Beverly L. Hall became the 15th appointed superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) on July 1, 1999. She has worked actively with the community to gain support for public education in the city of Atlanta. Hall is credited with transforming the 102- Atlanta school system through a comprehensive reform agenda. Every elementary school in Atlanta made adequate yearly progress in 2008 under the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law, and graduation rates at several high schools have risen sharply. Prior to her post in Atlanta, she was state district superintendent of the Newark public schools, the largest school district in the state of New Jersey. Born in Jamaica, West Indies, Hall immigrated to the US upon completion of her high school education. She was awarded an honorary PhD from Oglethorpe University and earned a doctorate of education from Fordham University.