U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today congratulated the three recipients of the 2001 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the education category — the first-ever winners since the category was created in 1999.

The three winners are: Chugach School District, Anchorage, Alaska; Pearl River School District, Pearl River, N.Y.; and University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wis.

"President Bush has made it his goal to offer every American student a high quality education," Paige said. "These three winners have made quality, accountability and results hallmarks of their operations, and have set the bar of excellence high for others.

"I applaud them for their leadership, vision and, most important, commitment to making sure their students receive a high quality education."

The winners are expected to receive the Baldrige Award in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., early next year.

Named after the 26th secretary of commerce, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses. The award promotes quality awareness, recognizes the quality and performance achievements of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies. It has five categories: manufacturing, service, small business, education and health care. The award is not given for specific products or services. Forty-six organizations have received the Baldrige Award since 1988.

The education category was introduced in 1999. Any for-profit or not-for-profit public or private organization that provides education services in the United States or its territories is eligible to apply for the award. Included are elementary and secondary schools, school districts, colleges, universities and university systems, schools or colleges within a university, professional schools, community colleges, technical schools and charter schools.

Applicants in the education category must show achievements and improvements in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; student, stakeholder, and market focus; information and analysis; faculty and staff focus; process management; and organizational performance results.

The Baldrige program is managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, in conjunction with the private sector.

For more information about the winners, please visit http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/g01-110.htm.

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