Conference News and Announcements
Press Releases
Here is where you will find all conference-related press releases, including announcements about Pacesetter winners.
In the News: The Making Schools Work Conference
We are proud when our conference and our Pacesetter Award winners get mentioned in the news.
Here are some of the mentions we’ve seen lately:
North Carolina Wins 2026 SREB State Leadership Award
State honored for commitment to professional development and aligning curricula to college and career-ready standards
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is the winner of the Southern Regional Education Board’s 2026 State Leadership Award for creating professional learning experiences for educators and implementing college- and career-readiness strategies. The state will be presented with the award July 14 at SREB’s Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Floyd D. Johnson CTE Center Wins 2026 Pacesetter School Award
Three-time winner honored for excellence in workforce-focused education and credential attainment
Floyd D. Johnson Career and Technical Education Center in York, South Carolina, is the winner of a 2026 Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Award from the Southern Regional Education Board. FDJTC will be honored July 14 at SREB’s Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville.
Pacesetter Awards recognize schools that are implementing one of SREB’s Making Schools Work school improvement frameworks and are achieving success in meeting bold goals related to graduation rates, readiness for college and careers, and credential attainment.
Albert Hill Middle School Wins 2026 Pacesetter School Award
School honored for becoming a top-five school for growth in reading and math after nine years of turnaround work
Albert Hill Middle School in Richmond, Virginia, is the winner of a 2026 Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Award from the Southern Regional Education Board. Albert Hill will be honored July 14 at SREB’s Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville.
Pacesetter Awards recognize schools that are implementing one of SREB’s Making Schools Work school improvement frameworks and are achieving success in meeting bold goals related to graduation rates, readiness for college and careers, and credential attainment.
Sylacauga High School Wins 2026 Pacesetter School Award
School honored for implementing a reimagined approach to drive ACT growth
Sylacauga High School in Sylacauga, Alabama, is the winner of a 2026 Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Award from the Southern Regional Education Board. Sylacauga High will be honored July 14 at SREB’s Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville.
Pacesetter Awards recognize schools that are implementing one of SREB’s Making Schools Work school improvement frameworks and are achieving success in meeting bold goals related to graduation rates, readiness for college and careers, and credential attainment.
Oxford City Schools Receives SREB’s 2026 District Leadership Award
School honored for its commitment to academic growth and mathematics instruction
The Oxford City School District in Oxford, Alabama, is the winner of the Southern Regional Education Board’s 2026 District Leadership Award. The district received the honor for its commitment to data-driven instructional priorities and achieving significant gains in student accountability ratings.
The school system will be presented with the award on July 14 at the 2026 SREB Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
SREB Names 2025 District and State Pacesetter Award Winners
Awards to be presented at the 2025 SREB Making Schools Work Conference this summer in New Orleans.
The Southern Regional Education Board’s District Leadership and State Leadership awards recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of two districts and a state that established structures to help transform school and classroom practices and maintain a culture of continuous improvement.
SREB will present the awards to the recipients on July 15 at the Making Schools Work Conference in New Orleans.
Here are this year’s winners:
Schools Honored With 2025 Pacesetter Awards
Awards to be presented at the 2025 SREB Making Schools Work Conference this summer in New Orleans.
Thirteen schools will receive Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Awards this year in recognition of their efforts to increase quality instruction and raise student achievement.
The Southern Regional Education Board will present the awards to the recipients on July 15 at the Making Schools Work Conference in New Orleans.
The Pacesetter awards recognize schools that implement SREB school improvement goals and frameworks for students to graduate ready for college, careers and credentials.
Here are this year’s winners:
