Indiana’s Northview Middle School Surprised with National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s Founder’s Award and $50,000 Grand Prize

Northview Middle School, one of five finalists nationwide, selected for fostering educator excellence and successful instructional practices

2026 NIET Founder's Award Video: Northview Middle School, Indiana

2026 NIET Founder's Award Reaction Video

2026 NIET Founder's Award Photo Gallery

New Orleans, La. (April 1, 2026) - The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) announced today that Northview Middle School in Metropolitan School District of Washington Township, Indiana, is the recipient of the 2026 NIET Founder’s Award and its $50,000 grand prize. NIET Founder Lowell Milken surprised the school during the 2026 NIET National Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Created by Lowell Milken in 2008, the Founder’s Award honors one school in the United States each year for exceptional implementation of NIET’s principles to build educator excellence and advance student success. Northview Middle School was just one of five schools nationwide selected as finalists for the $50,000 grand prize. Founder’s Award recipients are chosen by NIET based on several factors, including improving classroom instruction, creating high-quality professional learning focused on the real-time needs of teachers and students, and engaging teacher leaders and school leaders in building a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

“We are pleased to present Northview Middle School with the 2026 NIET Founder’s Award,” said NIET Founder Lowell Milken. “Principal Thomas Hakim, Superintendent Dr. Sean Taylor, and staff and students have demonstrated outstanding academic gains by strengthening instruction and building a nurturing environment for all.”

With help from NIET best practices, Northview Middle School provides teachers with tailored professional learning and support that ultimately moves the needle for students. From 2023 to 2025, the percentage of Northview Middle School students scoring Proficient on state assessments increased 22 points in math and 11 points in English Language Arts (ELA). The proficiency rate statewide increased by only one point in math and decreased in ELA during the same time period. 

“Northview Middle School has made building the instructional skills of its staff the foundation of its focus on continuous improvement,” said NIET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “Teachers are strengthening their instruction and refining practices to meet student needs across grades and subjects. As a result, students are thriving. Congratulations to the Northview Middle School team on this achievement.”

What Makes Northview Middle School Unique? 

Northview Middle School is located on the north side of Indianapolis, Indiana. The school educates approximately 1,000 students in grades sixth through eighth, with almost half qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Principal Hakim and his leadership team focus on strengthening instruction, building educator capacity, and creating a positive learning environment for teachers and students. 

Northview Middle School, in partnership with NIET, has refined the strategies and practices used by the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). ILT members now field test and model instructional strategies for teachers in classrooms. This has transformed professional learning on campus as teachers see instructional strategies in action rather than hearing them described in a meeting. These “lab classrooms” help teachers feel more confident in using new instructional strategies to meet needs identified in student data, and are part of an ongoing coaching cycle between teachers and ILT members. 

The support and coaching provided by ILT members have led to increased teacher retention at Northview Middle School, with the school achieving the lowest staff turnover rate in nearly a decade. The school is gaining a positive reputation in the district and across the region as a campus that values, supports, and elevates staff. Educators and families are choosing Northview Middle School, as indicated by the 22% increase in student enrollment last year. 

“Though the work is never done and constantly evolving, our results in recent years speak for themselves,” said Hakim. “Continuously increasing student achievement, coupled with record enrollment and family engagement, shows a school that is focused on the right work.” 

With NIET’s best practices in place, Northview Middle School increased student achievement across all tested subject areas and grades over the last two years. Not only did scores increase in math and ELA between 2023 and 2025, but the school has also seen an impressive 14 point increase in the percentage of students scoring Proficient on science state assessments. 

“I was convinced that partnering with NIET was the lever we needed to move our school, said Hakim. “Not only does our student achievement data continue to grow, but the interest of more and more staff members to become instructional leaders in the building has also grown. Being able to develop the instructional capacity of our staff is a home run.”

Northview Middle School was selected among five finalists throughout the U.S., with each receiving $10,000. The other finalists were Horizon Honors Elementary School (Horizon Honors Schools, Arizona); Marthaville Elementary & Junior High School (Natchitoches Parish School Board, Louisiana); Riverwalk Academy (South Carolina Public Charter School District, South Carolina); and Sorrento Primary School (Ascension Public Schools, Louisiana). 

For images of Northview Middle School and more information about the NIET Founder’s Award, visit the NIET newsroom. Follow conference news – including the Founder's Award – on social media using @NIETteach or #NIET2026.