From the beginning, NAS has enjoyed Annenberg support. While each design is unique, all focus on innovations in instruction, curriculum, governance, and the creative use of resources, including faculty, time, technology, and dollars. The following are brief descriptions of the eight NAS design teams.
Communities is a dynamic model for the vision and daily operations of school communities.
Teams of teachers from each pathway collaborate to develop their own standards and then to design curriculum and assessment linked to these standards. Cross-disciplinary teams of teachers are responsible for small clusters of students, who ideally stay with the same teaching team for at least two years. Teaching and learning revolve around interdisciplinary projects that address locally defined performance standards. Intended to develop not only intellectual ability but also fitness, craftsmanship, and character, learning expeditions often bring community members into the classroom, as well as taking students outside the school. Unlike its namesake, however, the design uses advanced technology to restructure and strengthen both instruction and management in schools.