What are Smaller Learning Communities (SLC)? 

The term refers to the practice of organizing high schools into smaller, more learning centered units, including career academies and houses within academies. SLC focuses on learner and learning and in particular, the active and collaborative nature of teachers’ and students’ work.  The goal of this structure at PBHS is to create supports that improve academic achievement, increase academic rigor and student retention, enhance school climate, and improve student feeling of connectedness to the school.

How can SLC contribute to academic achievement? 

The creation of a Ninth Grade Academy with four houses of 100 students each will provide a SLC structure through which ninth grade students can be better supported in their transition to high school. Each house will consist of a team of at least four teachers of core subject areas and a counselor.  Their classes will meet in four classroom pods located throughout the building.

The teachers of each house will have a common planning period and assume responsibility for the educational progress of the 100 students in the house.  They will establish consistent academic expectations, behavior rules, attendance monitoring and advisory lessons.  They also will be able to recognize student achievements within the house and encourage extra curricular activities.  Most importantly, they can develop in the common planning time coordinated actions to support struggling students. Overall, teachers should be able to identify and respond to students’ particular strengths and needs.

 The teachers in each house will become a Professional Learning Community and will be afforded an opportunity for disciplined reflection on their practice to ensure that all students in the house are learning. They can request professional development that they decide they need to support student achievement. 

 The Career Academies and Signature Programs offer another type of SLC that encourage academic focus and student orientation to post secondary interests and options.