U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced the appointment of Zollie Stevenson Jr. as director of Student Achievement and School Accountability (SASA) programs. In this position, he will oversee the operation of the Title I program, the largest federal assistance program for elementary and secondary education in the country. Under Title I, more than $14 billion is awarded annually through formula and discretionary grants to raise the academic performance of under-performing students from low-income families.

Regarding Stevenson's appointment, Secretary Spellings said, "Zollie has a proven track record of helping to raise student achievement. His breath of knowledge about the Title I program and school reform will ensure that every child, including those from low-income families, receives the high quality education he or she deserves."

In addition to his role as Title I director, Stevenson will oversee the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program, the Even Start Family Literacy Programs, the Early Reading First Program, the Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program, Enhanced Assessment Grants and Programs for Children and Youth Who are Neglected and Delinquent, or At-Risk.

Prior to his appointment as acting director, Stevenson served most recently as deputy director of SASA programs. Before joining the U.S. Department of Education, he was the director of Research, Assessment and Evaluation in the Baltimore City (MD) Public Schools, research director for the District of Columbia and Charlotte/Mecklenburg public school systems, as well as an evaluation research officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a regional research and testing coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Stevenson also has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, East Carolina University, the George Washington University, the University of Maryland and Bowie State University.

Stevenson, a native of Greensboro, N.C., earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, a master's degree from North Carolina A&T State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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