Celebrating Excellence: Introducing the Ascend Teacher Recognition Program, Ascend Together

Celebrating Excellence: Introducing the Ascend Teacher Recognition Program, Ascend Together

As a premier network dedicated to graduating high-achieving students and delivering Boundless Choice, we must honor the teachers who deliver on this every day. At Ascend, our students thrive because of the extraordinary educators who show up every day with skill, care, and an unwavering commitment to transform what is possible in public education.

This year, we are proud to introduce Ascend Together, our network-wide Teacher Recognition Program that honors teachers whose impact reflects our values and drives student success.

The program celebrates excellence across several award categories, recognizing the many ways outstanding teaching shows up in our schools.

Achievement Awards

Our Achievement Awards celebrate outstanding academic outcomes driven by student performance. These awards recognize teachers whose expertise, passion, and skill open pathways of boundless opportunity for our students.

• Centering Justice Award

This award recognizes educators whose students achieve 75% or higher proficiency on New York State Assessments in their subject area. These awards recognize classrooms where rigorous instruction and high expectations ensure all students succeed.

• Ascension Award

This award recognizes the educator whose students demonstrate the largest academic growth over the course of the year, measured from Benchmark exams to Full Books assessments. This award celebrates educators who accelerate learning and drive meaningful progress for students.

• Boundless Choice Award

This award is our highest achievement-based honor and recognizes the educator with the highest student proficiency rate on New York State Assessments across the entire network. This award recognizes exceptional instructional excellence and consistently outstanding results.

Ascend Together Awards

Our Ascend Value and Culture of Feedback Awards honor teachers whose daily practice brings Ascend’s values to life. These awards are nomination-based and celebrate impact that extends beyond test results or metrics. The nomination window will open later this spring, with principals partnering in the process by nominating teachers at their sites.

• Rising Ascender Award

This award recognizes a first-year Ascend teacher who has quickly established strong classroom foundations, delivered meaningful student growth, and brought energy and professionalism to their school community.

• Championing Belonging Award

This award recognizes a teacher who creates an environment where every student feels valued, confident, and encouraged to participate. These educators build trust, maintain high expectations, and uplift both students and colleagues.

• Striving Joyfully Award

This award recognizes a teacher who brings creativity, enthusiasm, and real-world relevance into the classroom, making learning engaging while raising expectations beyond the curriculum.

• The Ascender Award

The award highlights the greatest learner, recognizing a teacher who actively seeks feedback, applies it with purpose, and demonstrates a consistent commitment to growth, collaboration, and excellence.

Additional Recognition Categories

Ascend Together also includes Milestone Awards, which recognize years of service and sustained dedication to the Ascend community

Honoring Our Educators in June

Award recipients will be formally celebrated at the Ascend Together Celebration in June, where educators from across the network will be recognized for their contributions, impact, and growth. This event reflects our belief that excellence deserves to be seen, shared, and celebrated together.

Ascend Together is an exclusive teacher recognition program, reinforcing the central role educators play in shaping student outcomes and school culture. As Ascend continues to grow, this program affirms our commitment to investing in teachers and honoring the many ways they help students thrive.