MNPS highlights Academies of Nashville, cites graduation gains and expanded career pathways

The Metro Nashville Public Schools board heard a detailed update on the Academies of Nashville career-pathway program from Dan Phillips, the district's Academies director, at tonight's meeting.

Phillips told the board the academy model began in the mid-2000s as a targeted intervention to raise graduation rates and create small learning communities within large high schools. "We changed how students learn," he said, describing three core strands: transforming teaching and learning, restructuring the secondary-school experience, and deepening business and civic engagement.

Phillips cited long-term outcomes he attributed to the academies: the district moved from a graduation rate under 58% in the mid-2000s to "over 81% by 2023," he said, and industry certifications and work-based learning opportunities have expanded substantially. He said MNPS now offers 96 pathways districtwide, with 49 meeting the H3 criteria (high-skill, high-wage, high-demand). "Bringing real-world work into the classroom" remains central, Phillips said, noting a recent career fair that engaged about 4,500 students at Music City Center.

Director of Schools Adrienne Battle framed the presentation as part of a national study visit and said business and education leaders traveled from across the country and globe to see the MNPS model in practice. "We're proud of the ways our academies create relevance, relationships and rigor for students," Battle said.

Students from John Overton High School gave on-stage examples of the academies in practice. Jayla McClendon, an IT Academy senior, described hands-on duties such as repairing student laptops and said the experience prompted her interest in cybersecurity. Omid Shirani, also a senior in the IT academy, highlighted industry certifications he has earned, including Adobe Photoshop, and said internships and job-shadowing with local companies helped him see career pathways that would otherwise be unavailable.

Board members asked about teacher credentials and program sustainability. Phillips said core teachers (English, math, science, social studies) are certified educators, while many CTE instructors are industry professionals who complete educator-prep programs. To address turnover and training needs he described a summer institute for all certified staff, onboarding courses delivered via Schoology, and plans to develop an internal educator-prep program modeled after nearby counties.

The presentation also noted that accreditation reviews are underway: several academies hold "model with distinction" or accredited status, while others are in process. Phillips said roughly 400 business partners currently support academies but that number will need to grow as opportunities expand. He asked the board to continue funding district services that reduce student barriers (transportation, paid internships) and to advocate at the state level for CTE funding and flexible teacher-licensing pathways.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; members directed staff to continue work on educator-prep planning and to follow up about outreach to potential business partners.

The Academies of Nashville update was introduced by Dan Phillips and ran through a series of examples and Q&A; the board scheduled follow-ups and professional-development work as the district continues accreditation and expansion of H3 pathways.