The CATE Award recognizes and honors both individuals and university teams who are making noteworthy and exemplary contributions to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in teacher preparation. This award is NOT limited to any college or department – all teacher preparation pathways are to be included.
In 2010 The Texas A&M University System Office of Academic Affairs partnered with the Chancellor’s Century Council (CCC) to create a process to recognize and honor individual faculty for excellent impacts in teacher preparation. As of 2021, the Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators (CATE) has inducted 87 faculty for individual contributions to teacher preparation.
In 2021 the CATE award shifted to align with the “We Teach Texas” initiative, and other state and national recognition systems, with a focus on quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in teacher preparation. In addition to updated criteria, the award expanded to honor and recognize teams of individuals who are collectively making exemplary and notable impacts toward the goal of producing the highest quality educators who are prepared to deliver and lead world-class education for the children of Texas and beyond.
Each year, up to three (3) individuals with particularly noteworthy contributions and up to three (3) exemplary university teams may be inducted into the Chancellor’s Academy for Teacher Educators (CATE). Each university may make ONE nomination per year for EACH category – individual and a team. Priority will be given to awarding teams over individuals. In only exceptional cases, an individual and team will be awarded to a single university in the same year.
Each nominee (individual or team member) must work directly in the preparation of teachers and clearly demonstrate noteworthy and exemplary contributions to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in teacher preparation. Each university team may consist of up to 5 individuals. The team should consist primarily of faculty, although it may include an administrator or staff member when and if they played a central and engaged role as a member of the team.
A university receiving a team award will not be eligible the following year. To view a cumulative list of award recipients, see the List of Award Recipients section. A university receiving an individual contribution award will not be eliminated in the year the individual receives the recognition or the subsequent year.
CATE inductees may be inducted once as an individual and also once as part of a team, but not in the same year.
Each CATE Award recipient will receive:
- a $2,500 stipend for each recipient on a team, or as an individual, provided by the Chancellor’s Century Council (CCC)
- a commemorative medallion bearing the seal of the A&M System, which may be worn on occasions where academic regalia is appropriate.
- a recognition letter and certificate, signed by the chancellor and the chair of the CCC.
- recognition at the CCC annual meeting. A travel allowance to attend the event will be provided for each recipient (up to $400) and 1 guest (up to $100) if applicable.
Upon receipt of the A&M System Call for Nominations to CATE the Provost office will:
- Notify all colleges campus-wide, and solicit applications.
*NOTE: CATE awards are NOT limited to a single college, for example, teacher preparation also takes place in Agriculture, Liberal Arts, Sciences, Sports, etc. Campus processes should allow nominations from department chairs, program directors, department committees, the dean or other college administrators, as well as individual faculty, staff, or students. Self-nominations to the system office will not be accepted. - Establish a review and selection committee responsible for rigorously vetting all applications and assuring all eligibility and award criteria are met. The committee should make a recommendation to the university Provost for an individual person and/or a campus team.
- Make the final nominations to the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, including the full application, accompanied by a letter of support.
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria are aligned with the “We Teach Texas” initiative, and other state and national recognition systems.
All information outlined in this document must be included in the nomination and show clear evidence of noteworthy and exemplary contributions to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in teacher preparation.
These contributions may be demonstrated by acts of practice, service, research, and/or instruction.
Incomplete nominations will not be considered. This process does not provide for iterative reviews once submitted to the system.
Submission Outline
The nomination must include:
- Letter of support from Provost.
- CATE Nomination Form
- Detailed CV/Resume for each person being nominated – individual or team member.
- Abstract: an overall summary description of the nomination (limit of 300 words)
- Narrative describing alignment to any or all of the We Teach Texas Quality Standards (limit of 5 pages for this section):
• Quality of selection of teacher candidates
• Quality of content knowledge and teaching methods
• Quality of clinical/field placement, feedback, and candidate performance
• Quality of program performance management
• Quality of partnership performance management
• Expanding the community of practice framework - Narrative describing alignment to any or all of the TEA EPP Commendations Standards (limit of 5 pages for this section):
• Category 1: Rigorous and robust preparation. Based on ASEP annual performance standards.
• Category 2: Preparing the educators Texas needs. Based on recruiting, preparing, and supporting certification of teachers in content shortage areas, and/or teachers who identify as teachers of color, or are employed in rural schools.
• Category 3: Preparing educators for long-term success. Based on preparing and supporting educators for employee retention or for growth into other professional roles (teacher retention for 5 years, principal or assistant principal for 3 years).
• Category 4: Innovative Educator Preparation. Based on authentic, practice-based educator preparation aligned to programmatic values and goals, continuous improvement, measurable outcomes and outputs, long-term impacts, and supported by peer-reviewed research.
All nominations are coordinated and approved through the university’s Provost’s Office. Please make sure to include the signed letter of support from the university provost with the nomination.
Click here to access the Nomination Submission Portal.
The final review and selection of the CATE recipients will be managed by the A&M System Office of Academic Affairs. The final review and selection committee will include representatives from external and internal partners who actively lead and support quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in teacher preparation. For example, Raise Your Hand Texas, US Prep, TPI-US, Branch Alliance, Texas Education Agency, the chair(s) for the College of Education Deans Community of Practice, and staff from the A&M System Office of Academic Affairs.