The Academies of Nashville Case Study Resources:

 

Case Study Paper

 

 

 

 

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The Role of the High School Academies in Nashville

Shannon Ashford, Aaron McGee, Ann Armes

April 2014

Lipscomb University

 

According to the website for the State of Tennessee’s Diploma Project, in 2002 only 59 of every 100 ninth-grade Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) students graduated on time. Of those students, 36 entered community college or a university and 25 were still enrolled by their sophomore year of college. Only 15 of the 100 graduated a college or university within one-and-a-half times the length of their degree program.Many problems surfaced during that time in the Metro school District. Like so many other instances, but especially during the recession, Funding to support Metro Public schools suffered. In addition, during that same period of time, there was an influx of refugee families and students entering the public schools that the schools were ill prepared to support. Magnet and Charter schools were introduced which unintentionally widened the economic and demographic gap that already existed among students enrolled in public schools. Most glaringly, the low attendance numbers, increased dropout and low graduation rates needed to be addressed.Numerous research studies, expert consultations and data collection were conducted within Metro schools during that time. The conclusion was that the most substantial and underlying issue within the educational system at the time was that Tennessee’s proficiency assessments did not accurately reflect the national proficiency standards. Therefore, students that graduated from MNPS did not actually have the skills they needed to be successful in their post-secondary endeavors.

 

Once the problem was identified, and with the support, enthusiasm and commitment new city and state leadership a highly experienced and successful team of education experts, both local and nationwide, was assembled and charged with the task of coming up with what they believed to be the best option for Nashville to catch up with the rest of the nation as well as to heal the bruised public perception of MNPS during that time.Most educators credit the academies concept as originating in Philadelphia in 1969 (Stern, Ruby, and Dayton, 2002) in an effort to assist students who didn’t appear bound for college.

 

The academy concept of Metro Nashville Public schools dates back to 2006, when a group of eight high school principals, recognizing the district’s inability to meet federal No Child Left Behind benchmarks, sought out a new solution. That same year, after researching education practices in other major cities and collaborating with local groups such as Alignment Nashville, a community schools organization, Metro Nashville Public Schools applied and received a grant from the United States Department of Education to transition some of it’s high schools from the traditional comprehensive high school structure to an academy system. Implementation began with the installment of Freshman Academies seven years ago, and thanks to a five-year federal Small Learning Communities grant, during the 2007-2008 school year, the program took shape in all 9-12 grade levels at eight different schools.

 

Metro Nashville Public Schools decided to expand the academy structure into the remaining zoned high schools during the 2010-2011 school year, taking the total number of academy schools to twelve. Since 2006, in partnership with civic and business engagement, the district has been redesigning its zoned high schools into smaller learning communities, collectively known as The Academies of Nashville. The Academies enable students to learn through the lens of a career or academic theme in a highly personalized learning community. Through their academy, students are exposed to a multitude of careers and opportunities, industry skills, and potential employers by way of classroom speakers, site visits, job shadowing and internships. The Academies of Nashville are designed to offer students a rigorous curriculum, life skills, practical work experience, and the opportunity to learn in the context of a particular career or subject theme, a more engaging curriculum and preparation for college and a career.

 

The Academies of Nashville fall within five groupings including, arts, media and communications; business, marketing and information technology; engineering, manufacturing and industrial technology; health and public services and hospitality and tourism.Before students can formally take part in a given academy, freshmen at each school must attend the freshman academy, where they learn which academy they will choose to follow. According to Jill Pittman, Principle at Overton High School, part of MNPS ( J. Pittman, personal communication, Mar 22, 2014) the Academies give the students a direction toward their career, as they have majors while they are in high school. Lucia Folk, Senior Director for Public Affairs at Country Music Television (CMT), a major business partner in the Nashville Academies, states that this gives students a purpose (L. Folk, personal communication, Mar.24, 2014). For those students that don’t generally do well in school and are in the population that may not finish school, this gives them a purpose and something they can associate themselves with. They aren’t just attending school; they are working toward a career path.

 

The Academies of Nashville are aligned with Tennessee educational initiatives, provide graduates all the credits and experience required for college entrance, encourage access to accelerated options such as AP, IB, honors classes, and virtual school, offer college credit through Dual Credit and dual Enrollment, prepare students to be college and workplace ready, foster understanding of math and science and their relationship to technology (STEM), work cooperatively in groups and demonstrate responsibilities in personal lives and in service to the community.Businesses get the chance to participate by sponsoring Academies and courses. They also allow students and teachers to have hands on experience outside of the classroom. Colleges, universities and apprenticeships are providing opportunities for dual-enrollment, which lets students earn college credit in high school and lets parents save money on tuition. The curriculum of the Academies is more focused on student interests, teaching and learning is now project-based, with professional small learning communities and increased community enrichment.The school district turned to the Chamber for labor market statistics to determine what the job market might look like 10 years from now, and has created academies accordingly.

 

The district also looks at current needs in the local community and the degrees offered in statewide universities, all in the name of creating a “college and career preparation system” (Metro Nashville Public Schools [MNPS], 2010).The academies have also brought new partners to public schools. The Nashville Chamber of Commerce has had unprecedented access to and involvement with the academies. Working alongside the nonprofit PENCIL Foundation, the Chamber has helped partner companies and nonprofits with specific academies. In all, the chamber has assisted in bringing along more than 130 community partners to date, including recognizable names like CMT, Ford Motor Company and HCA) (MNPS, 2010).Business and community involvement is critical to the success of the Academies of Nashville. Through donations of time, energy, and resources, local companies and organizations can have a significant and measurable impact on the lives of MNPS students. Specifically, MNPS expects the Academy model to produce immediate improvements in the annual dropout rate and in student attendance. Longer term, the district will track progress toward the goal of 90% of students graduating on time and being college- and career-ready.

 

Business partners sign up through the PENCIL Foundation. The current state of the Nashville Academies has gained attention on a national stage as President Obama recently visited Nashville to shine light on the efforts of the Metro Nashville Public schools as a whole to transform the once- subpar system to one that President Obama described as the “best systemic high school transformation in the country” (Garrison, 2014). The subject of the Nashville Academies’ effectiveness has drawn a vast amount of research nationwide. A February 2013 report released by Harvard University’s School of Education, “Pathways to Prosperity,” (Harvard University, 2013) noted a nationwide skills gap in which many young people continue to lack abilities to attain a middle-class wage, a trend the academies hope to help overturn.According to Pittman, the Academy design does not take attention away from the smarter, more diligent students. AP classes are offered, as well as the International baccalaureate Program. Students that transfer from one academy to another academy, which occurs very frequently, are not at a disadvantage. There is similarity in each Academy curriculum and each school can match classes.The Nashville Academies continue to show successful results and continue to gain recognition across the country.

 

The continued hope is that students are more engaged in their studies, have a richer understanding of course material thanks to the relevance and hands-on learning opportunities, and feel more prepared for life after high school. On March 31, school representatives from across the country arrived in Nashville for a study visit of the Nashville Academies. The three-day visit included visits to several of the Academies, with presentations from students, teachers and principals. Tours of the schools were also included. Roberto Rodriguez, President Obama’s Special Assistant for Education, spoke to the group about Obama’s high school redesign agenda. A press conference was held, announcing Nashville as the model city for its academies. According to Rodriguez, “it is important to put students in the driver’s seat of their future.” Rodriguez also spoke about the national dropout rates and the declining availability of jobs for students with only a high school education. He stated that “We need to prepare students to compete in a new global economy.” At the press conference, Dr. Jesse Register, Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, also stated that, “the model for the future of high schools could be right here in Metro schools ” (Garrison, 2014).

 

References

• Ford Foundation. (2014). Transforming Secondary Education. Retrieved March 25, 2014.

• Garrison, J. (2014, January 29), Obama’s trip to McGavock High puts spotlight on Metro’s “Academies’. The Tennessean. Retrieved March 25, 2014. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140129/ NEWS04/301290181/Obama-trip-McGavock-High-puts-spotlight-Metro-s-Academies-.

• Harvard University Graduate School of Education. (2013) Pathways to Prosperity. Retrieved March 25, 2014.

• Metro Nashville Public Schools. (2010). The Academies of Nashville Five Year Plan. Nashville, TN.

• Metro Nashville Public Schools. (2013). The Academies of Nashville Annual Report. Nashville, TN.

• Metro Nashville Public Schools. (2014, March). The Nashville Academies: My Academies Blog. Retrieved March 6, 2014. http://myacademyblog.com.

• Stern, D., Ruby, M., & Dayton, C. (1992). Evolution of the academy movement. Career academies-partnerships for reconstructing American high schools. Ann Arbor, MI: Jossey-Bass.

• Tennessee Department of Education. (2008). The Tennessee Diploma Project: Aligned Expectations. Retrieved March 25, 2014.