School Recognition

The National Speech & Debate Association highlights the academic value of speech and debate activities within school systems. Every year, schools from across the country are awarded for their commitment to speech and debate activities and the learning opportunities they provide to their students.

About the Award

The National Speech & Debate Association’s High School Administrator of the Year program began in 2011 as a means to recognize outstanding high school principals and administrators. The program annually honors administrators who have succeeded in providing high-quality opportunities for students in speech and debate programming as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

Selection Process

Each District Committee may award a District High School Administrator of the Year to a deserving individual in their district, and from those district-level award winners, a National High School Administrator of the Year is selected. To be eligible for nomination, an administrator must:

• Currently work as a high school principal or headmaster in a National Speech & Debate Association member school.
• Have completed five consecutive years of experience as a high school administrator at an NSDA member school (experience need not be in the same school).
• Plan to continue working as a high school administrator next year at an NSDA member school.
• Agree to nomination.
• If selected as the winner, be able to participate in the National Speech & Debate Tournament.

Nominees must be administrators who:

• Encourage speech and debate education through active support of curricular and/or co-curricular programming.
• Foster cooperation between the speech and debate program and the rest of the school, showcasing students and their achievements with administrators, school board members, and the community at-large.
• Lead a continuing dialogue with students, parents, faculty, and staff members to sustain and grow speech and debate participation.
• Encourage team spirit and play an active role in the speech and debate program.
• Demonstrate leadership and exemplify committed support to the speech and debate program’s livelihood.
• Advocate for speech and debate activities within the school and the community at-large.

As part of the district-level nomination process, nominators will be asked to provide a nomination letter and basic contact information using the online form. Administrators may be nominated by their students, coaches, team parents, and/or community members. Administrators may not nominate themselves. Submitted nominations will be provided to district chairs for review by their committees. From the submitted administrators, each District Committee will select their District Administrator of the Year. The district-level award winners will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of members of the National Speech & Debate Association. District-level award winners must be submitted by April 16. The National Speech & Debate Association’s High School Administrator of the Year award recipient will be announced in May. The High School Administrator of the Year will be recognized in Rostrum and online. Nominees and finalists may be recognized in Rostrum or through other publications. All nominees and nominators must consent to the use of any nomination materials including photos in NSDA publications.

Previous Recipients

About the Award

The National Speech & Debate Association’s Middle School Administrator of the Year program began in 2016 as a means to recognize outstanding middle school principals and administrators. The program annually honors administrators who have succeeded in providing high-quality opportunities for students in speech and debate programming as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

Selection Process

A selection committee comprised of members of the National Speech & Debate Association Board of Directors and the Executive Director reviews nominations submitted by member schools. To be eligible for nomination, an administrator must:

• Currently work as a middle school principal or headmaster in a National Speech & Debate Association member school.
• Have completed five consecutive years of experience as a middle school administrator at an NSDA member school (experience need not be in the same school).
• Plan to continue working as an administrator next year at an NSDA member school.
• Agree to nomination.
• If selected as the winner, be able to participate in the National Speech & Debate Tournament.

Nominees must be administrators who:

• Encourage speech and debate education through active support of curricular and/or co-curricular programming.
• Foster cooperation between the speech and debate program and the rest of the school, showcasing students and their achievements with administrators, school board members, and the community at-large.
• Lead a continuing dialogue with students, parents, faculty, and staff members to sustain and grow speech and debate participation.
• Encourage team spirit and play an active role in the speech and debate program.
• Demonstrate leadership and exemplify committed support to the speech and debate program’s livelihood.
• Advocate for speech and debate activities within the school and the community at-large.

As part of the nomination process, nominators will be asked to provide a nomination letter and basic contact information using the online form. Administrators may be nominated by their students, coaches, team parents, and/or community members. Administrators may not nominate themselves. Nomination materials will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of members of the National Speech & Debate Association. Nominations must be submitted by May 1. The National Speech & Debate Association’s Middle School Administrator of the Year award recipient will be announced in May. The Middle School Administrator of the Year will be recognized in Rostrum and online. Nominees and finalists may be recognized in Rostrum or through other publications. All nominees and nominators must consent to the use of any nomination materials including photos in NSDA publications.

Previous Recipients