DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Education Commission of the States (ECS) will present GE Foundation with the 2012 ECS Corporate Award for the company’s leadership to improve access to and quality of public education. The award will be presented at the 2012 ECS National Forum on Education Policy in Atlanta on July 10.
The ECS Corporate Award honors nonprofit organizations and for-profit corporations that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to, and investment in, improving public education, particularly efforts that reach those not currently well-served by the education system. This year GE Foundation made its largest corporate commitment to date in support of implementation of the Common Core State Standards, which is aimed at preparing K-12 students for college and career readiness. The grant will aid Student Achievement Partners in helping teachers at the local level understand the new standards, highlight examples of effective instruction, and cultivate teacher experts.
GE has been involved in education philanthropy for five decades. In 1989 the Foundation launched its signature College Bound program, a $30 million endeavor that reached 22 inner-city high schools in 17 communities. A study found College Bound graduates were more likely to attend college than comparable students nationally and more likely to stay in college.
In 2005, College Bound evolved into Developing Futures™ in Education. Seven urban school districts around the country have received $200 million to improve their math and science curriculum, provide professional development opportunities, and improve their management capacity. To date, the program has reached over 1.3 million students with promising results. For example, students in Jefferson County (Ky.) Public Schools scored higher in 4th grade math than their peers on the 2011 NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment.
“We are honored to receive this award. More than the recognition, we sincerely appreciate that it comes from ECS, which has helped every state and the country as a whole understand the education crisis we are facing and has supported initiatives aimed at improvement. GE Foundation’s efforts, including our recent Common Core implementation grant, are based on the best practices we’ve learned from business and we seek to apply them in a way that is sensible and effective for students and teachers,” said Robert Corcoran, Vice President of GE Corporate Citizenship and President and Chair of the GE Foundation.
“The GE Foundation model of working collaboratively with school districts on curriculum and teacher development is impressive. As a former district superintendent and chief state school officer, I believe this is exactly the type of shared expertise we need.” said ECS president Roger Sampson.
The ECS Corporate Award was created under the leadership of former Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer, the 1999-2000 ECS Chair.
About ECS
ECS is the only nationwide, nonpartisan organization that works directly with governors, legislators, chief state school officers, higher education officials and other leaders across all areas of education, from PreK to college and the workforce. Since 1965, we have tracked policy, translated research, provided unbiased advice and created opportunities for state policymakers to learn from one another. ECS is located in Denver and maintains the nation’s most extensive clearinghouse on education policy.