North Billerica, MA, July 7, 2014
Frank Ferguson, Curriculum Associates’ founder and chairman, has been selected to receive the Association of American Publishers (AAP) PreK–12 Learning Group’s 2014 Hall of Fame Award. As part of the Lamplighter Honors for Leadership in Educational Publishing, the Hall of Fame Award is the highest honor recognizing an individual’s lifetime achievement and outstanding service to the learning resource industry.
“Frank Ferguson’s extraordinary contributions to the educational publishing industry and to the greater community make him truly deserving of this recognition,” said Jay Diskey, Executive Director of the AAP PreK–12 Learning Group. “In addition to building Curriculum Associates and contributing to its continued success, Frank is a true leader in the assessment and instruction industry. We congratulate him on the positive impact he’s had—and continues to have—in the lives and endeavors of those in the learning resources community throughout his decades of service.”
Ferguson is one of five co-founders of Curriculum Associates. He served as president of the company from 1976–2008 and since then, as the company’s chairman. Among his many achievements during his tenure with the company, Ferguson spearheaded the first comprehensive inventory of basic skills, the BRIGANCE® Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, and advocated for research on how to best prepare students for state tests and what that meant for instructional practices, as well as the actual composition of the assessment. Throughout his career, he has been committed to helping all students succeed—most recently through the development of Curriculum Associates’ online diagnostic and instructional program, i-Ready®, which helps educators identify individual student progress and education needs.
Ferguson set up the Ferguson Education Leadership Fellowship, a prestigious 30-month postgraduate fellowship dedicated to bringing together traditional schools, charter schools, and the for-profit educational technology industry to improve student learning. As part of his philanthropic nature, he additionally set up a trust to ensure that two-thirds of Curriculum Associates’ profits each year will, in the future, go to select charities.
“Frank has made it his life’s mission to improve classrooms for teachers and students,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “And, through his leadership, commitment, and passion, he has done just that, while advancing the education industry as a whole. His attitude, work ethic, active presence every day, and expertise have inspired not only me, but the entire team at Curriculum Associates, and we work each day to make sure his mission continues to be served.”
Ferguson graduated from Iowa State University in 1950 with a degree in journalism and minors in education and psychology, and later received an MBA from MIT in 1959. Ferguson then served as president of the BOSE Corporation from 1969–1976, before becoming president of Curriculum Associates.
Ferguson is a member of the Boston chapter of Social Venture Partners, a non-profit that mentors and financially supports organizations with social missions. Since 2010, Ferguson has been a board advisor to the Lionheart Foundation. He has been profoundly influenced by the work of Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, and especially by the implications for instruction and learning arising from the connection of oral language to cognition set forth in Lev Vygotsky's seminal work, Thought and Language.
Ferguson will be formally recognized on Monday, December 8, 2014 during the Lamplighter Honors Gala in New York City.
To learn more about the Lamplighter Honors for Leadership in Educational Publishing and the Hall of Fame, visit https://publishers.org/lamplighter-honors.
About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, privately owned Curriculum Associates, LLC, designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students. For company and product information, visit Curriculum Associates on the Web at http://www.CurriculumAssociates.com or call 800-225-0248.
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