NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Harold (Terry) McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies today announced the winners of the 2012 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. This year, the 25th anniversary of the Prize, honors education "Game Changers" John Merrow, broadcast journalist and leading education commentator, Sal Khan, former financial analyst turned virtual school creator, and Ariela Rozman and Timothy Daly whose work with TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project, is transforming the teaching profession.  These winners were selected for their cutting-edge innovations and far-reaching impact on student achievement and teacher effectiveness. 

"Since its inception, the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education has honored education trailblazers. This year is no exception.  Sal, Ariela, Timothy and John are revolutionizing American education," said Mr. McGraw. "We applaud these game changers for their leadership, creativity and dedication, which are inspiring new ideas and big thinking about student learning."

Honorees are chosen by a distinguished, independent board of judges from the education community.  Each winner will be presented with a $50,000 prize during the gala awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 18.

Here is more on the Prize recipients and their achievements:

• John Merrow has spent many years as an education reporter for National Public Radio and The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and as an advocate exploring major issues confronting U.S. education. Mr. Merrow is honored as an education luminary. As president of Learning Matters, which he founded in 1995, he has drawn attention to the state of education in the U.S., highlighting programs, schools and teachers who are having significant impact on student achievement.
• Sal Khan's creation of Khan Academy has transformed education by creating a free, open-source, world-class virtual school where anyone can learn anything, anytime. For this, he is honored as a rising star in education. A former financial analyst, he began this work in 2004 by tutoring his young cousin in math. Demand for his online videos grew, and in 2009 he committed himself fully to Khan Academy. Its scope is huge: its more than 3,300 instructional videos covering everything from basic math to college level science have been viewed more than 180 million times. Khan Academy's technology also means students, parents and teachers can track progress as students master new knowledge and skills.
• Two leaders of TNTP, CEO Ariela Rozman and President Timothy Daly, are honored together as education pioneers. TNTP, a nonprofit founded by teachers in 1997, is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in public education. Working in more than 25 cities, TNTP partners with educators in schools, districts and states to find, develop and keep great teachers. TNTP has recruited or trained some 49,000 teachers – benefiting an estimated 8 million students – and is advancing a profession that prioritizes and supports effective teaching. TNTP's groundbreaking studies, including The Widget Effect (2009) and The Irreplaceables (2012), have influenced legislation in more than 20 states.

The McGraw Prize in Education annually recognizes outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to education innovation.  The Prize was established in 1988 to honor the late Harold W. McGraw, Jr.'s lifelong commitment to education and to mark the Corporation's 100th anniversary.  Former Prize recipients include leaders in community-based education such as Harlem Children's Zone Founder Geoffrey Canada; business leaders, including retired Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation Norman Augustine; classroom teachers like Reynauld Smith of Washington, D.C.; and other innovators, including Teach for America Founder Wendy Kopp. 

On Wednesday, September 19, McGraw-Hill will convene past and present prize winners to discuss trends that will shape the future of American education. Education: The Next 25 Years, The Next 25 Minutes will feature the participation of the following education innovators and doers:

• Yvonne Chan, 1996 McGraw Prize Winner; principal, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center
• Freeman Hrabowski, 2001 McGraw Prize Winner; president, The University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Sal Khan, 2012 McGraw Prize Winner; founder and executive director, Khan Academy
• Jeff Livingston, senior vice president, Readiness and Intervention Solutions, McGraw-Hill Education
• Larry Rosenstock, 2010 McGraw Prize Winner; CEO and founding principal, High Tech High

John Merrow will moderate the symposium and will lead an interactive discussion on the rapidly changing education landscape, new ideas and emerging innovations. Lloyd G. "Buzz" Waterhouse, president and CEO of McGraw-Hill Education, will provide opening remarks. Watch the event live at Facebook.com/McGrawHill.

You can download photos and learn more about the Prize winners online. Visit McGraw-Hill's YouTube channel on September 19 to watch videos of the Prize winners.

Connect with McGraw-Hill on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter and join the ongoing discussion via #mcgrawprize on Twitter.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:  McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

SOURCE The McGraw-Hill Companies