BY ZACHARY REID

Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

Richmond Schools Superintendent Deborah Jewell-Sherman has been named the state's superintendent of the year.

The honor was announced tonight during the Virginia Association of School Superintendents' annual conference in Roanoke.

Jewell-Sherman was honored by the group for the school system's academic improvements, as measured by Standards of Learning test results, during her six years in charge. During that time, the percentage of schools meeting state accreditation standards has risen from 18 percent to 84 percent.

Association President Don Ford said in a statement that Sherman improved Richmond's schools "through her inspiring leadership as she implemented her vision, raised expectations, involved her community and produced results under pressure of local politics and economic deficiencies."

She was also cited for accepting a performance-based contract when she became superintendent in 2002.

Told of the honor, Richmond City Council president William J. Pantele congratulated Jewell-Sherman and said she "took a job a lot of others wouldn't, and she agreed to key her compensation to performance. There is no question that Richmond Public Schools in that time period has improved significantly."

Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, a frequent critic of Jewell-Sherman, was not available for comment.

Jewell-Sherman announced a month ago that she would leave the system by the time her contract expires on June 30, 2009. That announcement came a week after Richmond's auditor released a report that detailed systemic failures in the school system's procurement and accounts-payable departments. Jewell-Sherman said the announcement of her retirement resulted from a decision she made months earlier,

As the winner of the state honor, Jewell-Sherman is in the running for the national superintendent of the year honor awarded by the American Association of School Administrators.

Contact Zachary Reid at zreid@timesdispatch.com