Waterloo Elementary School Selected as Finalist for National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s Founder’s Award, $10,000 Cash Prize
February 4, 2025
School one of five nationwide recognized for outstanding efforts to foster educator excellence and advance student success, contending for a $50,000 grand prize
Waterloo, SC (February 4, 2025) - The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) announced today that Waterloo Elementary School in Laurens County School District 55, South Carolina, won $10,000 for its selection as a finalist for the NIET Founder’s Award. The prestigious Founder’s Award was created by Lowell Milken in 2008 to honor one school in the United States each year for exceptional implementation of NIET’s principles to build educator excellence and advance student success. Waterloo Elementary School is among five schools nationwide under consideration for the $50,000 grand prize, which will be announced at NIET’s national conference on February 27.
“Waterloo Elementary School Principal Emily Freeze Parks leads a team of exemplary educators with high expectations and a shared vision for educational excellence,” said NIET Founder Lowell Milken. “We commend Principal Parks and her staff for their positive impact on students, and Superintendent Dr. Jody Penland for his focus on educator effectiveness to improve student learning.”
Founder’s Award finalists are selected by NIET based on several factors, including improving classroom instruction and student academic growth; creating high-quality professional learning and coaching systems focused on the real-time needs of teachers and students; and engaging teacher leaders and school leaders in building a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
NIET’s partner schools have improved outcomes for educators and students. Waterloo Elementary School has seen significant growth in its achievement ratings, rising from “Below Average” in 2022 to “Average” in 2023, and reaching “Good” in 2024. This steady improvement culminated in the school receiving the highest achievement accountability rating in Laurens County School District 55 for both 2023 and 2024, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to academic excellence and student success.
"With a strong focus on professional learning and the use of data, Waterloo Elementary School has created an environment where effective instruction is the standard,” said NIET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “The results speak for themselves—students are thriving, teachers are empowered, and the school is a shining example of how investing in educators leads to lasting success."
What Makes Waterloo Elementary School Unique?
Waterloo Elementary School, nestled in rural South Carolina about an hour southeast of Greenville, is committed to fostering a strong academic foundation for its 250 students. Students range from pre-kindergarten through grade five, and approximately 90% qualify as “pupils in poverty.” With a focus on creating a supportive and engaging learning environment, the school emphasizes collaboration and growth among both students and educators. Principal Parks and her leadership team have worked to enhance teaching practices, build leadership capacity, and ensure every student has access to high-quality instruction.
Waterloo Elementary first partnered with NIET in 2020 as part of a federal grant focused on strengthening the instructional leadership skills of school leaders. Laurens County School District 55 school leaders, including Principal Parks, benefitted from professional learning on STEM and other student needs, along with networking opportunities that connected them with rural school leaders across the state. In 2023, Waterloo Elementary expanded its partnership with NIET to increase educator effectiveness and student achievement through implementing the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement. A prior study by the National Bureau of Economic Research provides evidence that the TAP System increased student achievement and graduation rates in South Carolina school districts.
“As a principal, NIET training has helped me solidify and understand my role as the instructional leader in the building,” said Parks. “The NIET professional learning structures we have implemented this year have allowed all teachers in the school to have the same opportunities to develop and grow their effectiveness, regardless of years of experience or grade level.”
Providing dedicated time for teachers to collaborate and discuss instructional strategies has been a major lever for improvement in Waterloo Elementary. Each week, teachers are divided by grade level into professional learning communities led by a master teacher. The needs of teachers and students inform topics for the professional learning meetings in that grade level and connections are consistently made to strong instructional practices in the South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0. With guidance from the master teacher, teachers are now more effectively planning lessons and the instructional strategies they will use to reach all students.
“Our weekly professional learning meetings have been most beneficial in helping teachers improve their effectiveness and provide high-quality education to all students,” said Parks. “These meetings help us celebrate strengths and refine our areas of growth, allowing us to meet the needs of our teachers and model new strategies to help students achieve success.”
The tailored support and coaching provided by the Waterloo Elementary instructional leadership team have created a positive environment for teachers, one built on trust and respect. As a result, teachers are becoming increasingly skilled in analyzing student work and student data. Professional learning meetings are now data-based and provide time for teachers to make connections between their actions in the classroom and student results. Teachers understand what high-quality instruction looks and sounds like in the classroom, resulting in strong instruction consistently taking place across the campus.
“Watching the excitement of teachers when they bring back evidence and evaluate new strategies they implemented from the previous week’s professional learning meeting is exciting,” said Parks. “It validates that implementing NIET’s practices has a positive impact throughout the building. The team approach offers extensive collaboration between teachers and leadership, and we are seeing that positively impact classrooms, students, and our entire school climate.”
Waterloo Elementary School joins fellow finalists Eastside Elementary School (Warren County Schools, Tennessee); Provencal Elementary & Junior High School (Natchitoches Parish School Board, Louisiana); Shenandoah Elementary School (Shenandoah School Corporation, Indiana); and Somerset High School (Somerset Independent School District, Texas) in contention for the $50,000 Founder’s Award grand prize.
For images of Waterloo Elementary School and more information about the NIET Founder’s Award, visit the NIET newsroom. For interviews and more on the Founder's Award announcement, please contact Laura Blank (laura@keylightcommunications.com) or Katie Elliott (katie@keylightcommunications.com). Follow conference news – including the Founder's Award – 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.