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MISSION
The mission of the National Academy for Curriculum Leadership (NACL) is to assist schools and districts in building capacity to implement and sustain an effective secondary science education program that supports teachers in the implementation of inquiry-based instructional materials based on the National Science Education Standards (NSES).

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP (NACL)
The NACL is a three-year professional development initiative for school- and district-based leadership teams, which include both classroom teachers and key administrators. The leadership teams focus on building capacity for curriculum reform by supporting teachers with ongoing professional development as they implement standards-based instructional materials. Through the NACL, leadership teams meet each year for seven days--a five-day intensive institute followed within six months by a two-day institute. The teams work at the district and school level between the two academy meetings to implement what they learned at the NACL events.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE NACL
The National Science Education Standards present a vision of effective science education. To realize this vision, school- and district-based leaders need an increasingly wide range of knowledge and skills, which comes from research, reflective practive, and the expertise of other practitioners.

A professional learning community is the cornerstone of sustainable curriculum implementation and focuses ona collective sense of responsibility for the learning of both students and adults in a school community.

Curriculum can transform the professional practice and thinking of teachers. The implementation of standards-based, inquiry-oriented instructional materials, combined with sustainable professional development, can have a significant impact on teaching science and student learning.

Leadership for curriculum reform is a shared process that includes understanding adult learning, accommodating the challenges of change, building relationships, and facilitating groups.

The content and pedagogy of professional development must be designed through reflective practice to transform teachers' knowledge and beliefs about learning and teaching.

Districts interested in participating in the NACL should contact us at nacl@bscs.org or call 719.531.5550 x 119.