TRINITY PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
The Purpose | The Process| Apply for the Trinity Prize | The Criteria

The Purpose

Trinity PrizeTrinity University, through its Department of Education, instituted during the 1981-1982 academic year the TRINITY PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING, for the purpose of recognizing and honoring truly outstanding Pre-K - Grade 12 school teachers in the greater San Antonio region. The Trinity Prize recognizes and honors teaching as a profession and those outstanding persons who distinguish themselves in their profession. Joining Trinity in this endeavor, are H.E.B. Grocery, Co. and The San Antonio Express-News.

In recognition of their outstanding performance in public education, 19 exceptional teachers from Bexar County have been chosen as finalists for the Trinity Prize (2009-2010). Among the finalists, Roxanna Montes-Bazaldua (Alamo Heights Independent School District) and Jill Gable (South San Independent School District) were selected to receive the 2009-2010 Trinity Prize.

The Process

Trinity University invites the superintendents of greater San Antonio to initiate the selection process by nominating a Distinguished Educator from his/her district.

  1. Nominating School District submits Part A
  2. Trinity Prize Nominee submits Part B (to the nominated DISTRICT)
  3. The application is to include three letters of reference for the candidate. One letter must be provided by the supervising principal (letters may not exceed two pages each).
  4. Applications must include an electronic picture.
    • Portrait or head shot
    • no smaller than 4in X 6in
    • color
    • no smaller than 200 dpi
    • at least 75Kb in size
  5. As part of an initiative to go paperless, sponsoring districts and nominees are reminded that supplemental materials of any kind (beyond what is included in parts A & B of the official application) will not be accepted or considered by the Selection Committee. Candidates may not enclose additional pages or additional materials.  All written answers must adhere to the length guidelines specified in the electronic application.

Alamo Heights Winner

The Distinguished Educators will be recognized and honored at the Kappa Delta Pi Lecture and Awards Ceremony at Trinity University in May. Each will receive an elegant award.

Two of the Distinguished Educators will be selected by a blue-ribbon committee composed of business and civic leaders to receive the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching. The Trinity Prize is a cash award of $2,500, which will be presented during the special ceremonies.

 

 

 

Apply for The Trinity Prize

Trinity University invites the superintendents of the 21 school districts that are members of the Trinity Center for Educational Leadership to initiate the selection process to name a Distinguished Educator.

In 2010-11, the Trinity Prize will again go green!  The selection committee will review applications electronically.  As part of this initiative to go paperless, sponsoring districts and nominees are reminded that supplemental materials of any kind (beyond what is included in parts A & B of the official application) will not be accepted or considered by the Selection Committee. Candidates may not enclose additional pages.  All written answers must adhere to the length guidelines specified in the application.

DEADLINE for nomination documents (Part A and Part B) to be submitted by 5 p.m., Friday, February 18, 2011.  District representatives should submit documents electronically to Sonia Mireles.

Distinguished educators should submit electronic applications to School District Personnel. Trinity University does not supply applications to individual teachers.

The Criteria

Both classroom teachers and librarians are eligible.

Two general criteria -- outstanding teaching and educational leadership -- will be used in selecting candidates for the Trinity Prize.  Both criteria will receive equal weight in committee deliberations.

Specific criteria used to assess outstanding teaching include:

  1. understanding content knowledge -- possesses strong subject matter knowledge as well as ways of representing that knowledge to learners
  2. planning for student learning -- organizes curriculum that draws on and values students’ backgrounds, interests and developmental learning needs
  3. engaging all students in meaningful learning -- uses instructional strategies, resources, and technologies to make subject matter accessible to all students
  4. establishing a classroom learning community -- develops respectful relationships with students while creating a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for students’ success
  5. demonstrating professional communication -- shows respect for human diversity and effectively interacts with students, their families, and colleagues
  6. developing as a professional educator -- reflects on and improves his/her practice

Specific criteria used to assess educational leadership include:

  1. contributions to the school community -- initiatives to support children, their families, and/or colleagues
  2. contributions to the school district -- initiatives that promote student learning, partnering with families, teachers’ professional development
  3. contributions to the teaching profession -- efforts to impact the teaching profession beyond the school or district, including professional publications, presentations, and service
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