PARIS — Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Principal Ted Moccia was honored last week by the Principal’s Institute in Washington, D.C., as Maine’s Principal of the Year.

Moccia received the acclaim for 2011 in February by Principal’s Association Executive Director Richard Durost before hundreds of students and staff at the high school.

“It was a tremendous opportunity,” Moccia said Monday of the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ recognition conference that was held from Sept. 21 through the 24.

Moccia said the conference not only allowed him to speak with legislators about current educational issues but to network with principals from across the county.

“I got a lot of great information from it,” Moccia said. “I think a lot of the initiatives and things we are doing here at Oxford Hills are going on around the country. It was really reaffirming to see that whether it was on West Coast in Oregon or California or down in the South in Florida or Georgia or up here in Maine that many of those initiatives are exactly the same and we are doing what’s right for the kids.”

The prestigious award was given to Moccia this year based on his accomplishments as an educational leader in the areas of personal excellence, collaborative leadership, curriculum, instruction, and assessment and personalization of learning.

Moccia was honored at the Maine Principal’s Association spring conference awards banquet in April and then on his recent trip to Washington, D.C. He is also eligible for consideration as the 2012 National Principal of the Year.

During his four-day trip in the nation’s capital, Moccia and his wife, Sue, an art teacher with the Oxford Hills School District, met with Sen. Olympia Snowe, who said, “I congratulate Ted many times over on being selected as the 2011 Principal of the Year in our great state of Maine. He is certainly to be commended for receiving such special recognition for his unwavering commitment. This award highlights Ted’s remarkable advocacy on behalf of Maine students and educators and his tremendous contributions made throughout his storied career.”

Prior to working at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School for the past 20 years as principal, assistant principal, physical education teacher and coach, he was a science teacher at Lewiston High School.

The Maine Principal’s Association sponsored the trip for Moccia, who paid to have his wife accompany him.

“It was awesome,” he said of the conference.

ldixon@sunjournal,.com