WSSDA is accepting applications for its annual salute to school boards and districts that demonstrate exemplary leadership in promoting student achievement and diversity education/awareness.

The prestigious Boards of the Year and Diversity Awards will be announced at WSSDA’s Annual Conference, which takes place Nov. 14-17 in Seattle. The awards are designed to recognize especially innovative and successful programs, and to promote those programs as best practices for possible use by other school districts.

To apply for either the Boards of the Year or the Diversity Awards, school districts must submit an essay. The criteria for each essay differ according to the award being sought:

• The Boards of the Year Awards program requires school districts to submit an essay of up to 2,000 words discussing examples of "exemplary leadership" and the application of leadership in school district governance and management. The essay should answer the question, "What has your school board done to improve student achievement?" Awards are offered in three categories: districts enrolling 1,000 or fewer students; districts enrolling 1,001 to 5,000 students; and districts enrolling 5,001 or more students.
• The Diversity Awards program requires an essay of up to 1,000 words discussing how the district is implementing the state’s Equity in Education Joint Policy, which promotes diversity education and multicultural awareness among students, the school board, administrators, teaching and classified staff, committees, parents and the community. Awards are offered in three categories: districts enrolling 2,000 or fewer students; districts enrolling 2,001 to I0,000 students; and districts enrolling 10,001 or more students.

Essays will be evaluated by a panel of judges, who will consider the size, circumstances and special challenges faced by individual school districts in selecting award recipients. Boards of the Year Awards will be presented at the WSSDA Annual Conference. Diversity Awards will be announced at the Annual Conference and presented locally at an event chosen by the recipient.

The submittal deadline for both Boards of the Year and Diversity Awards entries is Sept. 28.