New Bedford High School Academy of Information Technology earns distinguished status

New Bedford High School’s Information Technology Program receives NAF recognition.

The New Bedford High School Academy of Information Technology, affiliated with the National Academy Foundation (NAF), has been recognized as a distinguished national high school program, it was announced at the NAF national summer conference in Dallas, Texas.

The IT Academy, one of several programs part of New Bedford High’s Career Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) offerings, joins Finance as the school’s second NAF Academy to be recognized as a distinguished program. The designation was determined based on an evaluation and visit to NBHS by NAF officials in which they reviewed the facilities, interviewed school stakeholders, reviewed documentation and observed classes.

“I am thrilled that our Academy of IT has been recognized as distinguished, a milestone that was made possible through the work of our outstanding teachers, students and IT industry partners,” said Bernadette Coelho, Principal of New Bedford High School. “Having two distinguished academies demonstrates the vibrancy of our CVTE programs, and we appreciate NAF’s continued recognition of our innovative practices.”

The distinguished designation represents the highest level of achievement for a NAF academy. New Bedford High School’s Academy of IT was one of 181 programs recognized in the nation, according to NAF’S recent press release announcing the designees. The process to determine distinguished level includes evaluations and a site visit to assess program quality. NAF officials engaged with a cross section of teachers, students, finance industry advisory committee members and administrators during the NBHS visit.

“Our recent NAF site visit provided the opportunity for the IT Academy to showcase its innovation, creativity and advanced technical skills,” said Chris Cummings, manager of CVTE programs, noting that teachers from all areas met with NAF officials to discuss how they collaborate with IT Academy staff to develop and implement projects across multiple disciplines. “The evaluators were impressed with the rich cross-curricular integration,” he added.

One of the criteria in determining a distinguished NAF program is an active advisory committee of industry representatives and post-secondary faculty. During their discussions with NAF officials, the committee – comprised of 16 members representing industries from New Bedford, Providence, Boston, and other regional communities – shared how they engage with NBHS staff and students in providing curriculum guidance and internship opportunities.

“We are fortunate to have highly engaged advisory committee partners to support our IT Academy, said Cummings. “Their active participation and support were key in our receiving this most prestigious recognition,” he added.

The IT Academy is part of New Bedford High School offerings of Career Vocational Technical Education programming. In addition to IT, the school offers career pathway programs in Finance, Health Sciences, Engineering, Early Childhood Education and Hospitality, as well as two Chapter 74 vocational programs in Business Technology and Radio and Television Broadcasting. For more information about Career and Technical Education at New Bedford High School, please contact Christopher Cummings, Manager of CVTE at (508) 997-4511, ext. 20799.”