The National Urban Alliance is in its ninth year of serving as a catalyst and vital partner to a consortium of eight school districts in Minnesota to raise the achievement of all students; to eliminate the racial achievement gap; and to prepare all learners to thrive in a diverse world through regional leadership, integrated learning opportunities, shared resources, and mutual support. NUA staff have helped build the collective capacity of the consortium members to ensure sustainability of the strategies designed to transform the belief systems and pedagogy of school staff members in order to provide culturally responsive instruction for a very diverse urban/suburban population. This long-term systemic approach to transformation includes: ongoing administrator and teacher leadership training, student leadership involvement, formation of cadres of school staff who commit to a two year professional development course which includes workshops, study groups, and on-site job imbedded feedback, week-long summer institute courses, and walk-through assessments with feedback.
As the Local Coordinator, I have observed the phenomenal impact of this initiativel! The work is being sustained through the leadership efforts of local administrators and teachers! Several of our member districts have experienced rising test scores of ALL students and significant gains by students of color toward eliminating the achievement gap. The culture of our schools promote high intellectual performance and a belief in the capacity of ALL children to reach the highest levels of learning and thinking. Participating teachers report that their instruction has changed and that is what has made the difference! Several teachers have commented that working with the National Urban Alliance is the most effective staff development that they have experienced in over thirty years of teaching. I highly recommend the National Urban Alliance as an outstanding non-profit organization.