Advancing Reflections Entries to Council PTA

1. Host Local Judging
Hold your campus-level judging and advance the top 20% of entries in each of the six arts categories for each of the five grade divisions to Council.  

• Note: The Accessible Arts division is judged separately from other grade divisions.

• Refer to the TX PTA Leader Resources page for category rules, local-level judging guidelines, a scorecard template, and a detailed judging rubric.

• Verify entries meet arts category rules and try to resolve any eligibility concerns before judging. Entries with plagiarism should be disqualified.

2. TX PTA Student Entry Forms or Google Student Entry Form
Before advancing entries:

• Confirm the PTA membership requirement has been met and the member’s name is listed on the form.

• Ensure each form is legible and fully completed.

• Keep a copy of each entry form for your records until the end of the school year.

3. Prepare Advancing Entries For Digital Submission

Before submitting to Council, ensure all advancing entries are saved in the correct file type and meet category-specific requirements. Accepted File Types & Limits:

• Dance Choreography / Film Production: AVI, MOV, MP4, WMV, FLV, F4V (≤ 1GB, ≤ 5 min)

          Download videos; YouTube links are not accepted.

• Literature: DOC or PDF (Google Drive or Adobe Scan are free apps that can scan from phones or tablets) (≤ 2,000 words)

• Music Composition: MP3, WMA, WAV, ACC (M4A), or FLAC (≤ 1GB, ≤ 5 min)
  Music score (PDF) required for Middle School and High School entries.

• Photography: JPEG, JPG, PNG (HEIC/Apple formats must be converted).  Minimum 640×960 pixels recommended. Obtain a digital file from the student/teacher if possible; photos of photos are lower quality.

• Visual Arts: JPEG, JPG, PNG, or TIFF 

Submit a clear, well-lit photo of the artwork for judging.

• Entry Forms: PDF, or if you used a Google Student Entry Form, upload a copy of the Form Response Spreadsheet listing advancing entries only.

File Naming Format

StudentName_AgeDivision_ArtsCategory_ENTRY_title

StudentName_AgeDivision_ArtsCategory_FORM_title

If a student submits multiple entries in the same category, number each entry and its corresponding PDF form with the same number. 

Examples: 

1. JaneSmith_HS_Visual_ENTRY_BestArtworkEver.png

1. JaneSmith_HS_Visual_FORM_BestArtworkEver.pdf

2. JaneSmith_HS_Visual_ENTRY_ThreadsofCulture.jpg

JohnGarcia_AccessibleHS_Dance_ENTRY_Culture.mov 

4.  Download and Complete the TX PTA Advancing Entry Spreadsheet or make a copy of your Google Student Entry Form Response Spreadsheet.

• Include only advancing entries.

• Save your completed file for later use.

5.   Complete the TX PTA Local PTA Participation Summary

You will need the following information:

• PTA President and Reflections Chair names and emails

• Student enrollment and participation numbers

• Council PTA: North East ISD Council of PTAs

• Council PTA coordinator: Sarah Wilson, artsined@necouncilpta.com

• Upload your Advancing Entry Spreadsheet

6. Submit Advancing Entries to Council

All entries advancing to Council must be submitted using the Council PTA Reflections Submission Form.

• Deadline: November 15, 2026 

Submissions due on a weekend may be submitted by Monday. 

• Submission Link: Council PTA Reflections Submission Form

7. Celebrate Your Students!

Thank your judges with a card or small token. Celebrate all student participants at a PTA meeting or campus event.

• Find celebration ideas and a downloadable certificate template at the TX PTA Leader Resources page.

Official Council results will be emailed in Mid-January.