The Modern Red SchoolHouse Institute presented its 2004 Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Beverly Hall, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools (APS), honoring her “success in closing the achievement gap and commitment to empowering teachers to make instructional decisions that address the unique needs of children in their classroom.”

The Distinguished Service Award, such as the one presented at this year’s National Educators’ Conference in Orlando, Florida, honors teachers, administrators, or others who make significant contributions to the improvement of educational practices and student performance in America’s schools.

Dr. Milton Goldberg, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Education Commission of the States, and Executive Director of the classic Nation at Risk, assisted Dr. Sally Kilgore, President and CEO of MRSH, in presenting the award to Dr. Hall.

”We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Beverly Hall and, in particular, the investment she has made in providing educators with opportunities to make key professional decisions,” said Dr. Sally Kilgore. ”Time and again, leading policy experts urge state and district leaders to invest in building the professional capacity of its educators. Dr. Hall has not only invested, but, unique among urban school superintendents, her investment has been accompanied by increased professional discretion as educators adapt to the unique needs of children in their classrooms. Dr. Hall’s leadership has had a sustained and positive impact. Atlanta has achieved steady gains in student achievement— closing the gap between student achievement in Atlanta and state-wide scores in Georgia.”

Upon receipt of the award, Dr. Hall promptly turned the attention to the many teachers and administrators from APS who were attending the conference, crediting them and the others in Atlanta’s schools with the diligent efforts and persistent focus on goals and standards that have resulted in the significant progress of the district.

Atlanta Public Schools outpaced other urban districts in the nation in the achievement gains realized at the eighth grade level on the federally sponsored National Assessment of Educational Progress in mathematics. Dr. Hall, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Harvard Urban Superintendents Program, is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Sydney J. Marcus Award from Atlanta-Fulton County League of Women Voters, 2002 Urban Superintendent of the Year Award from the National Alliance of Black School Educators, the Women Making a Mark Award from Atlanta Magazine, the Brooklyn College Distinguished Achievement Award, and the Atlanta Urban League’s 2001 Distinguished Community Service Award.

“I was deeply honored to be the recipient of the Modern Red SchoolHouse Distinguished Service Award,” comments Dr. Hall. “To have my name, and our school system, associated with such an outstanding organization is a source of great pride for all of us in the Atlanta Public Schools. The professionals at Modern Red SchoolHouse have created a great program that is helping many of our schools improve student achievement, and they provide us with the support to implement the program effectively. Each day, nearly 4,200 of our students in eight schools – six elementary and two middle – are being challenged, engaged, and academically enriched by the Modern Red SchoolHouse comprehensive school design program and its components. We are proud of, and pleased with, our association with Modern Red SchoolHouse. As we continue to implement and expand the program, we look forward to many, many more years of educational progress for our students.”

We trust that her successful investment strategies will receive the national attention they deserve.

February 2004