School Type: Public	School Setting: Urban
Level: High	School Design: Magnet
Content Presented By:
The Education Alliance at Brown University

Summary

The practice:

Developing a Learning Community
The school develops a culture in which students and teachers know each other well and learning?including ongoing professional development for all staff members?is valued. Parents and other community members partner with school staff to insure that all students graduate from high school with options that lead to further achievement.

To improve student achievement at the Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, New York, Principal Bill Moore and a school-based Design Committee worked to establish smaller learning communities. The goals of the small learning community program were to increase parent involvement, community involvement, professional development for staff, and the use of technology.

Now, at this urban high school of 1600 students:

• Students and teachers are grouped into small teams that promote personalization.
• Professional development is ongoing and based on what teachers are learning about student needs as a result of the smaller learning communities.
• Students graduate with more options and marketable skills. They earn licenses in such things as computer training and public safety. Internships are available with local police and fire departments.
• Teachers and administrators make it a point to not only get parents involved, but to train them. Parents attend English and computer skills classes that are taught by students on Saturdays.

• Adapting School Organization to Promote Student Success
  Administrators distribute power among the staff and students. They also encourage the adaptation of school policies and structures to meet the learning needs of students.

    

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This resource is developed and maintained by The Education Alliance at Brown University. Seed funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Send comments to: loom@alliance.brown.edu