NEW YORK—In a gathering unlike any other among educators in the United States, more than 2,500 leading educators from schools and colleges across the nation and around the world will convene in New York City from Oct. 24 to Oct. 27.

They will share ideas and discuss pressing issues with distinguished experts and a wide range of colleagues, from superintendents, teachers and counselors, to presidents, faculty, and admissions and financial aid officers. They represent the gamut of schools, colleges and universities, from public to private; rural to urban; and wealthy to economically challenged.

In light of the upcoming 2008 presidential election, College Board members and guests will tackle the critical questions and devise innovative solutions to take back to their elected officials. The most pressing concerns on the state and federal levels include education advocacy, access to higher education and student preparation. Other topics under consideration range from ways to overcome barriers to equal access to higher education, how to guarantee teachers the salaries they deserve and how to best prepare students for a globalized world.

Plenary speeches and other sessions will delve into these issues.

• The Plenary Luncheon will open the Forum with
  • Bob Costas, world-renowned sportscaster and best-selling author, and
  • Susan Hockfield, 16th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who will talk about “Education Driving Innovation.” (Thursday, Oct. 25, at 11:45 a.m.)
• “Public and Private Sector Initiatives in Education” with
  • Gerald McElvy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation,
  • Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, co-chair of the College Board Task Force on College Access for Students from Low-Income Backgrounds and vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the College Board, and
  • Steven E. Brooks, co-chair of the College Board Task Force on College Access for Students from Low-Income Backgrounds and executive director of the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. (Thursday, Oct. 25, at 4:45 p.m.)
• “Successfully Serving Our Urban Students” with
  • Joel Klein, New York City schools chancellor, who oversees the nation’s largest public school district, with more than 1,450 schools and over 1.1 million students, and recipient of this year’s prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education, and
  • Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of the City University of New York, who leads the nation’s largest, urban public university. (Friday, Oct. 26, at 8:30 a.m.)
• “Keeping America Competitive in the Global Marketplace: The University’s Role” with
  • Erskine Bowles, president of the 16-campus University of North Carolina system and White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton. (Friday, Oct. 26, 12:30 p.m.)
• Inspiration Awards Breakfast and Annual Meeting with  
  • Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and host of “NOVA scienceNOW” on PBS, and students from the 2007 Inspiration Award-winning schools (Saturday, Oct. 27, 8:00 a.m.)

In addition, the Forum will offer more than 130 other sessions and workshops on pressing issues facing today’s educators.  Highlights include:

• Financial Aid Awards From Coast to Coast—Why Are They Different?
• Teacher-Parent Partnerships: Closing the Achievement Gap by Empowering Parents and Students
• The AP^® Course Audit: Taking It to the Next Level
• Aid for Undocumented Students: An Open Discussion
• Education on the Stump: How the 2008 Election Will Shape U.S. Education
• Global Curriculum: A Mandate for Survival
• The Canary in the Coal Mine: What the SAT^® Tells Us About What Kids Know
• Increasing Postsecondary Success for Latino Students: Findings From AASCU
• Redefining the Purpose of Secondary Education

Please visit the Forum Highlights page for a complete list of special events and guest speakers: www.collegeboard.com/events/forum/2007/highlights. 

The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT^®, the PSAT/NMSQT^®, and the Advanced Placement Program^® (AP^®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

For more information, please contact Nancy Viggiano at nviggiano@collegeboard.org or by phone at (212) 713-8052.

All sessions are open to the media. To obtain press credentials or for more information, e-mail Courtney Stevenson at cstevenson@collegeboard.org. Please be sure to include your name, e-mail address and the dates you would like to attend.  A confirmation of your request will be e-mailed to you.  Bring a copy of the confirmation to the VIP desk in the registration area of the Hilton.