Both National Academy Foundation medical academies in BUSD — Burbank and Burroughs high schools — have been awarded NAF’s Katherine Blasik Distinguished level recognition, the organization’s highest level of achievement. This includes academies that have reached this level more than once and new academies joining the roster for the first time.
Both BHS and JBHS Medical Academies are part of NAF, a national education nonprofit, which supports high school students’ efforts to be future ready.
This designation is given to a select few programs that have reached “model level” on NAF’s annual assessment, exhibiting strong fidelity to a design that prepares students for success in college and careers. Model level is determined by an academy’s score on the assessment, which measures strengths and challenges in implementing NAF’s results-driven design, followed by a virtual academy visit this year. A subset of these high performing academies meets additional thresholds to reach Katherine Blasik Distinguished level.
The assessment is designed to help all academies assess their progress and move up on the continuum of NAF’s standards.
In the classroom, NAF goes beyond what traditional career and technical education programs offer with experiential learning activities that complement career-focused curricula. Outside the classroom, students are equipped with the future-ready skills and industry-specific learnings to be successful in any pathway they choose.
NAF’s chief executive officer, Lisa Dughi, said, “Congratulations to all our Katherine Blasik Distinguished and NAF Model academies and a special welcome to our academies joining the roster for the first time. Your hard work, strong commitment, and proven contributions to student success are an outstanding example to the rest of the NAF network. We applaud you and thank you for everything that you do both today and to build a better future.”
First published in the April 15 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
