SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECOGNIZED FOR
OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today named four schools and three school districts as winners in the U.S. Education Department’s National Awards Program for Model Professional Development, citing their efforts to improve teachers' knowledge and skills and raise student achievement.

Award recipients are Concord Road Elementary School in Ardsley, N.Y.; Jacob Hiatt Magnet School in Worcester and The New England Center for Children, Inc., in Southboro, both in Mass.; Pebble Hills Elementary School in El Paso, Texas; and the following school districts: Wichita Public Schools, Wichita, Kan.; Broward County Public Schools in Broward County, Fla.; and Mountain Brook City Schools in Mountain Brook, Ala.

"These outstanding schools and districts are equipping teachers with the tools and expertise they must have to help young people reach high standards of achievement," Riley said. "While states are raising standards and challenging students to succeed academically, we must not neglect the one most critical component to achieve academic success. Our teachers must receive top-notch professional development to teach to new, higher standards; to take advantage of the latest tools that technology has to offer; and to fully master their subject matter. These award winners exemplify what can be done to give teachers the best skills and knowledge."

Established in 1996, the National Awards Program recognizes comprehensive efforts that improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement and is consistent with a set of principles for professional development that are based on the best available research and exemplary practice. These professional development programs can serve as models for schools and districts as they design strategies to improve teachers' skills and knowledge of subject matter and as they demonstrate to their communities that investing in professional development pays off in significant improvements in student achievement.

Eligibility for the awards program is open to public and private schools and districts. The department's regional laboratories coordinated a rigorous review process that included a first round of evaluation by a non-federal panel of experts, comprehensive site visits of the most promising applicants, and final review by a blue ribbon panel. The panel made recommendations to Riley, who selected the final honorees.

Previous award winners will be featured Sept. 19 in Sacramento, Calif., at the department’s first of three Improving America’s Schools Conferences this year. This year’s winners will be honored in December at the third Improving America's Schools Conference in Washington, D.C.