SDSU

2023 AMERICA'S BEST SCHOOLS AWARD APPLICATIONS

America’s Best Schools

At NCUST, it has been our honor to visit, celebrate, and learn from amazing schools since 2005.  The schools we recognize are truly “America’s Best” because they serve low-income communities, they do not use selective admissions policies, and they achieve outstanding learning results for every racial/ethnic/income group they serve. They are truly “America’s Best Schools” because they simultaneously model equity and excellence. These schools have taught us that equity without excellence is only mediocrity and excellence without equity is an oxymoron.  
In past years, we limited our focus to awarding urban schools. While we look forward to celebrating many more urban schools, we recognize that American public education has much to learn from equitable and excellent schools in cities, suburbs, small towns, and rural areas in all 50 states. If your school meets our award criteria, we hope you consider applying. We would love to celebrate your students, teachers, parents, support staff, and administrators. As well, we would love to showcase your efforts in ways that inspire educators from thousands of schools across the nation.

Let Us Help Make Applying Easier

How To Apply
  • Download either the elementary, middle school, high school, dual language school, or alternative school applications below. Choose the elementary form if the highest grade served is grade six or lower. Choose the middle school form if the highest grade served is grade seven, eight, or nine. Choose the high school form if the highest grade served is grade ten, eleven, or twelve. Choose the dual language school application only if all students, at every grade level, participate in dual language programming that develops students’ proficiency in two or more languages.
    Note: Currently, only elementary and/or middle schools can participate in the dual language award program. Choose the alternative school application only if the school primarily serves students whose academic, behavioral, social, or emotional needs are often not met in typical schools.
  • Read the overview of NCUST’s America’s Best  Schools Award Program to learn more about the award criteria and the application process.
  • If you believe your school qualifies, prepare and submit the Intent-to-Apply Form by Tuesday, November 1, 2022
  • Each potential applicant should review the application items and pay particular attention to the items marked with asterisks (***). The items with asterisks describe non-negotiable criteria. A school should apply only if they meet the criteria specified in every item marked with an asterisk.
  • A school district may submit applications for no more than five schools.
  • Complete the application and submit it to NCUST. To ensure consideration, NCUST must receive the application by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

2023 America's Best Schools Awards Applications

DOWNLOAD APPLICATIONS

DOWNLOADING PDF FILES

If you experience trouble viewing or downloading the applications, Please right click on the download link and choose “save link as…”

FILLABLE PDF INSTRUCTIONS

  • Use only the latest version of Adobe Reader to complete the application. Macintosh and Windows versions of the free Adobe Reader are available from Adobe at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.
  • Avoid completing the application online within your web browser using a built-in PDF viewer, or by using MAC Preview (Macintosh OS).
  • Before completing the application, save the application form (PDF format) to a drive or location on your computer (e.g., Local Disk (C:), My Documents folder). The Save button provided on the form will open a Save As dialog box, which will allow you to save the application to a desired location on your computer. If viewing the form in a built-in PDF viewer (e.g., Chrome, FireFox), right-click the PDF and select Save as or Save Page As. Make sure the Save as type is set to Adobe Acrobat Document (*.pdf). Alternatively, you may save the PDF form without opening the file in either Adobe Reader or in any built-in PDF viewer. Simply right-click on the hyperlink for the PDF form and then choose the Save link as… or Save target as… option.
  • Note the file name and location of the saved file.
  • Once you have saved the application to your computer, you are ready to complete the form. Please be advised that the fillable PDF forms will not automatically save. It is strongly recommended that you periodically save data entered into a form by using the Save button on the form, or by clicking File > Save (or Save As) on the Adobe Reader menu bar. Use the same file name and location from the previous step.
  • After you have completed the application, save a final version of the file to your computer.

 

 

 

If you have any questions about the application or the application process, please email your questions to ncust@sdsu.edu or call 619-594-7905.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL APPLICATION

Click below to view and download the 2023 ABS awards Elementary School Application

MIDDLE SCHOOL APPLICATION

Click below to view and download the 2023 ABS awards Middle School Application

HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATION

Click below to view and download the 2023 ABS awards High School Application

ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL APPLICATION

Click below to view and download the 2023 ABS awards Alternative School Application

DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL APPLICATION

Click below to view and download the 2023 ABS awards Dual Language School Application
Concourse Village Elementary School
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