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Our Mission
The NUA's mission is to substantiate in the public schools of urban America an irrefutable belief in the capacity of all children to reach the highest levels of learning & thinking demanded by our ever-changing global community.
Our Focus
Our work is focused on learning & teaching. We build toward high intellectual performance through students’ culture, language, and cognition. Mentors in NUA’s network plan with school districts and provide ongoing professional development activities for teachers and administrators to improve classroom instruction, and to improve how school communities are organized for sustained achievement. NUA mentors are scholar practitioners--teachers and university faculty who promote higher student achievement through structural and instructional interventions incorporating the latest research on organizational development, cognition, reasoning, thinking, and higher-order comprehension skills.
Our Action
NUA mentors go into schools to assess how each one is organized for instruction, examining its school climate and how data are used to “tune” instruction to each student. By demonstrating lessons in math, science, reading, and writing with groups of students, mentors coach instructional staff to accelerate student learning. Mentors deliver state-of-the-art theory & practice to school communities and classrooms. Currently NUA has ongoing collaborations with Albany, NY; Hamden, CT; Newark, NJ; Birmingham, AL; Wyandanch, NY; Bridgeport, CT; and 12 Minneapolis-area school districts; the International Reading Association (IRA); the University of Alabama at Birmingham; the University of Georgia, Athens; the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS); the College Board; and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Planning is also underway for other major partnerships. Click here for information on how you can work with NUA.
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| "There is absolutely no question in my mind that the Indianapolis Public Schools' (IPS) are a major part of the reason the achievement gap is closing in Indiana. That success is due in large part to the partnership between IPS and National Urban Alliance (NUA). The strategies learned by the teachers, principals and central administrators as a result of the ongoing staff development, have made a difference, as well as the advocacy and structural recommendations which emerged from the IPS/NUA audit. I might add that the scores of several of our elementary schools blew the ceiling off of the state standard, and our graduation rates also continue to climb!" Pat [Dr. Pritchett, immediate past superintendent of IPS, dnppritchett@aol.com] |
Our 10 Point Approach
- Advocates for Children
National & local advocacy affirming that all children have the ability and deserve the opportunity to attain the highest levels of achievement.
- Assesses the Situation
On-site instructional assessment of the schools & district.
- Provides Action Plan
Action plan for accelerating achievement based on the instructional assessment, tailored to each district & school.
- Motivates Teachers
Systemic support for a highly qualified, highly motivated teacher in every classroom.
- Engages the Community
Engagement with principals, teachers, parents, and the community to reinforce & animate belief in the potential of each student.
- Eliminates Achievement Gaps
Modeling of successful instructional strategies to engage culturally diverse students and to accelerate, enrich & sustain student learning.
- Uses Proven Products
Focus on strategies & techniques for using proven products and programs to improve student outcomes.
- Aligns with Standards
Alignment of instruction & assessment with state standards for student achievement.
- Succeeds with NCLB
Practical support for realistic implementation of "No Child Left Behind," with focus on measures of accountability, high content and pedagogy.
- Builds Local Leadership
Development of community & school leadership to ensure educational excellence for all.
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HIGHLIGHTS...
RECOMMENDED READING:
The SAGE Handbook of African American Education is a unique, comprehensive collection of theoretical and empirical scholarship in six important areas: historical perspectives, teaching and learning, PK–12 school leadership, higher education, current issues, and education policy. The purpose of the Handbook is to articulate perspectives on issues affecting the participation and leadership of African Americans in PK–12 and postsecondary education. This volume also addresses historical and current issues affecting the education of African Americans and discusses current and future school reform efforts that directly affect this group.
NUA Online Resources
NUA Blog
African American Boys: The Cries of a Crisis
Children's Literacy Initiative
Eric's Quote...
"The NUA is having a profound impact on society. Given the ubiquitous challenge of terrorism world-wide, a threat that we, and our children will live with well into the future, all eyes and focus needs to be on improving humankind's decision-making. Obviously the cognitive processing cannot be rigid, but human judgment is key to minimizing the threat. There might be some level of absolutes in mathematics, but in life there is none. For that reason, ICELP and NUA's focus on improving human problem-solving, decision-making and critical thinking, is of the highest priority for me. It is for this reason, for me, for my child and family that I am committed to the community aspects of the work of the NUA. I celebrate what you and your colleagues are accomplishing in your mission and partnerships." -- From a lawyer who has asked to remain anonymous (received 7/9/07 at the Princeton/Columbia Club of NYC)
Family Economics:
Work and Wealth in the New Economy - read here, download here.
"Unlocking the Potential of African American Students: Keys to Reversing Underachievement - read here
"Pedagogy of Hope, Pedagogy of Confidence"
download PowerPoint here
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