NIET Partner Named Finalist in World’s Best School Prize Competition

Phoenix, Arizona (June 18, 2025) — The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is thrilled to celebrate Cross County Elementary Technology Academy (CCETA), a NIET partner school located in Cross County, Arkansas, for its selection as one of 10 finalists for T4 Education’s prestigious World’s Best School Prizes in the Overcoming Adversity category. This prestigious global recognition, led by T4 Education, highlights outstanding schools worldwide. CCETA is one of only two U.S. schools named a finalist in this competition.

World’s Best School Prizes’ Overcoming Adversity category recognizes and celebrates schools that see adversity, challenges, and obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow. These schools shape a positive outlook of themselves and their future in their students and community, taking ownership of their circumstances and becoming resilient, according to the prize description.

“We are extremely proud of the Cross County Elementary Technology Academy on being named a finalist for this award,” Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva said. “The school’s commitment to providing robust professional development for its teachers, focus on teacher retention, and purposeful efforts to enhance character education for students resulted in tangible results that have positively improved student learning. Congratulations to this school for its efforts to improve instruction.”

CCETA is recognized for its dedication to excellence in teaching and learning, as well as its efforts to build resilience and lifelong skills for success among students despite the economic hardships many face. As a school in a rural area with limited access to resources, CCETA has found multiple ways to ensure that its students and educators can thrive. One such strategy has been a long-standing partnership with NIET to embed instructional excellence and strengthen the collaboration and support for all educators.

“What makes Cross County School District, and Cross County Elementary Technology Academy, especially worthy of international attention is how it has built both resilience and excellence among its students through support and classroom learning. Their accomplishments are a direct result of the effort and support put into their educators, students, and community,” said NIET’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett in response to the school’s finalist recognition.

CCETA’s commitment to teacher support, coaching, and retention has led to tangible, lasting improvements for both the school and community. Over the past five years, the school’s teacher retention rate has reached 96%, thanks to structured mentoring, professional development, and ongoing support. The transformed school culture that resulted from embedding core values into daily instruction has resulted in incidents dropping by 52% and enrollment increasing by 18.6% over the past three years, making CCETA the only school in a 30-mile radius experiencing consistent growth. Families recognize the quality education, positive school culture, and dedication to educators that CCETA provides.

Visit the World's Best School Prizes’ website to learn more about the five prize categories, and stay tuned for each final category winner to be announced this fall.

About NIET

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is a national nonprofit based in Phoenix, Arizona, that serves states and districts nationwide. For 25 years, NIET has partnered with schools, districts, states, and universities to build educator excellence and give all students the opportunity for success. NIET’s initiatives, including the TAP System, teacher and leader development, school improvement, rubric and observation systems, and educator preparation, have impacted more than 350,000 educators and 3.5 million students across the U.S.

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are proud to honor our partners’ success and share the results of intentional, sustained investments in educator effectiveness. Learn more in our anniversary report, Building Educator Excellence: 25 Years of Impact.