Ron Gidwitz Receives National Education Award.

Business Editors/Education Writers

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 2003

Ronald J. Gidwitz, a current member and former chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, is being awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE).

"Ron Gidwitz exemplifies the best of state and national leadership in education. His strategic vision and practical efforts have profoundly benefited Illinois' public schools and students. He has been instrumental in expanding educational opportunities for students, increasing teacher qualifications, and raising student achievement in the state. In addition to spearheading these school reforms, Ron Gidwitz has been a tireless and effective advocate for the state and federal resources needed to fund these programs and help students succeed," said Brenda Welburn, NASBE Executive Director.

Gidwitz played a critical role in establishing the Prairie State Achievement Exam, Illinois' statewide high school assessment, which includes administering the ACT college entrance test to every student; providing major funding increases for early childhood education programs that reduced waiting lists for at-risk children; upgrading the Illinois Test of Basic Skills required for entry into teacher preparation programs and developing an online certification process; and establishing an accountability task force to help integrate the No Child Left Behind Act with the state's accountability system.

Also under Gidwitz's leadership, the Illinois State Board of Education was reorganized to make the state agency more efficient, cost-effective, and responsive to the state's school districts. Indeed, Gidwitz expanded public access to board meeting materials, agency information, and classroom materials through dramatic improvements to the ISBE website.

In addition, Gidwitz launched the Students First Foundation, www.studentsfirst.us, to build an effective grassroots lobbying effort to protect the future of Illinois children and commerce through increased funding for education.

"Ron Gidwitz has demonstrated an extraordinary personal and professional commitment to students in Illinois and across the nation," said Robert Schiller, Illinois state superintendent.

Gidwitz was appointed chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education in 1999 and is currently serving his second term on the board. Gidwitz is actively involved in numerous civic organizations and serves as chairman of the Chicago City Colleges, chairman of the board of the Field Museum in Chicago, a director of the Chicago Art Institute and of the Rand Corporation, and is the former state and national chairman of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

The award is being presented at NASBE's annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland on October 18.

NASBE represents America's state and territorial boards of education. Our principal objectives are to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking; advocate equality of access to educational opportunity; promote excellence in the education of all students; and assure responsible lay governance of education.