The McGraw-Hill Cos. announced the winners of the 2000 Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education last week.
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Nancy S. Grasmick, the Maryland state superintendent of schools, Rod Paige, the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, and Sanford I. Weill, the chairman and chief executive officer of Citigroup Inc., were each awarded the prize for their commitment to education.
Under Ms. Grasmick’s leadership, Maryland has received national recognition for its emphasis on standards, assessment, and accountability.
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Ms. Grasmick’s nine-year tenure has been marked by an increase in preschool programs, enhanced educational services and support systems for at-risk students, and growth in school technology, company officials said.
As the superintendent of the seventh-largest school district in the country, Mr. Paige has conceived and enacted plans for increasing academic achievement, parental involvement, and community support.
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Houston schools have seen significant gains in student performance, and the performance gaps between minority and nonminority students have narrowed since Mr. Paige became superintendent in 1994.
Mr. Weill was hailed for championing early-childhood programs and supporting arts education.
In 1980, he created a career-preparation program called the Academy of Finance. Today, nearly 30,000 public high school students in 40 states are being served by his National Academy Foundation.
Each of the honorees will receive a gift of $25,000.
—Adrienne D. Coles
