THE PHI DELTA KAPPA coat of arms incorporates the following symbolism.  The three founding organizations --- Pi Kappa Mu, Phi Delta Kappa, and Nu RhoBeta --- are represented by three keystones.  The three stars represent the student, the home, and the school.  Reseach is symbolized by the burning lamp and the book, service by the flamming torch, and leadership by the upraised hand with the sword. Surrounding the shield are acanthus leaves, which signify learning.

 Publications: Three publications go regularly to members in good standing --- the Phi Delta Kappan; News, Notes, and Quotes; and the Washington Newsletter. The PDK educational Foundation also publishes a variety of books and monographs.  A catalogue listing all Phi Delta Kappa publications can br obtained by contacting the international office.
    The Phi Delta Kappan, the official journal to the fraternity, is considered by many to be the outstanding professional journal in the field of education.  It is published 10 times a year, September through June.  The September issue contains findings from the annual Phi Delta Kappa poll of public attitudes toward the public schools.  THe journal is available to nonmembers and to libraries and other institutions by subscription.
       News, Notes, and quotes (NN&Q), the fraternity newsletter, is published four times a year.  It carries general fraternity news and highlights outstanding chapter programs and projects.
    The Washington Newsletter, published three times a year, analyzes and tracks education legistration before the U. S. Congress and covers other national issues of importance to educators.

 Research: Through its Center on Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR), Phi Delta Kappa supports a research program that has two purposes: 1) dissemination of research information and 2) improving understanding of the processes of resarch and evaluation.  The first purpose is addressed through publications such as the Hot Topics and Exemplary, titled Academic Underachievement in First Grade, and the PDK-sponsored studies of students at risk and core values.

 Professional Development: The Center for Professional Development and Services (CPDS) assists educators, schools, and school districts with staff development through a variety of professional development institutes, summer institutes, conferences, print resources, and videoptapes.  This center also co-sponsors programs with professional organizations and other educational service providers.  Professional Developmant Institutes (PDIs are presented by expert consultants in one-, two-, or three-day formats.  PDI topics include Inclusive Classrooms, Integrating Curricula with Mutiple Intelligences, MegaSkills Bond, Hands-On Equations, and a variety of others.

    The Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation was created in 1996, when George H. Reavis, an outstanding Kappan and Ohio educator, made a large gift to Phi Delta Kappa.  Reavis envisioned a foundation that would greatly expand the fraternity's programs.  Today the PDK Educational Foundation supports a variety of financial aid programs, seminars and institutes, and publicaitons.  PDK membership dues are not used for the PDK Educational Foundation, which is wholly supported by donations.

 Financial aid programs include Scholarchip Grants for Prospective Educators, the Gerald Howard Read International Seminar Scholarships, the Howard M. Soule Fellowships, the International Senior Fellow Program, the Victoria C. T. Read Adopt-a-School Program, and several others.

 Seminars and institutes include the Author Lecture Seminars, camps and institutes for prospective educators, the Grabbard Institutes on Issues in Education, and other programs.

 Publications include the Fastback series, monographs, and books for educators.  The Fastbacks are short, authoratative booklets on current trends and issues at all levels of education.  Several titles in the series are published annually.  More than seven million copies have been disseminated since the series was initiated in 1972.  A recent addition to this program is the FastTrack series of Fastbacks on audio cassettes.

    The PDK Educational Foundation also publishes between six and 10 books and monographs each year.  Recent titles include Teachers as Leaders, Beyond Tracking, Anatomy of a Book Controversy, A Digest of Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Education, When Learned Men Murder, Open Lives, Safe Schools, and Against the Tide.  An international Studies in Education series features monographs about education in various nations.  The first title published in that seires was Elementary Teacher Education in Korea.  The PDK educational Foundation also recently published, in cooeration with the Institute for Educational Leadership, a four-part National Issues in Education series, edited by John F. (Jack Jennings.)

    The PDK Educational Foundation is nonprofit charitable organization and is directed by a five-member Board of Governors.  Three board members are appointed by the dean of the Ohio State University College of Education.  Currently, the endowment of the PDK Educational Foundation exceeds $3.5 million.  A fund drive is conducted annually among the membership to increase the endowment and annual donations exceed $350,000.

     Phi Delta Kappa is divided into nine districts, eight of which serve chapters in the United States and Canada, while the nineth serves the international chapters.  Each district is under the leadership of a district representative elected by the chapters within the district.  Area coordinators are elected to assists the district representative in stimulating and coordinating chapter activities.

    Each district holds a district conference in even-numbered years, attended by representatives from each chapter within the district.  The chapter representatives discuss more the fraternity program, propose agenda items for the following year's legislative council, and elect area coordinators.

    In odd-numbered years, a legislative body --- composed of the area coordinators and the members of the Board of Directors --- meets as legislative council.  This council determines the policies, program, and budget of the fraternity and elects the new Board od Directors.

    The Board of Directors --- composed of the president, the president-elect, the immediate past presdent, two vice president, and the nine district representatives --- carries out the policies of the legislative council and implements the program that the council has adopted.  The board delegates to the professional staff, under the supervision of the executive director, the administration of the fiscal affairs and program of the fraternity and the management of the international office.

    The professional staff is composed of the executive director; the associate executive director; the assistant executive director; the business manager; the director of the Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research; the director of the Center for Professional Developmant and Services; the editor of special publications; the editor of the Phi Delta Kappan; the director of membership development; and the director of management information systems.  The members of this group are appointed by the Board of Directors, and they carry out their work from Phi Deta Kappa International in Bloomington, Indiana.