WASHINGTON, DC
December 1, 2023
The National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) proudly announces its transition to the National Association for School-University Partnerships (NASUP). With this change, the Association, long the leading advocate for school-university partnerships such as Professional Development Schools, underscores its commitment to expansive collaboration and educational innovation through school-university partnerships.
The Association’s decision to broaden its mission and rebrand follows a three-year period of collaboration with members, including surveys and ongoing discussions with stakeholders. These discussions culminated in a vote that demonstrated overwhelming support for the Association’s broadened scope. NASUP will continue building upon the strong foundation laid by NAPDS, but with a renewed focus that encompasses a wider range of collaborations between schools and universities.
“We have learned through personal conversations, national publications and meetings that if we cast a larger net than being solely for PDS partnerships, our voice as partnership advocates would be heard in more spaces and expand our work and offer our expertise to more teacher education partners,” wrote Dr. Eva Garin, President of NASUP, in a letter to the membership announcing the change. “We are still the same membership who advocate for the What it Means to Be a Professional Development School: The Nine Essentials of a PDS, an organization that models collaboration between school-university partnerships including boundary spanning roles and equity between partners in roles and responsibilities. While much of who we are does not change, what does change is expanding our national presence through rebranding including a new name.”
The shift to NASUP signifies the Association’s commitment to inclusivity, including a more comprehensive view of what constitutes a partnership. The updated name encapsulates the multifaceted collaborations that exist between schools and universities, reflecting a broadened perspective on the various ways in which these partnerships contribute to educational excellence.
The National Association for School-University Partnerships looks forward to a future of continued growth and success in its mission to “…[advance] the education profession by providing leadership, advocacy, and support to create and sustain school-university partnerships such as Professional Development Schools to function as learning communities to improve student learning, prepare educators through clinical practice, engage in reciprocal professional learning, and conduct shared inquiry.”
For more information about NASUP and its initiatives, please visit nasup.org or email info@napds.org
Association for School-University Partnerships
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW #190-611
Washington, DC 20004