NLU and AUSL: Partners in Urban School Reform

National Louis is the Academy for Urban School Leadership’s (AUSL) exclusive teacher preparation partner. Together with AUSL, NLU has developed a nationally recognized model that combines theory and practice for demonstrably improving student achievement in high-need urban schools. Through the “urban teacher residency” approach, the NLU/AUSL program structures teacher preparation more like the clinical model used to train doctors. For a full year, the teaching residents spend four days a week in an AUSL classroom in training with a mentor teacher, while also taking graduate courses at National Louis.

NLU has worked with AUSL since 2001 and the National College of Education (NCE) faculty created the curriculum for this teacher residency program that has put AUSL at the forefront of urban school turnaround success. AUSL has evolved into a comprehensive, turnaround specialist— one that combines teacher and principal training, practical application of best practices, applied research, outcome assessment, partnerships with parents, high expectations for student achievement and new learning paradigms to transform low-performing elementary and high schools in the Chicago Public School System into schools of excellence.

The NLU/AUSL Chicago Teacher Residency is an intensive 12-month, full-time, paid program that provides teacher preparation, certification, and a graduate degree. Career-changers and new college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than education can earn their teacher certification and a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree. Certified teachers with a desire to receive further training for urban settings are eligible to earn a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Urban Teaching. Following the training year, graduates commit to teach in Chicago Public Schools for at least four years.

To enable residents to make a full-time commitment to training during the residency-training year, AUSL's Chicago Teacher Residency Program provides an attractive package of financial support. Financial aid and loan forgiveness are available to help residents offset their Master’s degree tuition costs.

For more information about AUSL, visit ausl-chicago.org.

Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    800.443.5522

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  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    800.443.5522

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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    800.443.5522

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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    800.443.5522

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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    800.443.5522

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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of the city's major business districts, NLU's Tampa campus serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to six classrooms, the campus features a conference room, a computer lab with high-speed Internet access, an extensive research library and comfortable student lounges.

    4950 West Kennedy Blvd. #300
    Tampa, FL 33609
    800.366.6581 | www.nl.edu/florida

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  • WISCONSIN

    NLU's Milwaukee campus has a proud history of serving graduate students in education in southeastern Wisconsin. Nearly one in five certified Wisconsin teachers looks to NLU for graduate education programs – more than any other university in the state. In addition to classrooms with high-tech media equipment, the campus offers a state-of-the-art computer lab with wireless Internet access and an extensive IDS research library.

    12000 West Park Place, Suite 100
    Milwaukee, WI 53224-3007
    414.577.2658

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