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You have been sent this first issue of the LA SLC/Small Schools Newsletter because of your interest in reforming high schools to enable many more LAUSD students to achieve college and career success. To continue receiving this newsletter, subscribe online. Thank you for allowing UNITE-LA to be your Small Learning Communities resource.
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Transforming High Schools: Helping All Students Succeed
Tuesday
November 18, 2003
Noon Luncheon
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Co-sponsored with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In association with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, New Schools Better Neighborhoods, and UNITE-LA
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Town Hall Los Angeles invites you to a panel discussion on education reform…
Imagine that an overnight mail service failed to deliver a third of its packages on time, or that three-quarters of the stereos produced by an electronics company failed to meet industry standards. Imagine that a retail clothing company provided high-quality customer service, but only to certain types of customers. Would these companies stay in business? Now consider that American high schools allow one-quarter of students to read below basic levels, fail to graduate 30 percent of their students on time, and prepare only 7 percent of students from this country’s poorest families to college. How have we allowed this widespread failure to occur? How can we allow it to continue?
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Headlines
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HSPSA Grants Awarded to Local High Schools:
Partnerships between UNITE-LA and LAUSD Local Districts B and H receive grants more
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Gates Foundation Hosts District C/UNITE-LA
Local partners visit state of Washington Small Learning Communities more
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Small Learning Communities Seminar in Sacramento
Master scheduling challenges demand creative solutions more
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A Message From
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James P. Noble, Director
Small Learning Communities
LAUSD
Local District G
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As the Director of Small Learning Communities for Local District G, I provide services to help each school community personalize the educational experience for our students. more
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 LONG BEACH
POLYTECHNIC
HIGH SCHOOL
- Enrollment 4,600, 56% African/American, 30% Latino, 15% Asian-Pacific Islander; 27% took AP exams, SAT9 Reading 46%, API 667, Statewide Rank 6, Similar schools rank 8, LEP 32%
- Very strong improvement in overall student results in past decade
- Converted in phases gradually from about 1988 – 1996 – with a final major push at the end
- Reform was teacher-driven, but also included strong leadership and energy from the principal
- Six academies and two magnets – Beach (math and science), Business and Technology, Arts, Communications, Intensive Studies - Special Ed., English Language development, Pac Rim (CA Partnership Academy) Center for International Commerce (magnet), and PACE (gifted magnet)
- All SLCs are designed for college preparation
- Block scheduling
- All students enrolled from 9-12 in one of the SLCs
- Estimated 90% stay in original SLC – few transfer
- Each SLC has own administrator and counselor(s)
- Large SLCs ranges from 60—750 students
- Still have subject area departments
- Academy classes are not separated - physically integrated
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News Release
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Executive Hired to Lead Small Learning Communities Program and the Office of Staff Relations
Lilliam Leis-Castillo will oversee the development of Small Learning communities within LAUSD. more
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Chicago Small Schools Initiative
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To date, 50 small schools have been started in the Chicago Public Schools making it one of the nation's largest school districts with about 440,000 students and 600 schools. more
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Special Tip
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Start with teacher engagement
Incremental change doesn’t work! Plan well but thoroughly; convert all at once.
-Jim Sweeny, SUSD Superintendent, Retired |
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People In The News
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Roy Romer,
Superintendent LAUSD
Rusty Hammer
President & CEO
LA Area Chamber of Commerce
Caprice Young
Former President of the Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District
John Perez
President
United Teachers Los Angeles
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