ASCD Faculty Bio

Jay McTighe

McTighe served as director of the Maryland Assessment Consortium. Prior to this position, he was involved with school improvement projects at the Maryland State Department of Education. He managed the development of the instructional framework and was a classroom teacher, resource specialist, and program coordinator in Prince George's County, Md. He also served as director of the Maryland Summer Center for Gifted and Talented Students, a statewide residential enrichment program held at St. Mary's College.

McTighe has coauthored 10 books, including the best-selling Understanding by Design series with Grant Wiggins. He has written more than 30 articles and book chapters published in a number of leading journals, including Educational Leadership and the Journal of Staff Development. He has an extensive background in professional development and is a regular facilitator of adult learning at national, state, and district conferences and workshops. He is well-known both nationally and internationally for his work with Understanding by Design.

McTighe received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, earned a master's degree from the University of Maryland, and has completed postgraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. He was selected to participate in the Educational Policy Fellowship Program through the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C. He served as a member of the National Assessment Forum, a coalition of education and civil rights organizations advocating reforms in national, state, and local assessment policies and practices. McTighe also completed a three-year term on the ASCD Publications Committee, serving as committee chair during 1994–95.