The National Academy for Curriculum Leadership
The National Academy for Curriculum Leadership (NACL) program is a three-year professional development initiative for school- and/or district-based Leadership Teams. It is focused on building leadership capacity for science education reform through the implementation of research and inquiry-based instructional materials. The National Academy for Curriculum Leadership in Washington State is a partnership between the BSCS Center for Professional Development and Washington State LASER.
The BSCS National Academy for Curriculum Leadership can help high schools and districts develop leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to implement inquiry-oriented, standards-based instructional materials, thereby improving learning and teaching in their science classrooms.
Guiding Principles of The National Academy for Curriculum Leadership program:
The National Science Education Standards provide a vision of effective science education. In order to realize this vision, school- and district-based Leadership Teams need an increasingly wide range of knowledge and skills, which comes from research, reflective practice, and the expertise of other practitioners.
A professional learning community is the cornerstone of sustainable instructional materials implementation and focuses on a collective sense of responsibility for the learning of both students and adults in a school community.
Instructional materials can transform the professional practice and thinking of teachers. The implementation of standards-based, inquiry-oriented instructional materials, combined with sustainable professional development opportunities, can have a significant impact on teaching science and student learning.
Leadership for science reform is a shared process that includes understanding adult learning, accommodating the challenges of change, building relationships, and facilitating groups. Curriculum leadership involves building the ongoing capacity for reflective dialogues to construct common understandings and beliefs about instructional materials reform.
The content and pedagogy of professional development must be designed through reflective practice to transform teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and deeply held practices about learning and teaching science.
- Who should attend the academy?
- What is the program timeline and what happens in each year of the program?
- Where is the program located and how much does it cost?
- How do we apply?
- Read about other school districts' experiences at NACL