Hall County schools Superintendent Will Schofield was named "Administrator of the Year" by the National Association for Gifted Children.

The national organization is comprised of parents, teachers, educators and other professionals and community leaders who unite to address the needs of talented children. The association aims to develop the potential skills of gifted children through appropriate educational experiences.

Schofield said the award is a tribute to the Hall County school system’s 26,000 students and 3,500 hundred professionals working within the school system.

"We have often said that in today’s world, all of our students are both gifted and at-risk," he said. "NAGC acknowledges the urgent need of a more relevant model of preparing our nation’s 56 million boys and girls for the future that awaits them."

Schofield will receive the award in late October at the National Conference for Gifted Children in Tampa, Fla. Schofield and Hall County schools Rigor Specialist Sally Krisel are slated to give a presentation titled "Demanding Excellence Amidst a National Culture of Adequacy" to conference attendees.

Krisel, who served as the state Department of Education’s gifted education advisor for 10 years, said it is Schofield’s great leadership that merits the national award. It was Krisel who nominated Schofield for the award.

"He understands the power of focusing on excellence rather than focusing on adequacy," she said. "Through his leadership he has built a sense of urgency in the community ... that he’s not satisfied with that culture of adequacy."

Schofield has often said he believes No Child Left Behind’s emphasis on basic competency encourages mediocrity rather than excellence. He said he’s concerned the federal mandate will negatively affect American children’s ability to compete globally.

"People have probably gotten sick of me saying there’s all kinds of ways to leave children behind, and one way is to take your most able students and at the end of the day, having nothing for them," he said.

Krisel said Schofield’s "consistent relentless focus on excellence" is evidenced by his implementation of three International Baccalaureate programs at three of the six Hall County high schools. In addition, she credits Schofield with supporting staffing, training and generously funding the Honors Mentorship Program for high school juniors and seniors and the Honors Directed Studies Program for high school freshmen and sophomores.

On the elementary and middle school levels, Krisel said Schofield helped implement for all students the Renzulli Learning System, a learning approach typically reserved for only gifted students. The Renzulli Learning System is a Web-based program that profiles students interests and matches them with high quality instructional activities and materials.

Schofield has been superintendent of Hall County schools since May 2006.