Year Of Planning
Because advanced planning and engagement of all members of the Academy team—from teachers, to administrators, to business partners—is essential to a successful Academy launch, new AOE sites will undergo a structured year-long Academy Development Process.
This guided technical assistance enables a school interested in starting an Academy of Engineering to begin the start-up process with assistance from NAF prior to enrolling students. Schools applying for this designation agree to take part in a self-assessment process aimed at developing a year-long plan for academy development.
In order to place instructional improvement at the heart of the AOE, sites will receive training to begin to teach several PLTW® classes as electives in the Fall before the school is slated to open, if they are not already offering PLTW® in their high school. These electives will serve as models to assess the needs, activities and resources of the larger academy, which will be launched the following year (September 2011 with the 9th grade class).
Planning is rigorous and time-consuming work; therefore a diverse planning team must be organized to meet planning requirements and to ensure no individual is overwhelmed by the tasks. The Year of Planning will provide sufficient time for schools to organize as a small learning community, select and train instructors and recruit students for the initial class.
Upon acceptance as an AOE site, completion of the NAF and PLTW® Agreements, and payment of the Academy Development (YOP) Services Fee, the school will be entitled to NAF and PLTW® technical assistance, staff development activities, and use of PLTW® curriculum and other benefits associated with NAF network membership.
Each school accepted as an AOE site will receive a Year of Planning Guidebook, which provides detailed outlines of AOE startup activities, as well as a set of deliverables and accompanying tools and strategies for Academy Planning Teams. Technical assistance through NAF and PLTW® professional development conferences, web conferences, and ongoing consultation with NAF Regional Managers will help Academy Planning Teams with this process.
Upon successful completion of the academy development process, the school’s Academy will be granted full membership status, fully prepared to launch and operate their Academy successfully.
