Overview
The Academies of Nashville are the primary initiative to achieve the districts vision and mission for students in its twelve zoned high schools. The five year play for the implementation and sustainability of the Academies of Nashville is a community-supported plan that aligns local and state inititives to achieve the district's mission to provide every student with the foundation of knowledge, skills, and characters necessary to excel in higher education.
In the Academies, all students take Rigorous core academic subjects, electives, and specialized courses in a career-focused area in order to achieve academically at high levels and prepare for college, work and active citizenship. Teachers incorporate real-world examples fromt he academy career into all academic and specialized courses to show the Relevance of coursework. With these smaller learning communities, students work with classmates that share their interests and a common team of teachers, building stronger Relationships and promoting a sense of belonging. Local businessess and community partnerships provide students with interactions that ensure Readiness for post-secondary education and career option.
Grounded in the research of the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, the structure of the academies is built upon three pillars of Next Generation Learning: Transforming Teaching & Learning, Redesigning High Schools and Sustaining Change through Business and Civic Leadership. By focusing on these goals, the district will align its resources with those of the business community in order to achieve the state's graduation benchmark of 90%, meet the educational standards of the Tennessee Diploma Project, improve each of the twelve schools' standing with No Child Left Behind and seek National Career Academy Coalation Accrediation for each academy. Most importantly, all students will benefit from personalized enviornments, rigorous curricula and career-focused academies that prepare them for high-skill, high-wage workplace opportunities in the Nashville area.
The Academies of Nashville will align with the business community and post-secondary institutions to create a pipeline of talent into high-demand career areas. Equipped with the 21st-century skills necessary for higher education, work and life, students will experience academic success, improve the local workforce talent pool and promote regional economic development. In Nashville, an educated workforce is critical for long-term economic vitality.
Strong community support is critical for the ongoing sucess of The Academies of Nashville. The Director of Schools' High School Transformational Leadership Group (TLG), has adapted the academies model as the primary initiative for reaching the district's goals for zoned high schools. The Mayor of Nashville co-chairs the CEO Champions, an advocacy group of business and community leaders for The Academies of Nashville, and coordinates many support structures through the Mayor's Office of Children and Youth. Alignment Nashville has been a principal convening agency in seeking grand funding and achieving a coordinated community effort to accomplish effiecient and effective reform. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and PENCIL Foundation have facilitated business engagement through partnership councils and academy partnerships that provide sustainable resources and establish relevance for students. The Nashville Alliance for Public Education identifies areas of need and directs resources to accelerate academic achievement.
The Academies of Nashville is a broad reform intitiative that will lead to fundamental, systemic changes in secondary education in Nashville. The Academies realign existing funding and resources for sustainability. Frequent reviews ensure continuous alignment with economic and workforce demands as well as student interests. The structural and instructional changes implemented through The Academies of Nashville will play a critical role in fulfilling the district's vision and mission for the twelve zoned high schools.
