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    Why Learning Communities?*
     
    This building project will support flexible learning spaces that maximize student-teacher relationships to boost student growth and achievement.

    Collaborative learning communities of teachers and staff who share no more than a few hundred students are a building block for future-focused schools. Communities pool their knowledge to create coherent and relevant instructional programs that challenge and engage every student. Dedicated building space enables more collaboration, reinforcing student identity and improving school safety.
    • Small learning communities would include:
    • Ninth-grade academies
    • Multi-grade schools organized around academic and career interests
    An educational model proposal (PDF presentation slides) was presented at the August 26 Board meeting. Watch the presentation by High School Principal Scott DeShong. Click this link to the video of the board meeting, then click the Index Point (on the right) for High School Project - Education Model.

    * From High Schools to Learning Communities: Five Domains of Best Practice. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2008.
     

    Learning communities are not new to State High. For example, the Delta Program has functioned as an autonomous learning community for more than 35 years. State High’s new educational model could build on this knowledge and experience to include freshman academies that focus on relationships. Upper grade level academies would have a stronger emphasis on career exploration. 

     
    Components of a learning community
Last Modified on September 17, 2013