Academic Leadership Award

The 2026 Academic Leadership Awards celebrate the leaders who are raising the bar for teaching, learning, and student achievement across the country.

This award honors directors of curriculum, instructional leaders, assistant superintendents, and superintendents who have led meaningful improvements in academic outcomes — not through mandates, but through thoughtful leadership rooted in high-quality instruction, equitable access to learning, and a commitment to students.

Awardees represent a diverse range of district and school system roles. Some redesigned core instructional models. Some built coherent, standards-aligned curriculum systems. Some empowered teachers with stronger professional learning. Some transformed how MTSS, data, and instruction work together. Others successfully improved outcomes for historically underserved student groups.

What unites them is simple:

They made teaching better. They made learning stronger. And they created real, measurable academic growth for students.

We invite you to nominate yourself or someone you admire: a colleague, a mentor, or a leader whose vision for instruction changed what was possible for students this year.

Nominations are open until February 1, 2026.