Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award Nomination Instrument (Redlined)

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20242023 Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award
Rules, Terms, and Conditions
What is the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award?
The Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award is bestowed by the United States Secretary of Education
(Secretary) on teachers in the field of cybersecurity to honor their contribution to the education of our
nation’s students. The award, established by Executive Order 13870 on May 2, 2019,1 is led by the U.S.
Department of Education (Department), in consultation with the The White House Office of the National
Cyber Director and the National Science Foundation.
The award is presented annually to two teachers—one at the elementary or middle level (kindergarten
through eighth grade) and one at the secondary level—who demonstrate superior achievement in instilling
skills, knowledge, and passion with respect to cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related subjects. The award
also recognizes teachers who demonstrate superior accomplishment in promoting student academic
achievement.
Teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Department of Defense Education
Activity (DoDEA), and Tribal Nations schools are eligible to apply or be nominated.
Award recipients embody the expertise and dedication of teachers who are critical to increasing the
cybersecurity awareness of all students, inspiring the nation’s future cybersecurity workforce, and
contributing to a more secure society.

Why Apply?
The Administration and Secretary are committed to enhancing the cybersecurity workforce and recognizing
the cybersecurity teachers who serve a critical role in the development of America’s future cybersecurity
professionals. The United States Government also recognizes the challenges and successes teachers face
daily in the highly technical field of cybersecurity education. Therefore, this award highlights the
accomplishments of two teachers by providing recognition, such as:
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A certificate signed by the Secretary;
Public recognition as a leader in the field of cybersecurity education; and
Attendance at events, as appropriate, which may include professional development
opportunities, discussions with policymakers on how to improve cybersecurity education, and
opportunities to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation.2

1

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/05/09/2019-09750/americas-cybersecurity-workforce
2
Subject to change due to the availability of staff time, and appropriations, or both. 

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Eligibility
Nominees must:
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Be a “teacher” as defined in this announcement;
Instill in their students skills, knowledge, and passion with respect to cybersecurity or
cybersecurity-related subjects, increase students’ awareness of cybersecurity issues, and
encourage their students to explore further education and careers in cybersecurity or
cybersecurity-related subjects as part of their teaching responsibilities at a public or private
“elementary school” or “secondary school,” as defined in this announcement;
Be a full-time employee of the elementary school or secondary school, or school district, as
determined by state and school district policies;
Teach in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the DoDEA, or
Tribal Nations schools;
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and
Have not received this award before.

Definitions
The following definitions are provided for the purpose of this award. Some of the definitions originate from
legislation, while others were developed by in collaboration with the Federal agencies referenced in the
Executive Order establishing this award.  
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Elementary school – The term “elementary school” means a nonprofit institutional day or
residential school, including a public elementary charter school or tribal school, that includes
any grades from kindergarten up to, and including, grade 8, as determined under State law. 3
Secondary school – The term “secondary school” means a nonprofit institutional day or
residential school, including a public secondary charter school or Tribal school, that provides
secondary education, as determined under State law, except that the term does not include any
education beyond grade 12.4
Cybersecurity or cybersecurity-related subjects – The term “cybersecurity” means measures that
focus on protecting computers, networks, and information from unauthorized access or attacks.
Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: computer science, coding, cyberoperations, cyber-science, cyber-society, cryptography, data loss prevention and encryption,
forensics, malware detection, system administration, software development and protection, web
exploitation, computer networks and security, information sciences and technology, information
security, reverse engineering, password protection, social or systems engineering, defensive
hacking, and security intelligence. Please note, the teaching of content such as “cyber-bullying,”
“cyber-hygiene,” and “cyber-awareness” do not fall under this definition.
Teacher – The term “teacher” means an individual who is employed in a public or private
elementary school or secondary school, and who is responsible for educating students on
cybersecurity or cybersecurity-related subjects.
Superior educator accomplishment – The term “superior educator accomplishment” means a
teacher’s evidence of conducting teaching and learning about cybersecurity or cybersecurityrelated subjects at an increasing level of complexity over the last five years with demonstrated

3

Section 8101(19) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. 7801(19);
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/html/USCODE-2020-title20-chap70-subchapVIII-partAsec7801.htm
4
Section 8101(45) of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7801(45); https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020title20/html/USCODE-2020-title20-chap70-subchapVIII-partA-sec7801.htm

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exceptional outcomes. Examples of such accomplishment include, but are not limited to,
demonstrated evidence that the teacher has, over the last five years: (1) taught the knowledge,
skills, abilities, and tasks of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
Framework5; (2) increased cybersecurity career awareness; (3) infused cybersecurity across
curricular disciplines; (4) integrated innovative cybersecurity educational approaches; (5)
developed work-based learning and training through an employer partnership or consortia; (6)
designed academic and/or career pathways aligned to the NICE Framework and the multi-part
definition of career pathways from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act6; (7) started a
successful cyber program, club, competition team, or mentoring program; (8) attended
professional development workshops; (9) led a cyber camp; (10) earned an industry-valued
credential or certification in a cybersecurity or cybersecurity-related subject; and (11) scaled or
repeated a cybersecurity intervention (e.g., lesson, partnership, etc.) across a school district,
state, or the country.
Academic achievement – The term “academic achievement,” with respect to a teacher’s
students, means the increased knowledge, skills, and abilities of the students in cybersecurity or
cybersecurity-related subjects. Examples include, but are not limited to: (1) high grades; (2) a
concentration in a Career Technical Education (CTE) cybersecurity program of study7; (3)
passage of performance-based cybersecurity assessments; (4) participation in a cybersecurity
work-based learning opportunity via an internship, apprenticeship, or other employment; (5) an
industry-valued credential (including trade or degree) in cybersecurity; (6) military placement;
or (7) involvement and significant placement in student cybersecurity competitions, such as
https://www.uscyberpatriot.org/.

The Awards Process: Overview
Nomination Process
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The information provided by either nominators or teachers themselves (self-nominations) is
completely voluntary. Anyone, including principals or other administrators; teachers; parents;
students; state and local educational agency staff; federal, state, and local elected officials; and
the public may nominate exceptional individuals who teach, promote, or inform students about
cybersecurity or cybersecurity-related subjects in a public or private elementary or secondary
school.

To submit a nomination, the following information is required:
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Teacher’s name
Level of education taught (elementary or secondary)

Work information required:
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Teacher’s state
Teacher’s city
Teacher’s work information name (name and address of school, school district, or facility)
Teacher’s work email address
Teacher’s work contact number

 NICE Framework Resource Center; https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/nice-framework-resourcecenter
6
29 U.S.C 3102(7); https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title29/html/USCODE-2020-title29-chap32sec3102.htm.
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20 U.S.C 2302 (41); https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/html/USCODE-2020-title20chap44-sec2302.htm
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Nominator’s work email address and phone number (for nominations that come from someone
besides the teacher (e.g., principal nominating a teacher))
One narrative not exceeding 500 words that describes, with respect to the nominated teacher,
superior teacher accomplishment (as defined in this announcement). A second narrative not
exceeding 500 words that describes academic achievement (as defined in this announcement) by
the teacher’s students. Narrative submissions may include a weblink or a video that showcases
accomplishments, but a weblink or video is not required. The narrative responses should
describe how the teacher has: (1) built strong foundations for cybersecurity literacy; (2)
increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in cybersecurity; and (3) prepared the cybersecurity
workforce for the future, as included in the 2018 Federal STEM Education five-year strategic
plan, Charting A Course for Success: America’s Strategy For STEM Education8. The narrative
submissions may include a weblink or a video that showcases accomplishments, but a weblink
or video is not required.
One letter of reference from a principal, school district superintendent, or general reference (e.g.,
a parent, local industry leader, community leader, etc. with whom the teacher has worked) with a
work contact email and phone number. Should the nominee be a top candidate, the Department
reviewers will contact the reference to verify the following with respect to the nominated
teacher: (1) superior educator accomplishment; (2) academic achievement by the teacher’s
students; and (3) that the teacher is in good standing (e.g., not on probation; has received
positive yearly reviews; etc.).

Nominations may be submitted by the same individual or entity for more than one teacher as separate
nominations.
Nominations should be submitted to CyberAwards@ed.gov. Once a nomination is submitted, an automated
email response will be generated from the Department to confirm receipt to the person who submitted the
nomination. Therefore, teachers who are nominated by someone else will not be notified unless they are
chosen to receive the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award.
The nomination period closes on September 1513, 20232024, at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Instructions to Nominators
Eligibility will be confirmed by Department reviewers. Incomplete nominations will be considered
ineligible. Nominators should provide evidence in the narrative format described in the Nomination Process
section of this announcement. Documents will be accepted in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Adobe
Portable Document file (.pdf) formats. Please include the teacher’s name, teacher’s contact information, and
page numbers on each page of the nomination. If the nomination is being prepared by someone other than
the nominee, the nominator is encouraged to work with the nominee to complete the nomination to ensure
that the information is reported accurately.
The award is focused on those who demonstrate their abilities teaching students in a variety of methods and
environments (classroom, co-curricular, after-school programs, work-based learning, etc.), not only on those
who are cybersecurity practitioners. The Executive Order directs the Department to focus on demonstrated
teaching accomplishments, and not consider the teacher’s “research, scholarship, or technology
development.” Therefore, there is no requirement that information about a teacher’s “research, scholarship,
or technology development” be included in the nomination, and such information will not be considered
during review and selection.

8

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf

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Review Criteria
Each nomination will be evaluated based on the entirety of the document submitted, including weblinks or
videos, if submitted. The following criteria will be used during the review of nominations along with the
Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award Nomination Scoring Rubric (See Appendix A):
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The extent to which the teacher demonstrates evidence of superior accomplishment related to
teaching about cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related subjects;
The extent to which the teacher substantiates teaching effectiveness using external indicators of
academic achievement as defined in this announcement; and
The extent to which the teacher’s leadership contributes to educational excellence at the school,
district, state, and/or national level.

Selection
All nominations will be subjected to the following review process:
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Once the nomination period has ended, the Department will review the nominations for
eligibility and assign all eligible nominations for review by Federal Department staff (reviewers)
with expertise in cybersecurity, technical education, or cybersecurity-related education.
Copies of each eligible nomination will be provided to reviewers for the selection of awardees.
Staff will maintain strict confidentiality when reviewing nominations and notify the Presidential
Cybersecurity Education Award Manager should any conflicts of interest arise.
The reviewers will then each provide their recommendation for one elementary and one
secondary teacher awardee to the Secretary. The Department will review and vet the awardees.
The Department will notify the awardees of their selection using the contact information
provided in the nomination.

Questions or Technical Assistance
Please contact CyberAwards@ed.gov.

Authority
The Secretary of Education is responsible for administering the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award,
which is authorized under Executive Order 13870.
Privacy Act Statement: The Department’s authority to ask for this information is Executive Order 13870
issued on May 2, 2019. The information provided is voluntary. The main purpose for the information is to
make awards. Should nominations not provide the information requested, nominations may be deemed
ineligible. The routine use disclosures which may be made of the information will be published in a Systems
of Records Notice (SORN) in the Federal Register. The Department will be able to disclose information
from this SORN for certain enumerated purposes to specific users without the nominees’ or awardees’ prior
written consent pursuant to such routine use disclosures. The routine use disclosures are expected to include
disclosures to references listed in applications and nominations in order to permit the Department to
determine that applicants and nominees meet the criteria for the Presidential Cybersecurity Education
Award, to the general public to announce the awardees, to the media to announce the awardees and to
respond to inquiries about them, to government officials to notify them of the awardees in their States or
districts, to assist with preparing congratulatory letters, certificates, or other honors, or to schedule events
and office visits, to state and local education official to inform them of awardees in their states, districts, or
schools, to White House or other Federal agencies for speechwriting and briefings of officials who will be
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addressing the awardees at events or to obtain needed security clearances at such events, to individuals and
entities, such as vendors, in preparation for the awards ceremony or related educational and celebratory
activities, to the Department’s contractors as needed to carry out any function of the Department, to members
of Congress in response to an inquiry made at the nominee’s or awardee’s written request, to the Department
of Justice to obtain advice, to the Department of Justice, parties, counsel, representatives, witnesses, courts,
or other adjudicative authorities as relevant and necessary to administrative or judicial litigation, to
appropriate parties and entities to respond to a breach of data, to researchers to carry out research on the
purposes and functions of the system of records, to law enforcement officials if information in the system of
records on its face or in connection with other information indicates that there has been a violation of statute,
regulation, or order, and to the Department of Justice or the Office of Management and Budget if the
Department concludes that disclosure is desirable or necessary in determining whether particular records are
required to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act or the Privacy Act.

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Public Burden Statement

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According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
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Appendix A: Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award Nomination Scoring Rubric 

Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award (PCEA) 
Nomination Scoring Rubric 

The selection criteria rubric below will be used to review all eligible PCEA nominations.   
Zero 

1 Point 

2 Points 

3 Points 

4 Points 

Not Addressed 

Minimal 

Average 

Above Average 

Exemplary 

Provides partial, relevant 
evidence but does not  
clearly or consistently 
address the criterion.  

Provides specific, 
relevant evidence that 
clearly and consistently 
addresses the criterion. 

Provides exemplary, 
relevant evidence that 
clearly, consistently, and 
convincingly addresses 
the criterion.  

Provides no 
Provides 
information that  insufficient, relevant 
addresses the 
evidence to address 
criterion. 
the criterion. 

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Criterion 1:  The extent to which the teacher demonstrates evidence of superior accomplishment related 
to teaching about cybersecurity and cybersecurity‐related subjects. 
Items to look for in evaluating evidence of superior accomplishments may include ‐ The nominee: 
 presents age‐appropriate, rigorous content that includes projects and/or activities to support 
cybersecurity knowledge and skills acquisition;  
 integrates innovative cybersecurity educational approaches;  
 demonstrates a commitment to ongoing professional development to further his/her 
knowledge and skills in the area of cybersecurity education; and  
 has received other recognitions or awards related to cybersecurity education. 

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Criterion 2:  The extent to which the teacher substantiates teaching effectiveness using external indicators 
of academic achievement. 
Items to look for in evaluating evidence of academic achievement may include:  
 student involvement and placement in cybersecurity competitions;  
 student completion of industry‐valued credentials in cybersecurity;   
 student participation in cybersecurity work‐based learning opportunities via internships, 
apprenticeships, or other employment ; 
 presence of a successful cyber program, club, competition team, or mentor program; and 
 passage of performance‐based cybersecurity assessments 

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Criterion 3:  The extent to which the teacher’s leadership contributes to educational excellence at the 
school, district, state, and/or national level. 
Items to look for in evaluating evidence of leadership contributions may include ‐ The nominee: 
 scaled or repeated a cybersecurity intervention across a school district, state or the country; 
 led a cybersecurity camp;  
 increased cybersecurity career awareness at the elementary or secondary level;  
 demonstrated an active role in creating and sustaining the cybersecurity ecosystem; 
 demonstrated an active role in mentoring fellow cybersecurity educators; and  
 demonstrated an active role in infusing cybersecurity across curricular disciplines. 

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