RISE Program

The purpose of the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award is to recognize and promote the commitment and excellence exhibited by full- or part-time classified school employees who provide exemplary service to students. A classified school employee is an employee of a state or any political subdivision of a state, or an employee of a nonprofit entity, who works in any grade from pre-kindergarten through high school in any of the following occupational specialties: paraprofessional, clerical and administrative services, transportation services, food and nutrition services, custodial and maintenance services, security services, health and student services, technical services, and skilled trades.  The terms used have the meaning given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

The Tennessee Department of Education shall consider nominations submitted by local educational agencies, school administrators, professional associations, labor organizations, educational service agencies, nonprofit entities, parents, students, and community members.

The Tennessee Department of Education, in coordination with the Governor's Office, will nominate up to two classified school employees by November 1, 2025, for the national selection program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The Secretary of Education will select a single classified school employee to receive the RISE Award for that school year in spring 2027.

Please submit all nominations for the 2026-27 selection process by Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT. 

Application submission tips: 

1. You may advance through the application without completing all required fields on a page.

2. You may use the "Save and Resume Later" function to save your work and come back later. Note that this will feature will save all information entered into the form except uploaded attachments; these will need to be uploaded just prior to submission.

3. All required fields must be completed in order to submit the application.