Dr. Barbara S. Nielsen served two four-year terms from 1991 to 1999 as South Carolina's fourteenth State Superintendent of Education.

While in office, Dr. Nielsen coordinated the development and pushed for the passing of key legislation on education reform in the South Carolina General Assembly, the most notable of which is:

• South Carolina's 1998 landmark legislation, the Education Accountability Act (EAA),
• legislation that established the first statewide full-day kindergarten program in South Carolina, and
• Legislation that allowed for the creation of charter schools in South Carolina.

Dr. Nielsen also enjoyed success in the areas of curriculum standardization, accountability, K-12 programs, and technology. She developed and implemented the first statewide academic standards for all grades and worked with legislators to develop the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) that measured progress toward the EAA's goals. She introduced key K-12 programs that are still in use today, including service learning, character education, and parenting/family literacy. In technology, her most noteworthy accomplishments were the introduction of Internet access for all schools in South Carolina, the establishment of an on-line ordering system for textbooks and instructional materials, and the creation of the State Department of Education's first Web site.

Prior to serving as state superintendent, Dr. Nielsen worked in education for thirty years as a teacher, an administrator, and an educational consultant. She graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio and received a doctorate degree in educational administration and planning and a master's degree in guidance counseling from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.