Spartanburg County School District One Superintendent Dr. Jimmy Littlefield has been named Superintendent of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA). Dr. Littlefield will represent South Carolina in the National Superintendent of the Year competition.

Littlefield&squo;s colleagues cited his passion for Student Centered education and his dedication through thirty-nine years of service.

Littlefield has served as superintendent in Spartanburg County School District One for the past twenty-one years. Under his leadership, Spartanburg School District One was one of the first four school districts in the state, and one of 150 in the country, to receive district accreditation status. He is also a member of the Inman Rotary Club and has served on the Board of Directors for the Spartanburg County Boards of Disabilities and Special Needs.

He was formerly a member of the Board of Directors for South Carolina Association of Superintendents and has served on the executive board of the SC High School League.

&dquo;Dr. Littlefield is a catalyst in the Spartanburg area and is loved and respected by many people on many levels,&dquo; said Bob Walker, Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee.

Littlefield has initiated a number of ambitious projects aimed at enhancing student achievement, as well as parent involvement in District One.&bsp; He has partnered with other Spartanburg districts to implement Dropout Prevention/Retrieval (LINKS) and Highest Academic Achievers through USC Upstate.

The National Superintendent of the Year program, established in 1988 and co-sponsored by ARAMARK Education, honors school administrators based on the following criteria: leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism, and community involvement. &bsp;

The fifty state Superintendents of the Year, as well as the four national finalists and the National Superintendent of the Year, are recognized at the AASA (American Association of School Administrators) National Conference.&bsp; Finalists receive cash awards and medallions. The National Superintendent of the Year presents a $10,000 scholarship to a deserving student from his or her high school alma mater.&bsp; In addition, the National Superintendent of the Year will receive ongoing recognition in the national news media, including the education press, a jacket emblazoned with the National Superintendent of the Year emblem, a gold medallion with the National Superintendent of the Year emblem, a special National Superintendent of the Year plaque and a $2,000 U.S. government savings bond.

SCASA is the professional organization for school leaders in South Carolina, with a membership of more than 2,900.&bsp; From professional development opportunities and research, to publications and legislative advocacy, SCASA&squo;s focus is to support school leaders in providing the best possible education for South Carolina&squo;s young people.&bsp; As a state affiliate of three national associations for school leaders, SCASA also works on the national level.