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South Dakota Council of Teachers of English Honored with 2026 Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award from National Council of Teachers of English

Award recognizes unique affiliate programming that aims to include a range of teachers across various spaces in their career trajectory and/or students they serve.

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Champaign, Illinois—The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has selected the South Dakota Council of Teachers of English (SDCTE) as a 2026 Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award honoree.

The Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award was established in 2026 to honor affiliates that offer unique affiliate programming that aims to include a range of teachers across various spaces in their career trajectory and/or students they serve. Applicants are judged on the following criteria:

  • The affiliate creates and executes one or more unique programs.

  • The affiliate creates programming or outreach efforts that have long-lasting impact on affiliate membership.

  • The affiliate creates programming that increases the visibility of the affiliate.

  • The affiliate creates programming that has a lasting impact on literacy.

  • The affiliate creates programming that supports teachers, providing them skills to be used in classrooms across the state and/or supports student learning and growth.

  • The affiliate demonstrates that their programming is meeting a specific need expressed by their membership and/or by teachers in their local contexts.

 

The award winners will be announced at the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Affiliate Breakfast on Sunday, November 22.

 

About NCTE

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. For more than 100 years, NCTE has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events.

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South Dakota Council of Teachers of English Honored with 2026 Affiliate Excellence Award from National Council of Teachers of English

Award recognizes affiliates that meet high standards for programming and improvement in English teaching.

​

Champaign, Illinois—The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has selected the South Dakota Council of Teachers of English (SDCTE) as a 2026 Affiliate Excellence Award honoree.The Affiliate Excellence Award was established in 1996 to honor NCTE affiliates that meet high standards of performance for programming and promote improvement in English language arts teaching.

 

Qualifications for the award represent standards of excellence to which all NCTE affiliates should aspire. Award winners fulfilled at least eight different criteria for excellent affiliate programming during the academic year of application. The required criteria include:·

  • The affiliate creates structures for the development and succession of leadership.·

  • The affiliate clearly articulates board positions that are relevant and unique to the needs of their members.·

  • The affiliate demonstrates fiscal responsibility that shows shared decision-making and adherence to professional business standards.· The affiliate maintains clear and regular communication of relevant information with their affiliate members. (This includes all ways an affiliate might communicate: social media, an online presence, and print communications.)·

  • The affiliate participates in NCTE programming as affiliate leaders/representatives as a way to continuously improve their organization through ongoing professional learning to ensure a shared and consistent message to members.·

  • The affiliate demonstrates long-term planning and goal setting by creating and implementing a strategic plan that aligns with the affiliate’s mission and vision.·

  • The affiliate designs and implements consistent and relevant programming for their members that is aligned to their mission and vision.·

  • The affiliate designs unique membership campaigns as a means to recruit and maintain a diverse membership.

 

The award winners will be announced at the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia, during the Affiliate Breakfast on Sunday, November 22.

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Fall 2026 ECHO

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Our Mission

  1. To increase the effectiveness of English teaching throughout the state; 

  2. To foster helpful, friendly relationships among its members; 

  3. To establish national contests through the affiliation with the National Council of Teachers of English;

  4. To stimulate professional development;

  5. To act as a clearing house in circulating information of value and in keeping teachers posted as to the latest educational movements and findings; 

  6. To bring inspirational leaders before the group; 

  7. To cooperate with other relevant organizations which contribute to improvement in the teaching of English/Language Arts. 


SDCTE aims to increase the effectiveness of English teaching in South Dakota by circulating information of value about the latest educational movements and findings. We do this by bringing inspirational, top-notch leaders to share their knowledge on a wide range of educational topics and standards. Most importantly, we strive to foster helpful, friendly relationships among our members and to lift each other up in our classrooms. Our organization pulls together educators with varying levels of expertise to share their knowledge and help all of us grow. Quoting Marcus Aruelus, “What we do now echoes through eternity.” Who will hear your echo and send a message back?

© 2025 by South Dakota Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.

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