AACTE Awards Program

The AACTE Awards Program recognizes excellence in both member institutions and individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of educator preparation. In identifying notable programs, practices, activities, writing, and research, these awards encourage all member institutions to strengthen the profession of teacher preparation through innovation, high standards, and leadership. For an overview of the the 2024 award winners, read the press release.

Best Practice Awards

2025 Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity
This award, overseen by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity, recognizes the infusion of diversity throughout all components of a school, college, or department of education (SCDE) as critical to quality educator preparation and professional development. Specifically, the incorporation of issues related to culture, language, demographics, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and exceptionalities in the education process are perceived as important. Nominees must be from AACTE member institutions. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

2025 Increasing Educator Diversity: Promising Practice Award
This promising practice award, overseen by AACTE’s Programmatic Advisory Committee on Educator Diversity (PACED), recognizes a promising practice from an educator preparation program (EPP) or department within a school or college of education. The selection is based on the demonstration of outcomes and advocacy related to various activities, practices, programs, pedagogies, systems and/or policies that lead to, or are likely to lead to, an increase in educator diversity. Learn more and and submissions are now closed.

2025 Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives
This award recognizes exemplary practice in the intercultural, global, cross-cultural, and international arenas. It is overseen by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity as part of its mission to assure that a global/international perspective is brought to policy and programs associated with the preparation of education professionals. Nominees must be members of AACTE. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

2025 Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology
This award, overseen by AACTE’s Committee on Innovation and Technology, recognizes an innovative use of educational technologies in an AACTE member school, college, or department of education (SCDE). Learn more and and submissions are now closed.

2025 Best Practice Award for Exemplary Holmes Program
This award, overseen by the AACTE Holmes Programmatic Advisory Committee, recognizes Holmes Program institutions that demonstrate exemplary and innovative practices in supporting graduate students of color resulting in increased productivity of its scholars. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

Professional Achievement Awards

2025 Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education
The Margaret B. Lindsey Award, overseen by the AACTE Board of Directors recognizes distinguished achievement in research over the last decade that has had a major impact on the field of educator preparation. Lindsey was a longtime professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, whose own writing and research had a tremendous and lasting impact on the field. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

2025 David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education
This award, overseen by the AACTE Board of Directors, recognizes an individual for distinguished achievement in the field of policy and/or research related to policy in educator preparation. The career achievement acknowledged by this award must take place in the formulation, implementation, research, or analysis of educator preparation policy. The award is named for AACTE President/CEO Emeritus David G. Imig, who led the Association from 1980 to 2005. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

2025 Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education
This award, overseen by the AACTE Board of Directors, recognizes outstanding contributions to educator preparation, either through distinguished service to the educator preparation community or through the development and promotion of outstanding practices in educator preparation at the collegiate, state, or national level. It is named for Edward C. Pomeroy, who was AACTE’s executive director from 1952 to 1980. Learn more and submissions are now closed.


Writing and Research Awards

2025 Outstanding JTE Article Award
This award, overseen by the AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination and sponsored by SAGE Publications, recognizes exemplary scholarship published in the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) in the areas of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. The editors of the JTE will submit their awardee nominations for consideration by the Committee on Research and Dissemination. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

2025 Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award – Submissions now closed
This award, overseen by the AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination, recognizes exemplary books that make a significant contribution to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

2025 James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award – Submissions now closed
This award, overseen by AACTE’s Committee on Research and Dissemination, recognizes excellence in doctoral dissertation research (or its equivalent) that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. Learn more and submissions are now closed.

AACTE Award Categories

Innovative Use of Technology

This award, sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Innovation and Technology, recognizes an innovative use of educational technologies in a school, college, or department of education.

Recent winners:


Support Global and International Perspectives

This award recognizes exemplary practice in the intercultural, global, cross-cultural, and international arenas. It is sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity as part of its mission to assure that a global/international perspective is brought to policy and programs associated with the preparation of education professionals.

Recent winners:


Support in Multicultural Education and Diversity

This award, sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity, recognizes the infusion of diversity throughout all components of a school, college, or department of education (SCDE) as critical to quality teacher preparation and professional development. Specifically, the incorporation of issues related to culture, language, demographics, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and exceptionalities in the education process are perceived as important.

Recent winners: 


Increasing Educator Diversity: Promising Practice Award 

This inaugural promising practice award, overseen and sponsored by AACTE’s Programmatic Advisory Committee on Educator Diversity (PACED), recognizes a promising practice from a school, college, or department of education (SCDE) demonstrating outcomes and advocacy related to various activities, practices, programs, pedagogies, systems, and/or policies that lead to, or is likely to lead to, an increase in educator diversity.

Recent winners:


Best Practice Award for Exemplary Holmes Program

This award recognizes Holmes Program institutions that demonstrate exemplary and innovative practices in supporting graduate students of color resulting in increased productivity of its scholars.

Recent winners: 

Research in Teacher Education

The Margaret B. Lindsey Award recognizes an individual whose research over the last decade has made a major impact on the field of teacher education.

Recent winners:


Achievement in Teacher Education

The David G. Imig Award recognizes distinguished achievement in the field of policy or research in teacher education. The recipient(s) of this award need not be from an AACTE member institution or otherwise affiliated with AACTE, although there should be an obvious connection between the achievement recognized and AACTE’s mission and work.

Recent winners:


Contributions to Teacher Education

The Edward C. Pomeroy Award recognizes outstanding contributions to teacher education, either through distinguished service to the teacher education community or through the development and promotion of outstanding practices in teacher education at the collegiate, state, or national level.

Recent winners:

Outstanding Book Award Winner

The Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award recognizes as exemplary books that make a significant contribution to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. AACTE will accept ebooks should your warehouse not be able to ship hard copies by the deadline

Recent winners:


Outstanding Dissertation Award Winner

The James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award recognizes excellence in doctoral dissertation research that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation.

Recent winners:


Outstanding JTE Article Award

This award, cosponsored by Sage, recognizes exemplary scholarship published in the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) in the area of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation.

Recent winners:

 


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