I received a message recently from a teacher who hadn't received her order from Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and wondered if I knew how to help.

I did a quick search and discovered that ECI -- Educational Communications, Inc. -- ceased all operations in 2007! This came as a surprise to me. I'm not sure if another company has already stepped into their place, but the post on their main page, honoring.com, reports:

Educational Communications, Inc. has ceased all operations, including discontinuation of its publications for Who's Who Among American High School Students, Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and The National Dean's List.

Please note - All students who have already been named as previous scholarships winners through The Educational Communications Scholarships Foundation will remain eligible to collect their funds at anytime during their pursuit of higher education.

If you have any questions about the status of any order, you can call 877-843-9946.

A post I made back in 2005 about this 'who's who' recognition has to my great surprise continued to be one of the most popular entries on Pedablogue. I think that recognition for students -- like The Nat'l Dean's List -- can potentialy be a strong motivator for some students, but my position on these awards for professional instructors hasn't changed since I first mulled over the significance of this award. Perhaps many agree.

I haven't learned yet why the company has ceased operations (it's been in business since the late 1960s), but I did a little research to see if I could find out more. I discovered that ECI is currently listed as part of the American Achievement Corporation, which also has subsidiaries that sell class rings, make yearbooks, and more. This Austin based company might be contacted if you're a teacher or student trying to hunt down the status of your order or award.

You can ping this entry by using http://blogs.setonhill.edu/mt/mt_tb-awoisdlkfj.cgi/13094 .