlbany School of Education resources for district data analysis and research-based practices.
• Common Thread ConsultingsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides DEI training for districts through Common Thread Consulting, with CASDA EdCast episodes featuring Damonni Farley, Founder and CEO, discussing school culture and student leadership.
• CDCA (Capital District Counselors Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Capital District Counselors Association for School Counselors Roundtable, providing professional development and networking for school counselors across the region.
• The PeaceAble ApproachsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization providing complementary services or collaborative programming for member districts.
• NYKidssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NYKids at University at Albany for collaborative research and professional development initiatives.
• CreositySpacesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CreositySpace providing FREE asynchronous STEM professional development for elementary educators on innovation-based instruction and 21st-century problem solving.
• Greater Capital Region Teacher CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Tim Backus previously served on the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center Policy Board, indicating collaborative relationship for teacher professional development.
• UAlbany School of Education Integrated Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS-I) CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASDA works with NYSED and UAlbany's MTSS-I Center to provide professional development translating cutting-edge research and strategies into practice for member districts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mid-Hudson Regional School Study Council: Regional school study council serving school districts in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley. Directly comparable to CASDA as a member-based organization providing professional development and technical assistance to K-12 districts in a defined NYS region.
• WSWHE BOCES (Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex): BOCES serving school districts in CASDA's own footprint. Provides similar professional development, technical assistance, and cooperative services to component districts; CASDA partners with WSWHE BOCES and is referenced as a customer/collaborator.

Regional players

• Lower Hudson Regional Information Center: One of New York's regional BOCES-style service centers providing professional development, data, and instructional support to school districts in the Lower Hudson Valley. Comparable to CASDA in serving NY school districts through a regional shared-service model.
• Questar III BOCES: Regional BOCES in New York's Capital Region providing instructional services, professional development, and management support to school districts. Operates as a peer shared-service organization overlapping CASDA's geography.

Broad incumbents

• Solution Tree: Nationally recognized provider of K-12 professional development, coaching, and school improvement services. Comparable to CASDA in offering PD workshops, leadership coaching, and MTSS-focused programs, but at national scale.
• Learning Forward (formerly National Staff Development Council): National professional association focused on professional learning for educators. Comparable to CASDA in delivering professional development standards, training, and resources to school leaders, though as a membership association rather than regional service provider.
• ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development): National education association offering professional development, publications, and instructional resources for educators and school leaders. Comparable to CASDA in providing PD content and leadership development programming.

Emerging players

• Center for Responsive Schools: Non-profit providing professional development focused on social-emotional learning, classroom community, and educator well-being. Comparable to CASDA's SEL and trauma-informed offerings, though serving a national audience via workshops and on-site coaching.

Others

• Hanover Research: Research and analytics partner to CASDA providing district data and research services to K-12 districts. Listed as a strategic partner; comparable as an upstream enabling service to district-level improvement work.
• Common Thread Consulting: DEI-focused consulting partner of CASDA delivering equity training to school districts. Comparable as a thematic peer providing similar district-level training services through a partnership channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CASDA_NY
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBBxvtEGOzMvU_LoqZ_OFnQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/casdanys
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5258395
• Instagraminstagram.com/casda_ny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Capital Area School Development Association