Principals' Institute and Pioneer Schools

About the Institute

In September 2010, the Al-Quds Bard Principals' Institute opened its doors to Palestinian students in the West Bank. This school shares its campus with the Al-Quds Bard Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, integrating the work of a graduate teacher education with the daily life of a public school. Teachers, students, graduate faculty, and graduate students will form a community committed to working together to address issues in teaching and learning. The Institute will function as a ‘laboratory’ for educational innovation, creating replicable practices and structures for increasing student achievement. The ongoing support of MAT Program graduate faculty and students sustains ongoing development of the Pioneer School and creates opportunities for outreach to other schools. This Pioneer School will also serve as a key site for MAT graduate student internships while providing an exemplary and free education to Palestinian families.

The Al-Quds Bard Principals' Institute and Pioneer School will raise expectations for local students, with the goal of preparing all of its graduates to complete a college degree. To this end, it will create a college-going culture, supporting students in meeting academic challenges that require core academic competencies and increasing independence as learners. College courses will be offered as part of the curriculum on the Pioneer School campus for all eligible students with the expectation that all students will have earned college credits prior to graduation. This school will be inclusive in its approach and responsive to the range of student needs, responding to educational goals set forth by the Palestinian Ministry of Education.