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June Downing Breakthroughs in Inclusive Education Award - Nomination Form

This award is given in honor of June Downing, a long-time TASH member, Board of Directors member, author and beloved friend and colleague. June Downing had a profound impact on families, young professionals, educators and individuals with disabilities and her contributions to inclusion will be felt for many years to come. The purpose of this award is to honor the important and courageous contributions of an individual, school, and/or school district in advancing inclusive education and equitable opportunities for students from pre-school through grade 12, particularly those with the most significant disabilities and support needs. TASH recognizes the path to full inclusion can be challenging, depending on the local community, state and local leadership and other factors. Nominations are requested for individuals, schools and districts that are consistent with TASH’s mission regarding inclusive education. Award categories include: School District, School, Individual (i.e., Educator, Administrator, Advocate, Family, Self-Advocate).

Please review the entire nomination form below before you start filling it out. We recommend gathering the content offline prior to submitting it as incomplete forms cannot be saved. Self-nominations are accepted. If you would like to self-nominate, please fill out both "Nominator" and "Nominee" with the same information. TASH only accepts complete nomination forms. No exceptions. If you have questions about your submission, please contact DeVonne Parks at dparks@tash.org. The deadline for award submissions is Monday, August 5, 2024.
If you would like to nominate a School or School District, please fill out Section 1. If you would like to nominate an Educator, Administrator, or Advocate/Family/Self-Advocate, please continue to Section 2.


In the space provided below, please state why the school/district deserves to be honored for its work as a catalyst resulting in breakthroughs in inclusion of students with the most significant disabilities and support needs. Please consider addressing the following information in your narrative:

  • Number of grade levels in the school or district.
  • Total student population.
  • Total number of students with IEPs.
  • Percentage of students with significant disabilities who are participating in general education classrooms 100% of the time.
  • Percentage of students with significant disabilities who are participating in general education classrooms 80-99% of the time.
  •  Percentage of students with significant disabilities who are participating in general education classrooms less than 80% of the time.
  • Percentage of students with significant disabilities who are participating in special education schools (in-district).
  • Percentage of students with significant disabilities who are participating in out-of-district special education placements.



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Upload a curriculum vitae (CV) outlining the nominee's history of: a) higher education (including major, minor, degree, anticipated date of completion); b) employment (including dates, duties, name of supervisor); c) research and publications.

In the space provided below, please state why the educator, administrator, or advocate/family/self-advocate deserves to be honored for its work as a catalyst resulting in breakthroughs in inclusion of students with the most significant disabilities and support needs. Please consider addressing the following information in your narrative:

  • Briefly describe the nominee’s philosophy about inclusive education. 
  • What major contributions has the nominee made toward furthering the inclusion of students with the most significant disabilities and support needs in general education classrooms? 
  • What barriers has the nominee had to contend with, and how did he/she resolve those barriers? 
  • What key academic and non-academic results for students (with and without disabilities) can be  attributed to the nominee’s efforts? 
  • Has the nominee made it easier for other educators, administrators, systems, families, students,  advocates, or schools to benefit from their experiences?
Although not required, you may choose to submit additional materials that support or evidence the impact made on inclusive practices (e.g., letters of support, newspaper clippings, online videos, testimonials).
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By clicking submit, I certify that all information provided as part of this award nomination is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.