Excellence Library

In This Section



Notes from the Backpack Podcast

Join PTA For Your Child


Welcome School of Excellence Champions!

This website serves district, region, council and state PTAs who aim to promote, train, support and celebrate local family-school partnerships through the National PTA School of Excellence program:

  • Use the tools and information below to connect School of Excellence participants to family engagement resources in your state.
  • Promote the program on your PTA website and social media and train local PTAs about School of Excellence at your next leadership conference.
  • Use the data reports, tools and quotes provided below to develop state-specific talking points about the School of Excellence program and it's impact.

Virtual Author Visit

Message Board

Check out the latest updates, reminders, and useful information to learn what's currently happening in the program and how you can support participating units in your community. 
 

Support local PTAs through the School of Excellence program steps.

These PTAs have made a year-long commitment to strengthening family-school partnerships at their schools. Provide outreach, information and encouragement to the participating local PTAs from your state and support them on their journey to Excellence!

Check with these PTAs to learn their progress through their plans and share opportunities or resources to help them along. You can also reach out to these PTAs with helpful hints and reminders to help them find success in gathering community feedback! Use this helpful overview of program steps to inform your outreach: Program Steps Overview (español).

What's happening now?

PTAs are working to complete Step #3: Build an Excellence Action Plan and Check Back with Your Community by implementing the last elements of their Excellence Action Plans and, once again, gathering feedback from their school community.

To assess the progress they have made since they first collected feedback in the fall (Step #2), PTAs will use the same required questions, as provided by National PTA, which are aligned to and based in PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.  

What's happening next?

Later in the spring, once PTAs have gathered as much community feedback possible as they can, units will complete the final required program step for designation, Step #4: Reflect On and Summarize Progress. In Step #4, PTAs will analyze and reflect on all the feedback they gathered and work accomplished in the program and submit their Community Impact Form.

PTAs are required to submit their Community Impact Form in the program platform by 11:59 p.m. PST Saturday, June 15 to complete Step #4. In the form, PTAs will verify they used the required community feedback questions and methods and overview their work and successes in the program.

Connect with participants in supported by your state PTA!

Along with providing help and encouragement along the way, it is especially important to ensure PTAs are in good standing with your state PTA so they are eligible for the designation. You can check which local units are active in the program using this list. Click the link and choose "Export to: Excel" to access an automatically updated report. 

If you would like a more detailed report on participants, state PTAs can email Excellence@PTA.org to receive access to further helpful details and contact information for local PTAs in their state that are actively pursuing the designation. 

   

How to Best Support Local Units

State, region, council and district PTAs are encouraged to promote, support and celebrate local PTAs through the National PTA School of Excellence program. Review the following examples of how you can support local PTA School of Excellence participants! 
 

Promote Enrollment - Open from May 1 to Oct. 15


State, region, council and district PTA units are encouraged to promote, support and celebrate local PTAs through the National PTA School of Excellence program. Use the promotional resources and materials below to support your enrollment efforts. Be sure to drive participants to the required enrollment form by linking to PTA.org/Excellence. 

The School of Excellence program is designed for individual and local PTA units to make a direct impact at their schools. Therefore, the School of Excellence designation should not be sought by multiple schools under one PTA.

Materials to Download and Customize 

Use these graphics, materials, templates and more to encourage local units in your community to enroll. Find sample messaging that you can customize for your social media promotion.

Digital Media Graphics and Messaging

Download these graphics and customize the sample message to encourage local PTAs to enroll and begin their journey to Excellence! 

  • Facebook Graphic - Enroll (en Español)
    Suggested messaging: It’s not too early to plan for the 2023-24 school year, especially when it comes to the School of Excellence. ENROLLMENT IS under way RIGHT NOW! This is a year long commitment to developing a school improvement action plan that will benefit all students. Learn more and ENROLL at PTA.org/Excellence. Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work?
  • Twitter Graphic - Enroll (en Español)
    Suggested messaging: ENROLL NOW! By taking part in the National PTA School of Excellence program, your PTA and school administrators make a commitment to identify and implement a school improvement action plan! Learn more and ENROLL at PTA.org/Excellence. #PTAExcellence #HowWePTA
  • Newsletter Graphic - Enroll (en Español)
    Suggested messaging: Enroll NOW for the School of Excellence! What exactly is the National PTA School of Excellence? The School of Excellence is a program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. It’s about making changes. It’s about making improvements. And it’s about celebrating accomplishments. Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year is under way right now. If you’re interested, be sure to get details at PTA.org/Excellence. This is a year long commitment that could lead to one of National PTA’s highest honors. Don’t delay. Enroll now!   
Logos, Templates and More

Use these resources, logos, and templates to enhance how you are promoting enrollment in the School of Excellence program at upcoming State Conventions, PTA meetings or trainings.

Flyers and Postcards 

Program Logos

Program Overviews

Templates  

Highlight Program Impact and Benefits

Use the School of Excellence data reports and quotes from past participants, including principals that have gone through the program, the impact and membership benefits of the program. 

Program Data Reports

Use the School of Excellence data reports to help share and inform about the impact of the School of Excellence program Learn information like number of students served and percent of Title I schools served, and find testimonials and program impact quotes. 

 
Program Quotes

Hear first-hand from past participants how the School of Excellence program benefited their community, helped Principals connect with their school and supports PTAs in increasing membership.  


   
   

Browse these program quote graphics and share them on social media or other digital platforms to promote the School of Excellence.

SOE-Quotes_Mike-Miller SOE-Quotes_Kaiserslautern SOE-Quotes_Highland SOE-Quotes_Parkland SOE-Quotes_Morgan SOE-Quotes_Norup SOE-Quotes_Phillips SOE-Quotes_Lutz SOE-Quotes_Herndon SOE-Quotes_Farmington-STEAM SOE-Quotes_George-Washington SOE-Quotes_Falling-Creek SOE-Quote_Chickahominy-Middle SOE-Quote_CC-Duff SOE-Quote_Brookview SOE-Quote_Barksdale

Support PTAs Through the Program - October to June


Provide encouragement and assistance throughout the program process, by knowing which local units are participating in the program and where they are in the program.  

Get Connected

Use the ongoing 2023-24 Excellence Reports to connect with the local units participating in the program. Once connected, consider sending welcome messages to show your support for their efforts to achieve Excellence. Check out these ideas for how you can welcome program participants: 

Check out the School of Excellence Database to find all past School of Excellence designees. You can also use the Excellence Reports from past program years to connect with previous participants and designees and learn more about their experience and achievements in the program. Need detailed reports? Email Excellence@PTA.org.

School of Excellence Reports

Use these reports to get connected with past and present School of Excellence participants and designees. 

Comparative Reports Overtime 

2023-2024 Excellence Reports 

  • Enrollment Report (Click the link and choose "Export to: Excel" to access an automatically updated report.) 

Combined Past Excellence Reports*

*Includes the PTAs that submitted the Enrollment, Initial Application and/or Final Application 
**2019-2020 program postponed due to COVID-19. Questions? Email Excellence@PTA.org 

Provide Support 

Through the program, participating PTAs will gather community feedback, analyze the results and develop an Excellence Action Plan to enhance and improve family engagement in their community. You can support PTAs by knowing where they are in the program process and connecting them with opportunities along the way.

For example, Free State PTA provided timely reminders along the way and mentorship connections between enrollees and past designees. 

Check out the Excellence Library Message Board for program updates from National PTA and mark these key dates in your PTA calendar to ensure you are providing support every step of the way.

Key Dates

Mark your calendars with these key program dates to send our reminders or encouragement. 

  • May 1 - Oct. 15: Program Enrollment 
  • August - Nov. 15: Initial Community Feedback Collection 
  • Oct. 1 - Nov. 15: Complete and Submit Community Feedback Form
  • November - May: Create and Implement Excellence Action Plan
  • March - June: Follow Up Community Feedback Collection
  • May 1 - June 15: Complete and Submit Community Impact Form 
  • August: School of Excellence Designees and Hearst Award Recipients Announced


Celebrate Designees - August 


In August, National PTA will announce the PTAs that earned the School of Excellence designation, as well as the top three Schools of Excellence that earned top rank and achieved the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Awards. 

Explore past School of Excellence Designee rosters from 2014-2016, 2015-2017, 2016-2018, 2017-2019, 2018-2020, 2019-2021, 2020-2022, 2020-2022, 2021-2023 and 2022-2024.

Be sure to congratulate your the National PTA School of Excellence designees in your PTA community and share their stories on your social media outlets. You are encouraged to reach out to your state's designees to join and support their celebration events. Check out these designation congratulation announcements:

Purchase and distribute School of Excellence celebration materials like lanyards, lapel pins & more from ShopPTA.com as seen on this flyer. Most items can be ordered & shipped within 1 week. There are also three package deals that will allow you to bulk order and save!

   

New Promotional Materials: Grow Your PTA with Programs


YOU Belong in PTA — Grow Your PTA with Programs templates are available for use. Show the value of your PTA with programs including School of Excellence. Learn more.

You Belong in PTA School of Excellence

   

Additional Excellence Information and Resources

Still want to learn more? Check out these additional School of Excellence highlights to learn more about the the impact the School of Excellence program and get inspired to support the units in your PTA community.

 

Excellence in the News

Check out some of the news coverage part and current School of Excellence designees receive!

  • Keller Jr. High PTA 2021 Phoebe Apperson Hearst Outstanding Family-School Partnership Awardee
Excellence Program Blogs

The School of Excellence experience is different for every PTA. Check out some of the experiences designees and participants have had in their journeys to Excellence! 

 
National PTA is Here to Support You

All National PTA programming is ready-to-go and comes with a team of support, allowing you to focus on what matters most – your families. We stand beside you along the way, so lean on us, because together we make the biggest difference.

Questions?

For questions, detailed reports and/or state-specific information, contact Excellence@PTA.org.