ACTE Excellence Awards

The ACTE^® Excellence Awards recognize excellence and dedication within the field of career and technical education among ACTE members. Recipients of these awards are exceptional individuals who have contributed to the success of CTE through the quality of their work and their involvement in the CTE community. Candidates and winners are recognized at three levels: state, regional, and national. As of 2017, the Excellence Awards program has been integrated with ACTE's High Quality CTE Framework. New nominations will follow updated guidelines, which can be found below.

There are eight (8) Excellence Awards:

Teacher of the Year This award recognizes the finest career and technical teachers at the middle/secondary school level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities.  to preview the application before you apply click here	​ View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
Administrator of the Year This award recognizes administrative CTE professionals at the school, district, county, state or federal level who have demonstrated leadership in ensuring teacher and student success and have made significant contributions toward innovative, unique and effective career and technical education programs.  to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
Postsecondary Professional of the Year This award recognizes the finest career and technical professionals at the postsecondary level who have instructed and educated students involved in career and technical education pathways, demonstrated innovation in the classroom, and exhibited dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities. to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
Counseling & Career Development Professional Award This award recognizes school counselors and career development professionals who have demonstrated commitment to connecting students with opportunities for success, shown innovation in career exploration and development, and have advocated for CTE as a viable option for all students.  to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
New Teacher of the Year This award recognizes new CTE teachers who have made significant contributions toward innovative and unique career and technical education programs and shown a professional commitment early in their careers.  to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
Teacher Educator of the Year This award recognizes teacher educators, secondary or postsecondary, who are committed to preparing teachers to deliver high quality CTE programs, demonstrated innovation in teacher education, and leadership in improving CTE. to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
Carl Perkins Community Service Award This award recognizes individuals who have used CTE to make a significant impact on their community and demonstrated leadership in programs and activities that promote student involvement in community service.  to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination
Lifetime Achievement Award This award recognizes CTE professionals for their leadership on behalf of ACTE, their innovations in CTE and their contributions to the field over an extended period of time.  to preview the application before you apply click here	View the guidelines	Submit a Nomination

*Updated Rubrics to be implemented in the 2027 Awards Cycle click here to view

**If you are a judge, click here to access the new, recorded tutorial on using the High-quality CTE Framework with the awards.**

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a candidate need to be a national ACTE member in order to be considered?

Excellence Awards candidates must be members of their state ACTE initially to be considered for an award in their state. Candidates who are selected as award winners in their states will need to be (or become) national ACTE members before the March 1 Region deadline in order to be eligible for Region consideration. 

Who is allowed to submit nominations for the Excellence Awards?

Candidates for the ACTE Excellence Awards may nominate themselves for an award or be nominated by a third party. (There are no requirements for third-party nominators to be ACTE members.)

Can former award candidates be re-nominated for awards?

Non-winning candidates may be re-nominated for the same or another Excellence Award the following year. Winning candidates at the national level may not be nominated for the same or another national ACTE Excellence Award within 3 years of their win. 

Since applying for an Excellence Award in my state, I changed jobs and no longer fill the role that made me eligible for the award. Am I still eligible to be considered for this award in my state/Region? 

Yes. As long as you held the appropriate position (ex. a teacher with 3-5 years' experience if nominated for the New Teacher of the Year) at time of initial nomination, you are still eligible even if you are no longer in that position at the time of Region or national consideration. 

I won an Excellence Award in my state and want to update my application before it is reviewed by my Region. Can I do that?

Yes, as long as your application is finalized on the Awards Portal by the March 1 Region deadline. To make changes to an application that has already been finalized on the portal, you will need to ask your state administrator to grant you access. You can contact your state administrator from your state's main page on the Awards Portal. 

I won an Excellence Award in my Region and want to update my application before it is reviewed by the national awards committee. Can I do that?

No, your application for the Region will be forwarded on for national consideration as-is. However, if there are additional activities not in your application that you would like to add for consideration by the national awards committee, you can mention those during your interview. 

Will I be interviewed as part of the selection process?

All national Excellence Awards finalists are interviewed by the national Awards Committee via conference call in October before the Awards Banquet. Finalists will be contacted with details in advance. Interview requirements at the state or Region level vary; contact your state or Region awards chair for information. 

When will I find out if I've won the award?

All Region winners are announced at the Region conferences except for Region I. Region I winners are announced in June/July. National excellence award winners are announced at the ACTE Awards Banquet in conjunction with CareerTech VISION.    

If you have more questions about the awards or submitting an application online, visit our help page or email ACTE staff at mzarcone@acteonline.org.