NSRF Mission Statement

The mission of the National School Reform Faculty is to foster educational and social equity by empowering all people involved with schools to work collaboratively in reflective democratic communities that create and support powerful learning experiences for everyone. adopted June 2001

The National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) is rooted in four beliefs:

• that school people, working together, can make real and lasting improvements in their own schools;
• that teachers and administrators must help each other turn theories into practice and standards into actual student learning;
• that the key to this effort is the development of a "learning community" based on public, collaborative examination of both adult and student work;
• that to create this community, practitioners need high-quality training and sustained support.

 

NSRF believes professional development for educators best takes place in learning communities and extended networks, using proven structures and practices. These learning communities, led by skilled facilitative leaders:

One common format is the “Critical Friends Group,” or CFG. CFGs generally consist of 6-10 educators who meet regularly for a sustained and focused period of time to work and learn together, and who observe each others practice, examine each others work, and give feedback to each other on a regular basis. In addition administrators and teacher-leaders in the school and district work as facilitative leaders, developing good habits in colleagues by routine use of NSRF practices and tools in staff meetings, cabinet meetings, planning sessions, grade level meetings, department meetings, and other kinds of professional development sessions.