Washington, DC—Today, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva will be recognized by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.

 The forum will honor Representative Grijalva and Senator Barack Obama tonight with the Legislator(s) of the Year award.

 “I am honored to receive this award alongside Senator Barack Obama, from a group that advocates for the majority of our student population, middle grade children,” stated Rep. Grijalva. “Middle school students are facing many changes in their personal and education life, we have the responsibility to invest in their education and transition to high school and other higher education opportunities.”

 Representative Grijalva introduced the Success in the Middle Act to advance national middle level policy and help raise student achievement in the middle grades.  The Success in the Middle Act offers federal support to improve the education of middle school students by providing $1 billion in formula grants to states targeting our lowest-performing middle schools, ensures middle grade students are prepared academically for high school and college, and increases technical assistance for student achievement and professional development. Senator Obama is the lead sponsor in the Senate

The National Forum is a coalition of 60 major organizations, professional associations and state and local leaders representing middle grades schools and middle grade children in grades 5-8.