Assessments, Certification, & Articulation Agreements

NAF is creating standardized assessments through a process that positions NAF Academy graduates for greater success as they apply to and enter colleges and universities.

The process centers on Assessments, Certification, and Articulation Agreements with a wide range of institutions of higher learning around the country.

Assessments and Certification:

NAF is developing a full set of assessment tools that correspond directly with the entire NAF Curriculum and the themes of Finance, Hospitality & Tourism, and Information Technology (Engineering assessments and certification are provided by NAF’s AOE partner, Project Lead the Way).

The new assessment tools will evaluate NAF Academy students’ mastery of career-themed content along with students’ ability to complete professional-grade work. NAF will issue Certificates to NAF Academy students based on their performance on multiple assessments.

Benefits of Assessment and Certification:

NAF will administer Assessments in coordination with NAF Academies to obtain direct data about student performance. This is integral to NAF’s data collection and analysis, and vital to NAF’s ongoing commitment to:

• improve fidelity to the NAF Academy model throughout the network of member Academies;
• assure effective implementation of NAF Academy model;and
• position NAF Academies to apply federal funding to their Academies through the Perkins Act, which supports career and technical education. The Perkins Act requires NAF Academies to offer certified industry-validated curriculum.

Assessments also drive NAF’s instructional reform agenda that promotes project-based learning:

In addition to traditional testing, the new cumulative portfolio assessment allows NAF students to go beyond the demonstration of content knowledge and show their ability to apply that content in an industry-authenticated project with independent ratings.

Certificates will be issued by NAF to verify that students have successfully completed NAF courses based on the Assessments.

Certification offers recognition of the value of themed-based content knowledge combined with 21st Century Skills (workplace skills, such as teamwork, critical thinking, decorum, time management, ingenuity, problem-solving, and a solid understanding of the importance of written and oral communication, information, media, and technology skills). 

Articulation Agreements:

NAF is in the process of establishing a memoranda of understanding with more than 60 colleges and universities who agree to recognize NAF Academy graduates who have earned Certification as they apply for admission and advanced credit.