Outstanding Dissertation Award

This award is given at the annual conference by NAECTE and Merrill/Prentice Hall.  Dissertations completed between May of 2007 and May of 2008 are eligible for the award.  The award includes a one year honorary membership in NAECTE, an inscribed plaque, the opportunity to give a presentation at the annual conference, and a $750.00 honorarium.

The award is for a doctoral dissertation in early childhood (birth through age eight) teacher education, early childhood education, or in related areas in which a major portion of the study has focused on early childhood (e.g., educational, school, or developmental psychology; elementary education; child or human development; curriculum and instruction).  Persons receiving either a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. are eligible.

Four copies of a 30 page paper (APA style) authored by the student with identifying information on the cover sheet only should be submitted.  A letter of nomination from an NAECTE member who is familiar with the dissertation research and a letter from the chair of the dissertation committee verifying that the dissertation was successfully defended and officially approved must also be submitted.  If the committee chair is an NAECTE member, a single letter of support and verification is sufficient.  All materials should be sent by April 21, to Stuart Reifel, Ed.D., The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, 1 University Station D5700, Austin, TX 78712.

Criteria to be used in the selection process:

1.      Excellence in meeting scholarly standards (e.g., problem statement, conceptual framework, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, etc.).

2.      Potential positive impact on or relevance to early childhood teacher education philosophy, policy, and/or practice.

3.      Overall quality.