Those climbing the mountain of systemic reform must labor under the threat posed by an avalanche of acronyms - of organizations, projects, and products. What follows is a starter list of acronyms of national organizations NASSMC has encountered in its work. Indicative of the nature of systemic change, the list cuts across many fields. [Every state has a comparable list of state agencies, organizations, and projects that are commonly referred to with acronyms.]
Finding out what one of these organizations does can begin with a search for the organization's website. Also, the American Association for the Advancement of Science publishes a directory that tells about the mission, resources, and programs of about 1000 science, mathematics, and technology organizations that are engaged in the improvement of K-12 education. That directory, IDEAAAS: Sourcebook for Science, Mathematics, and Technology, was last updated in 1995.
| AAACE | American Association for Adult Continuing Education |
| AAAS | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| AACD | American Association for Counseling and Development |
| AACTE | American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education |
| AACG | American Association for Gifted Children |
| AAHE | American Association for Higher Education |
| AAPT | American Association of Physics Teachers |
| AASA | American Association of School Administrators |
| AAUP | American Association of University Professors |
| AAUW | American Association of University Women |
| ACS | American Chemical Society |
| ACSESULGC/APU | Association of Colleges of Education and Schools of Education in State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and Affiliated Private Universities |
| AEA | Adult Education Association |
| AECT | Association for Educational Communication and Technology |
| AERA | American Educational Research Association |
| AFT | American Federation of Teachers |
| AIMM | Alliance to Improve Mathematics for Minorities |
| AMATYC | American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges |
| AMS | American Mathematical Society |
| AMS | American Meteorological Society |
| AMTE | Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators |
| APS | American Physical Society |
| ASA | American Statistical Association |
| ASBO | Association of School Business Officials |
| ASCD | Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development |
| ASL | Association for Symbolic Logic |
| ASSM | Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics |
| BCER | Business Coalition for Education Reform |
| BRT | Business Roundtable |
| CBE | Council for Basic Education |
| CBMS | Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences |
| CCAS | Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences |
| CCSSO | Council of Chief State School Officers |
| CEC | Council for Exceptional Children |
| CESI | Council for Science Education International |
| CFAE | Council for Aid to Education |
| CGCS | Council of Great City Schools |
| COMAP | Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications |
| CPAM | Council of Presidential Awardees in Mathematics |
| CPAST | Council of Presidential Awardees in Science Teaching |
| CPRE | Consortium for Policy Research in Education |
| CSSP | Council of Scientific Society Presidents |
| CSSS | Council of State Supervisors of Science |
| DODDS | Department of Defense Dependent Schools |
| ECS | Education Commission of the States |
| ED | Education Department (US Department of Education) |
| ETS | Educational Testing Service |
| IEL | Institute for Educational Leadership |
| IGPME | International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education |
| IHE | Institute of Higher Education |
| IOM | Institute of Medicine |
| ITEA | International Technology Education Association |
| JETS | Junior Engineering Technical Society |
| JPBM | Joint Policy Board for Mathematics |
| MAA | Mathematics Association of America |
| MER | Mathematicians and Education Reform Network |
| MSEB | Mathematical Sciences Education Board |
| NAB | National Alliance of Business |
| NABT | National Association of Biology Teachers |
| NACME | National Action Council for Minorities in Education |
| NAE | National Academy of Engineering |
| NAGT | National Association of Geoscience Teachers |
| NARST | National Association for Research in Science Teaching |
| NAS | National Academy of Sciences |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NASSMC | National Alliance of State Science and Mathematics Coalitions |
| NAESP | National Association of Elementary School Principals |
| NASBE | National Association of State Boards of Education |
| NASDTEC | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education |
| NASSP | National Association of Secondary School Principals |
| NASULGC | National Association of Universities and Land Grant Colleges |
| NBPTS | National Board for Professional Teaching Standards |
| NCAR | National Center for Atmospheric Research |
| NCNB | National Center for Nonprofit Boards |
| NCPIE | National Coalition of Parents in Education |
| NCSL | National Council of State Legislatures |
| NCSM | National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics |
| NCTM | National Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
| NCATE | National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education |
| NEA | National Education Association |
| NESTA | National Earth Science Teachers Association |
| NEWEST | NASA Educational Workshops for Elementary School Teachers |
| NEMAST | NASA Educational Workshops for Mathematics and Science Teachers |
| NGA | National Governors Association |
| NGS | National Geographic Society |
| NISE | National Institute for Science Education |
| NMSA | National Middle Schools Association |
| NPTA | National PTA (National Congress of Parents and Teachers) |
| NRC | National Research Council |
| NSA | National Security Agency |
| NSBA | National School Boards Association |
| NSELA | National Science Education Leadership Association |
| NSF | National Science Foundation |
| NSPRA | National School Public Relations Association |
| NSTA | National Science Teachers Association |
| NUC | National Urban Council |
| NUL | National Urban League |
| ORSA | Operational Research Society of America |
| PAF | Public Agenda Foundation |
| SCST | Society of College Science Teachers |
| SIAM | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics |
| SSI | Space Science Institute |
| SSMA | School Science and Mathematics Association |
| TESCSCU | Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities |
| UCAR | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research |
| USMA | United States Metric Association |
| USDE | US Department of Education (also: ED) |
| WME | Women in Mathematics Education |