GE Foundation Makes Grant to Education Commission of the States

DENVER, May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) announced receipt of a grant from the GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of General Electric Company -- more than doubling the amount of last year's award. The $100,000 grant allows ECS to fine-tune and expand the Progress of Education Reform, a publication state policymakers rate among the most useful resources in education.

"The GE Foundation has supported the Progress of Education Reform since its inception in 1995," said the organization's president, Bob Corcoran. "We continue to have confidence in ECS' ability to effectively work with state policymakers and practitioners to boost student achievement."

The expanded grant support is well-timed. The new president, Roger Sampson, is sharpening the focus of ECS. Currently, the organization is made up of an information clearinghouse and five institutes devoted to early learning; teaching quality and leadership; citizenship and service learning; postsecondary education and workforce development. "Our focus is on policies that make a difference in raising student achievement -- those policies that produce results," Sampson said.

The Progress of Education Reform reviews current and emerging research on state policies designed to improve education. The purpose of the grant is twofold: to increase the publication's frequency, quality and visibility and to add considerable attention to policies focused on improving school and district leadership.

"Effective leadership is the best path to ensure policies reach our nation's classrooms and schools," Sampson explained. "While you can find effective classrooms in low- performing schools -- you will not find high-performing schools without strong leadership."

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is the only nationwide, nonpartisan interstate compact devoted to education. ECS helps governors, legislators, state education officials and others identify, develop and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. A nonprofit organization, ECS (www.ecs.org) was formed in 1965 and is located in Denver, Colorado.

The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of the General Electric Company, works to strengthen educational access, equity, and quality for disadvantaged youth globally, and supports GE employee and retiree giving and involvement in GE communities around the world. In 2006, the GE family of businesses, employees, retirees and GE Foundation contributed more than $219 million to community and educational programs, including $89 million from the GE Foundation. For more information, visit www.gefoundation.com.