To all our valued ACEL New South Wales Members,
A highlight each year for the Australian Council for Educational Leaders NSW South Wales Branch (ACEL NSW) is the annual presentation of Fellowships and leadership awards. It is through these awards that ACEL NSW honours educational leaders who have made a significant contribution to education, educational leadership and the improvement of child or student learning outcomes, teacher professional practice and/or effectiveness.
All members of ACEL are eligible to act as a nominator for an ACEL NSW Fellowship or leadership award. Nominations cannot be accepted from organisations or non-members of ACEL. Self-nomination is not permitted.
The online nomination form below is to be completed and must include two nominators. Each nominator must tick the nominator declaration box located underneath their details to confirm the truth and accuracy of the information provided in their nomination.
Nominees may or may not need to be members of ACEL, depending on the award for which they are being nominated. The award nomination process is confidential until completed, and nominations have been approved. The ACEL NSW Awards committee will evaluate nominations with respect to the essential criteria.
Fellowships and leadership awards will be presented at an ACEL NSW Awards Ceremony in August.
Thank you,
Due to COVID-19 the closing date for nominations has been extended
Closing date TBC
AWARD DETAILS AND CRITERIA
ACEL NSW Fellowships are awarded to members of ACEL who have demonstrated outstanding educational leadership and made a significant impact and contribution over an extended period of time to educational leadership and educational outcomes within their workplace and beyond, e.g. at a local, regional, system, state and/or national level.
Please note that Fellowships are not awarded simply for the performance of a person's normal employment duties at a high standard - this is taken as a given. Rather they are for a significant, sustained contribution to educational leadership and educational outcomes above and beyond that person's current paid role and responsibilities.
Any member of ACEL in the field of educational leadership or education may be nominated for an ACEL NSW Fellowship. This person may work at any level of education - in early childhood education or any type of school, system or sector, in tertiary education or in a training institution, in system administration or in any other educational setting.
Nominees for ACEL NSW Fellowships must be members of ACEL with at least five years standing, or if retired, must have been a member of at least five years standing at the time of retirement. (Please note, however, that the Committee may waive this condition and accept a shorter period of membership in the light of special circumstances or other evidence provided.) Nominees are also expected to have made an active contribution to ACEL.
Members receiving this award are permitted to use the post nominal FACEL (NSW) after their name.
Criteria to address: Nominators should specifically address the four Fellowship criteria listed below and focus on describing and demonstrating the nominee's outstanding educational leadership and significant impact and contributions over an extended period of time within their workplace and beyond, i.e. how they have made a difference:
- A significant contribution to the achievement of educational outcomes and the professional learning of others
- High level leadership capabilities and an ability to inspire, influence and implement educational change
- A significant contribution to the practice and/or theory of educational leadership within their workplace and beyond, e.g. at a local, regional, system, state and/or national level
- Contributions to ACEL.
Up to ten (10) Leadership Awards are given each year to individual educators or teams of educators who have demonstrated outstanding performance in leading an educational organisation or initiative which has accomplished significant growth in outcomes for children, students and/or teachers, or major cultural change within that organisation or the profession at large.
Nominees for these awards need not be members of ACEL.
Criteria to address: Nominators should specifically focus on identifying and describing the achievements, capabilities and practices that clearly demonstrate outstanding educational leadership by this person or team.
Up to five (5) of these awards are given each year to educators in the first five years of their professional career who have demonstrated outstanding educational leadership and commitment linked to one or more initiatives within and/or beyond their organisation, consequently making a significant difference to child or student learning, teacher professional practice or organisational effectiveness.
Nominees for this award need not be members of ACEL.
Criteria to address: Nominators should specifically focus on identifying and describing the nominee's achievements, capabilities and practices that clearly demonstrate outstanding educational leadership.
This award is given to a person who:
- is a NSW or National Fellow of ACEL
- actively promotes and contributes to ACEL initiatives and activities at local, state and/or national level
- has made a significant, sustained contribution as an exceptional educational leader across one or more areas or organisations.
Criteria to address: Nominators should specifically address the criteria listed above and focus on describing and demonstrating how the nominee meets the criteria at an outstanding level.
ACEL NSW encourages and promotes the principles and practices of excellent educational leadership through partnerships with tertiary institutions. As such, educational researchers may be nominated for outstanding academic achievement in their studies or outstanding research leading to significant improvement in child or student outcomes, teacher professional practice or organisational effectiveness.
Criteria to address: Nominators should focus on describing and demonstrating the nominee's outstanding academic achievement or outstanding research and the impacts that it has had.
This award is presented to a journalist who has made an outstanding contribution to raising the level of public awareness and the quality of debate on significant local, state and/or national education issues.
Criteria to address: Nominators should focus on describing and demonstrating the nominee's outstanding contribution in these areas.