Whole Child
ISTE+ASCD is a US-based education nonprofit serving K-12 educators and leaders through the Whole Child Framework, the Witsby professional learning platform, memberships, conferences, publications, and standards — formed from the 2023 merger of ASCD (founded 1943) and ISTE.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1943
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Whole Child does
ISTE+ASCD (legal entity Robin Merger Corporation, Inc. d/b/a ISTE and ASCD) is a US-based, Virginia-incorporated nonprofit education organization formed from the 2023 merger of ASCD — founded in 1943 — with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The organization serves K-12 educators, instructional leaders, and district administrators through a portfolio of professional learning resources anchored by the Whole Child Framework, the ISTE Standards, and Transformational Learning Principles.
Its core product surfaces include Witsby, a cloud-based professional learning management system that combines district PD content with ASCD's research-based resources and supports bite-sized modules, assessments, clock-hour tracking, and graduate credit pathways (via Northwest Nazarene University); the ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool, an online needs-assessment instrument for schools; Educational Leadership Magazine (in print and online since 1943); books, Quick Reference Guides, podcasts, webinars, and topic guides; the Connect online learning community; and major annual conferences including ISTELive and the ASCD Annual Conference. Member-only programs such as Emerging Leaders and Champions in Education (EdChamps) extend the community offering.
ISTE+ASCD operates primarily as a remote-first, hybrid organization headquartered in Arlington, VA, with approximately 120 employees. Revenue is generated through diversified, mostly recurring streams: individual and group memberships (annual subscriptions), Witsby seat-based district subscriptions, conference and event registration fees, book and publication sales (direct and via resellers), advertising in EL Magazine and SmartBrief newsletters, and sponsorships/exhibits. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed and there are no funding rounds, equity investors, or parent company. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by CEO Richard Culatta.
Whole Child firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whole Child
- Legal name
- Robin Merger Corporation, Inc. d/b/a ISTE and ASCD
- Website
- https://wholechildeducation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1943
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ISTE+ASCD is a US-based education nonprofit serving K-12 educators and leaders through the Whole Child Framework, the Witsby professional learning platform, memberships, conferences, publications, and standards — formed from the 2023 merger of ASCD (founded 1943) and ISTE.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whole Child industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Professional Development
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Individualized Learning Plans & Differentiated Instruction Materials (IEP/IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAJAE), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN)
Keywords
Where Whole Child is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Whole Child business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Memberships: Annual membership providing access to Educational Leadership magazine, expert webinars, member books, topic guides, Connect online community, and other professional development resources. Memberships run for one year with non-refundable dues.
- Group Memberships: Starter or Enhanced package group memberships for teams and districts providing access to educational resources, expert-led webinars, and professional learning opportunities.
- Books and Publications: Sale of books, quick reference guides, and other educational publications. Member discounts available. Institutional discounts for bulk purchases (10+ guides).
- Conference and Event Fees: Revenue from event registrations for ASCD Annual Conference, ISTELive, Leadership Summit, and other professional development events.
- Witsby Platform Subscriptions: District-level subscriptions for Witsby professional learning platform with pricing based on seat count. Existing Activate customers grandfathered at current rates for first subscription year.
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Revenue from advertising in EL Magazine, newsletters, SmartBrief publications, and event sponsorships/exhibits at conferences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ASCD books ranging from $19.95 to $41.95 for workbooks and strategy cards |
| Subscription | Annual | Witsby platform - pricing by inquiry |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual and Group Memberships - pricing varies by tier |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Whole Child product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whole Child is an educational framework and supporting assessment product operated by ISTE+ASCD that helps schools and districts move beyond narrowly defined academic achievement to promote the long-term development and success of all children. Built on five tenets — Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported, and Challenged — it is delivered through the ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool (an online needs assessment) and complemented by an integrated suite of educator professional learning offerings including the Witsby platform, Educational Leadership Magazine, books, conferences, and the Connect online community.
Product overview
ISTE+ASCD (formerly ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, which merged with ISTE in 2023) operates as a comprehensive education professional learning organization offering multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include the Whole Child Framework™ and ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool™ for school assessment, the Witsby™ professional learning platform for personalized educator development, and Educational Leadership® Magazine as a flagship publication since 1943. Additional offerings include books, Quick Reference Guides, podcasts, videos, webinars, the ISTE+ASCD Blog, and membership with access to the Connect online community. Key initiatives span AI in Education, Digital Citizenship, ISTE Standards, Transformational Learning Principles, and the Emerging Leaders program. The organization also hosts major annual conferences including ISTELive and the ASCD Annual Conference. The portfolio ranges from individual educator resources (books, guides, podcasts) to institutional platforms (Witsby for districts) and community programs (Emerging Leaders, EdChamps).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Witsby: ASCD's next-generation professional learning and credentialing platform providing personalized PD content, assessments, and tracking for educators.
- Educational Leadership (EL) Magazine
Products and services
- ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool An online needs assessment tool for schools and districts based on the ASCD Whole Child approach, providing detailed reports that highlight key areas of strength and areas needing additional support in serving students holistically.
- Witsby Professional Learning Platform A flexible, cloud-based personalized professional learning platform that combines district PD content with research-backed ASCD resources, featuring bite-sized learning modules, tailored PD targeting learning gaps, assessments, authoring tools, admin dashboard, assignments, and portfolio tracking for clock hours.
- Educational Leadership (EL) Magazine An award-winning magazine publication providing evidence-based, peer-to-peer guidance and inspiration for educators, available in print and online with featured authors and topic selects.
- ASCD Quick Reference Guides Laminated guides covering fundamental education topics with easy-to-use lists, charts, graphics, and instructional tips. Pricing ranges from $19.95 to $41.95 with member pricing and institutional discounts of 10%+ on bulk purchases (10+ guides).
- ISTE+ASCD Membership Annual professional membership providing access to Educational Leadership magazine, expert webinars, member books, topic guides, the Connect online learning community, and other professional development resources. Individual and group (Starter/Enhanced) tiers available; memberships are non-refundable but transferable.
- ISTE+ASCD Expert Webinars Live and on-demand webinars featuring education experts covering various topics in instruction, technology integration, and leadership, available as part of membership and as professional development content.
- Connect Online Community An online professional learning network providing exclusive member groups for peer-to-peer problem solving and networking among educators, included as part of membership.
- ASCD Emerging Leaders Program A selective program for rising leaders in education providing a two-year premium digital membership, personalized pathways, class groupings, and regional meetups for professional learning and networking.
- ISTELive Conference ISTE's annual education technology conference held in June/July featuring innovative tools, strategies, and networking opportunities for educators from around the world.
- ASCD Annual Conference ASCD's annual conference featuring research-backed practices for deepening learning and empowering educators, held in various locations and providing professional development, networking, and hands-on demonstrations.
- ISTE+ASCD Book Publications Award-winning books written by educators for educators covering topics in education leadership, teaching strategies, and professional development. Available with member discounts and preorder options.
- ISTE+ASCD Topic Guides Curated publications providing insight, context, and solutions on specific areas of school leadership or instruction.
- ASCD Champions in Education (EdChamps) A program for mid-career educators to enrich and extend their member experience with the association beyond the Emerging Leaders program.
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduate credit available through Northwest Nazarene University partnership for select Witsby courses
Companies that use Whole Child
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Whole Child technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Whole Child partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)coreCDC collaboration on the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, which combines elements of coordinated school health approaches with the Whole Child framework.
- Northwest Nazarene University (NNU)corePartnership for graduate-level credit for select Witsby courses. Each credit is graduate-level, non-degree-seeking semester credit usable for recertification or salary advancement in participating states and districts.
- Association Revenue PartnersminorMarketing partnership for advertising sales across ISTE+ASCD publications and newsletters.
- FutureNet (SmartBrief Advertising)minorPartnership for advertising and sponsorship opportunities in ISTE+ASCD SmartBrief and K-12 Leadership SmartBrief newsletters.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Whole Child competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Facing History and Ourselves: Education nonprofit offering curriculum frameworks, professional development, and online learning for educators — a comparable model of evidence-based frameworks plus paid PD and membership.
- NSTA (National Science Teaching Association): Subject-specific educator association with membership, journals, conferences, and PD; directly comparable membership-and-publications business model for science educators.
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): Subject-specific educator membership association offering journals, conferences, and standards — a directly analogous membership model serving educators across career stages, just focused on mathematics.
- Learning Forward: The leading professional association dedicated exclusively to educator professional learning, with similar membership, publications, and standards-based PD offerings that compete head-to-head with ISTE+ASCD for district contracts.
- Solution Tree: Education publisher and PD provider offering books, conferences, and school improvement services for K-12 educators and leaders, directly comparable to ASCD's books, conferences, and Whole Child School Improvement Tool.
- Corwin Press: Major K-12 professional learning publisher (Sage/Corwin) producing books, online courses, and PD services for teachers and leaders, competing directly with ASCD's publications and Witsby content library.
- International Literacy Association (ILA): Global literacy-focused educator membership association with journals, conferences, and PD resources; shares ISTE+ASCD's nonprofit membership, publications, and professional development business model.
Broad incumbents
- Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation): Well-funded foundation producing free educator-facing content, videos, and PD resources; competes for educator attention and thought leadership rather than selling memberships directly.
Others
- NWEA: Assessment organization that bundles educator PD and professional learning services with its MAP Growth assessments; an adjacent peer that increasingly competes for district PD and professional learning budgets.
Emerging players
- Khan Academy: Large free online learning platform with Khan Academy for Educators offering free PD courses — an emerging threat and adjacent player that shapes educator expectations around digital, on-demand PD.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Whole Child social profiles
Digital presenceWhole Child financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whole Child leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Whole Child funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whole Child M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whole Child
What does Whole Child do?
Whole Child is an educational framework and supporting assessment product operated by ISTE+ASCD that helps schools and districts move beyond narrowly defined academic achievement to promote the long-term development and success of all children. Built on five tenets — Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported, and Challenged — it is delivered through the ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool (an online needs assessment) and complemented by an integrated suite of educator professional learning offerings including the Witsby platform, Educational Leadership Magazine, books, conferences, and the Connect online community.
Is Whole Child a public or private company?
Whole Child is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Whole Child founded?
Whole Child was founded in 1943. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Whole Child based?
Whole Child is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Whole Child make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Memberships are the primary driver. The others are group Memberships, books and Publications, conference and Event Fees, witsby Platform Subscriptions and advertising and Sponsorship.
Who are Whole Child's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Facing History and Ourselves, NSTA (National Science Teaching Association), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Learning Forward, Solution Tree, Corwin Press and International Literacy Association (ILA). Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation) is listed as a broad incumbent. NWEA is listed as an others. Khan Academy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Whole Child have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whole Child.
What industry is Whole Child in?
Whole Child's product category is Education Professional Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAJAA, Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5), with a secondary code of EDACAJAE, Individualized Learning Plans & Differentiated Instruction Materials (IEP/IFSP-Aligned). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.