Mike Riley, former Bellevue school superintendent, dead at 58

Former Bellevue school superintendent Mike Riley was found dead in his Reston, Va., apartment today, according to a family friend.

Dr. Riley's body was found in his apartment, said Estelle Collins, a family friend who was with Dr. Riley's widow at her home in Bellevue. Collins said Dr. Riley, 58, had not been sick and that it appears at this point that his death was due to natural causes.

Dr. Riley was named superintendent of the Bellevue School District in 1996 and left the district last November to take a job as vice president for college readiness at the College Board — a national membership association that administers the SAT and Advanced Placement courses and tests.

He was seen as a visionary educator and, under his leadership, Bellevue dramatically increased the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses — from about 10 to 84 percent. He partnered with the College Board to get more teachers trained in the rigorous curriculum and, as a result, a record number of teachers attained National Board certification, a recognition of classroom mastery.