A highlight of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders South Australia Branch is the annual celebration and presentation of awards. ACEL SA honours those educational leaders who in the view of their peers have made a significant contribution to the understanding and practice of educational leadership.
To assist in this process, we urge all ACEL SA members to consider nominating worthy candidates for recognition of their leadership and service to education. The award nomination process is confidential until completed, and nominations have been approved. The ACEL SA Awards committee will evaluate nominations with respect to the essential criteria.
The ACEL SA awards committee will contact successful nominees on the completion of the process. In all cases the Committee Convenor will also contact all nominators in relation to the outcome of their nomination. Nominators seeking further information or assistance should contact the ACEL National Office at [email protected] to obtain contact details for the SA Committee Convenor.
Nominations must be received by Sunday 2 June 2024
ACEL Educational Leadership Award
Leadership Awards are presented each year to individual educators, teams of educators, schools, networks, and professional associations who have demonstrated excellent educational leadership in developing and implementing a significant educational initiative, conducting research or influencing educational policy, leading to improved outcomes for students and/or colleagues in any educational setting.
- Nominees for these awards need not be members of ACEL.
Fellowship Awards
ACEL presents Fellowships to those who have made outstanding educational leadership contributions to ACEL and/or whose work has influenced educational practice at a state and/or national level. Nominees for ACEL SA 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.)
Any member of ACEL in the field of educational leadership or education may be nominated for an ACEL SA Fellowship. Nominees are also expected to have made an active contribution to ACEL. Members receiving fellowships are permitted to use the post nominal FACEL (SA).
- Evidence needs to be mapped against the following criteria.
- Australian Professional Standards for Principals:
• Leading teaching and learning
• Developing self and others
• Leading improvement, innovation and change
• Leading the management of an organisation
• Engaging and working with the educational, wider community and/ or profession
- Contribution/s to ACEL
- Contribution/s to the profession beyond the scope of professional role
The ‘Alby Jones’ Gold Medal Award
The ACEL presents the ‘Alby Jones’ Gold Medal Award to a south Australian educator whose influence and contribution to the study and practice of educational leadership is assessed as most outstanding at the state level and whose significant contribution to education is recognisable at the national level. Furthermore, the contribution/s should be beyond the scope of the professional role. Confidential nominations for this award need to provide evidence of excellence in educational leadership with documentation that focuses on the outstanding characteristics of the nominee, and the reasons why the nominee’s contribution to excellence in educational leadership should be judged as most outstanding. The submission should address the areas of concern to Dr Alby Jones and demonstrate how the applicant has addressed the essential criteria in their work.
- Nominees for these awards need not be members of ACEL.
The Pip Field Emerging Leaders Award
ACEL presents this award to an emerging educational leader in their first 5 years of a designated leadership position, who has demonstrated outstanding educational
practice in the classroom and leadership that has made a significant difference to colleagues and students. The awardee is not required to be an ACEL member but must have made a significant contribution to the improvement of student and educational outcomes. The written submission should address the criteria and should make reference to the AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers at the Lead level. A brief outline of a professional learning plan and how the award will support their educational leadership learning is also required.
- Nominees for these awards need not be members of ACEL.
The Distinguished Contribution to Research in educational leadership Award
The Distinguished Contribution to Research in Educational Leadership Award aims to promote quality writing by educators about educational leadership. It is presented to a researcher who has created new work or used existing work in creative ways, to generate tools for critical thinking by practitioners about, or related to leading in schooling or other educational contexts. This award recognises an outstanding body or piece of educational writing or a presentation that is forward-thinking, innovative and representative of new ideas and perceptions in education. This may take various forms (e.g. book, journal article, monograph).
- Nominees for these awards need not be members of ACEL.
The ACEL SA Media Award
The ACEL (SA) Media Award is presented to a journalist who has reported on educational matters in a published forum at a local or national level. This award recognises a significant contribution by an individual or media organisation towards creating or facilitating depth and balance in public debate or profiling on educational matters in the media. It may be awarded for a single media event or for a long-term commitment on the part of the recipient. This award is one that acknowledges positive journalism in education. Confidential nominations need to provide demonstrated evidence mapped against the given criteria.
- Nominees for these awards need not be members of ACEL.