Gadsden Elementary School District #32 Surprised with Prestigious NIET District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness and $50,000 Grand Prize

2025 NIET District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness Video

2025 NIET District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness: Award Reaction Video

2025 NIET District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness Photo Gallery

Washington, D.C. (February 28, 2025) - The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) announced today that Gadsden Elementary School District #32, Arizona, won the District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness. The award celebrates Gadsden’s focus on educator excellence and student success and includes a $50,000 prize. NIET Founder Lowell Milken made the surprise announcement during NIET’s national conference in Washington. 

The District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness, awarded this year for only the seventh time, honors school districts that focus on supporting excellent instruction and improving student performance. Gadsden was chosen because of its unwavering commitment to investing in educators’ professional growth, fostering teacher leadership, and increasing student success.

“We applaud Superintendent Lizette Esparza and the educators and students in Gadsden Elementary School District #32 for their commitment to excellence in teaching and learning,” said NIET Founder Lowell Milken. “The district’s development and support of talented educators has provided powerful opportunities for success by creating a dynamic pipeline of teachers, school leaders, and district officials who are prepared to sustain positive outcomes for all. We also compliment the district on developing graduates to become teachers – individuals who now serve as role models in the community and help the district to flourish. Congratulations.”

Gadsden Elementary School District #32, led by Superintendent Esparza, educates about 5,100 students. The district serves a unique and diverse community, with 100% of students qualifying for free- or reduced-price lunch and 98% of students entering the district enrolling as English language learners. All students in Gadsden receive high-quality instruction from educators who benefit from continuous, tailored feedback and coaching. Teachers and students thrive in Gadsden’s positive learning environment, as demonstrated by the district’s academic results. Over the past two years, since Arizona began issuing district letter grades, Gadsden has consistently received a “B” rating. From 2021 to 2024, the district improved its performance on state assessments by 9 points in English language arts and 13 points in math – further closing achievement gaps with the state.

"Gadsden Elementary School District #32 has demonstrated the power of investing in teacher leadership and creating pathways for educators to become leaders in the classroom and beyond,” said NIET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “By prioritizing professional growth and mentorship, they have cultivated teachers and school leaders who understand and address the needs of their students with a commitment to building stronger schools and empowering their entire community. We are honored to celebrate their inspiring success."

What Makes Gadsden Elementary School District #32 Unique?

Gadsden Elementary School District #32 is located along the U.S./Mexico border in San Luis, Arizona, and serves students from preschool through eighth grade across nine campuses. In 2011, Gadsden partnered with NIET to implement the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement, a whole-school approach to improving teaching and learning. The TAP System helped Gadsden establish a cadre of teacher leaders who, alongside school leaders, facilitate job-embedded professional learning and provide teachers with individual coaching and support. 

Gadsden’s teacher leadership model has created a pipeline of local instructional leaders who are prepared to support their colleagues to meet students’ academic and development needs. Gadsden’s educators and students have thrived as a result of the district’s investments in teacher leadership. The creation of a leadership pipeline for educators with educational expertise has been so successful that six of the district’s eight principals are former teacher leaders.

With NIET’s support and resources, including the NIET Teaching and Learning Standards Rubric, Gadsden’s teachers and leaders analyze data and provide targeted support to teachers. Gadsden implements instructional strategies that address the unique needs of particular schools, student groups, and the district as a whole. 

Gadsden’s commitment to continuous improvement is reflected in its student results across campuses. For example, Desert View Elementary has maintained an "A" rating from the state in all years when ratings were available since 2013. Rio Colorado Elementary has shown consistent progress in its letter grade, improving from a “C” in 2019 to a “B” in both 2022 and 2023, and achieving an “A” in 2024. Districtwide, Gadsden’s teachers and students are thriving and reaching new levels of success. 

“In the last few years, we have been emphasizing the importance of a strong school culture that supports every student to set ambitious learning goals and meet those goals,” said Superintendent Lizette Esparza. “Partnering with NIET helps us advance this work.”

For images of Gadsden Elementary School District #32 and more information about the District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness, visit the NIET newsroom. For interviews and more on the Award announcement, please contact Laura Blank (laura@keylightcommunications.com) or Katie Elliott (katie@keylightcommunications.com). Follow conference news – including the District Award of Excellence for Educator Effectiveness – on social media using @NIETteach or #NIET2025.

About NIET

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is a national nonprofit based in Phoenix, Arizona, that serves states and districts nationwide. For 25 years, NIET has partnered with schools, districts, states, and universities to build educator excellence and give all students the opportunity for success. NIET’s initiatives, including the TAP System, teacher and leader development, school improvement, rubric and observation systems, and educator preparation, have impacted more than 350,000 educators and 3.5 million students across the U.S.

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are proud to honor our partners’ success and share the results of intentional, sustained investments in educator effectiveness. Learn more in our anniversary report, Building Educator Excellence: 25 Years of Impact.