Curriculum

The Academy’s curriculum is designed and developed by NAfET’s leadership team.

In developing the curriculum, the committee:

• Reviews scholarly research on secondary school literacy, subject area learning, education of secondary school students-at-risk, and teacher professional development.
• Studies best practices in urban schools that enroll at-risk students.
• Meets with City practitioners such as teachers, principals, and superintendents.
• Convenes focus groups of TC and national experts on the literature of urban secondary school teaching, learning, and professional development.

The Academy’s curriculum focuses on two areas:

• Professional development programs that help teachers develop the content knowledge and pedagogical skills they need to teach their subject areas effectively and to help their students develop literacy; and
• The knowledge and skills school leaders need to be effective instructional leaders.

Curriculum for Teachers

High School teachers in urban settings are faced with numerous challenges:

• Class sizes are large and often under-supplied with lab materials, curricula and textbooks.
• Student bodies are ethnically, racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse.
• Many teachers lack adequate knowledge of the subject they teach, and have few opportunities to work with other teachers on cross-disciplinary curriculum.
• Teachers are mandated to teach standards-based curriculum when they have never experienced standards-based instruction themselves.
• Teachers do not have experience using the urban environment as an active, open laboratory for learning.

By directly addressing these challenges, the Academy’s courses foster among teachers:

• An interest in developing further proficiency in their subjects.
• Connections to the national and state frameworks for literacy in their subjects.
• A supportive community of teachers, administrators, and counselors.
• A culture of continuous improvement that connects them to other teachers, to professional groups, to experts in their field, and to organizations within their community.

This enables teachers to help their students:

• Improve academic success and understanding.
• Connect what they learn in school to their lives and community.
• Find excitement and satisfaction in their academic work.
• Use their school experiences to build meaningful career paths.

In order to develop courses for the summer institutes and in-school workshops, the Academy is working with experienced urban teachers as well as Teachers College faculty in science, mathematics, English language arts, and social studies. In an effort to support literacy across the curriculum and strengthen their own disciplinary expertise, Academy teachers collaborate with colleagues, counselors and principals.

Curriculum for Principals

High school principals face significant obstacles to fulfilling their role as the instructional leader in their school. With so much of their time spent on student discipline and building management, the amount of time they can devote to working with teachers on instructional issues is often constrained. In addition, few high school principals are expert in more than one or two academic subjects. Yet despite these challenges, teachers need leaders who can help them improve and develop as professionals. The Academy understands the real demands of a principal’s job, and works with principals and their leadership teams in finding realistic ways to inspire teachers and improve curriculum in their schools. This includes attention to:

• Team-building skills.
• Critical reflection through readings and case studies.
• Direct application of theory to practice.

The principals’ workshops include case studies and simulations, visits to schools, and both small- and large-group discussions. In addition, principals participate in monthly seminars led by Academy Advisors, Teachers College faculty, and other experts in the field. The principals are active participants in a learning process that is immediately applicable to school practice.