SUMMER 2010

New Principles of Good Practice for Environmental Sustainability

The NAIS board approved the Principles of Good Practice for Environmental Sustainability at their February 2010 meeting in San Francisco. The NAIS Principles of Good Practice (PGPs), designed for member schools, define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of independent school operations. NAIS-member schools work to uphold the spirit of the PGPs.

The Principles of Good Practice for Environmental Sustainability grew out of a task force concerned about best practices for schools in the area of environmental sustainability. Key elements include recommending that schools commit to incorporating environmental sustainability in all aspects of their institutions — from curriculum to physical operations. To view the new — and existing — PGPs, visit the NAIS website: www.nais.org/go/pgp.

New Guidelines of Professional Practice
NAIS has also crafted its newest category of guiding principles, Guidelines of Professional Practice, for independent schools. The NAIS Guidelines of Professional Practice (GPPs) are designed to outline standards of professional conduct for various roles or positions within independent schools. The NAIS Guidelines of Professional Practice for Librarians, for example, covers a range of issues from integration of information technology into the classroom to equal access to information.

NAIS encourages the leadership at member schools to view the individual Guidelines of Professional Practice on the website, and share them within their school communities. It is NAIS’s hope that the increased visibility of, and easy access to, the guidelines will go a long way in helping schools fulfill their missions. The GPPs can be found at: www.nais.org/go/gpp.