Transcript Leander High School

Smaller Learning Communities
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Leander High School SLC
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Purpose:
◦ Supports development of Small,
Safe, and Successful learning
environments in large high schools.
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Goal:
◦ Ensure all students graduate with
knowledge & skills for successful
transition to college and careers.
Leander High School SLC
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US Department of Education Expectations &
Strategies:
◦ Improve student achievement
◦ Increase the number of students mastering State
content and performance standards
◦ Improve student attendance rates, graduation rates,
and college enrollment rates
◦ Reduce the frequency of disciplinary actions
◦ Create a safe, drug-free learning environment
◦ http://www.ncsl.org/programs/employ/slc.htm
Leander High School SLC
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We want to encourage students at LHS to:
◦ Complete Rigorous Coursework
 (LHS Performance Goal: Increase the percent of
students enrolling in AP/IB classes by 10% over the
next three years, while increasing the percent of
students taking AP/IB exams by 75%.)
◦ Gain Relevant Skills to compete in a global
workforce
◦ Be prepared for college, and careers to come, while
establishing positive Relationships.
 (LHS Challenges Goal: Create an atmosphere of college
and career readiness within LHS)
Leander High School SLC
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Goal 1: School Climate
◦ Through the development of a smaller, more
personalized and safer high school learning
community where teachers, staff, students, parents,
and community work collaboratively to challenge
students and support learning.
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How will we achieve this?
◦ Through Academic Teams in 9th & 10th Grades
◦ Through Advisory Classes
Leander High School SLC
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Description:
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Organizes groups of teachers across departments, so that teachers share the same
students rather than the same subject.
Links teachers, who teach different subjects, in a team that shares responsibility for
the curriculum, instruction, and evaluation.
Teams share the same planning time for both Academic Teams and Collaborative
Teams.
More common in middle schools, but now showing up in high schools as a way to
personalize the environment.
Provides an integrated view of students' progress and creates a group of teachers
who can focus on the whole student.
◦ Advantages:
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Student / student / teacher relationships will improve.
Academic rigor will be increased.
School experience for transitioning learners will be more individually sensitive.
Connections between subject area content and real life experiences through
interdisciplinary/thematic lessons.
Teachers utilize High Yield Strategies (HYS) in the classroom environment to
increase and improve student success.
http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sslc/descriptions/academic_teaming.asp
Leander High School SLC
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Academic Teaming
◦ 9th Grade
◦ 10th Grade
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Advisory Classes
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9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
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http://www.smallschoolsproject.org/PDFS/Planning_Resources/spring2003/spring2003-advisories.pdf
Leander High School SLC
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Goal 2: Student Achievement
◦ To help all LHS students maximize their
academic potential as demonstrated by the
successful completion of TAKS.
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How will we achieve this?
◦ Establishing 9th Grade Tutorials
◦ Establishing 10th Grade Tutorials
◦ Establishing Goals for Passing Math & Science
TAKS
Leander High School SLC
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Student achievement will be measured through the
TAKS exams given in the Spring semester.
Student achievement and recovery will be provided
through tutorials in all courses offered at Leander
High School
Specific Tutorial Schedule geared for the 9th & 10th
Grade core classes.
Leander High School SLC
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Grade Level Tutorials
◦ 9th Grade
◦ 10th Grade
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Collaborative Team Tutorials – for all students
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English
Math
Science
Social Studies
Leander High School SLC
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LHS Performance Goals:
◦ Increase the passing rate by 10% for all students
taking the 2009 Math and Science TAKS test;
◦ Increase percentage of students receiving a
commended score on all subject areas on the 2009
TAKS by 10%; and,
◦ Eliminate the standardized test performance gap
between student groups.
Leander High School SLC
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Goal 3: Academic Rigor & Student Retention
◦ To help insure that all students not only graduate,
but do so equipped with the knowledge and skills
needed for a successful transition into postsecondary education, training, or workforce.
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Career Academies
◦ Career Clusters
◦ Achieve Texas
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Advanced Courses, Tech Prep & Dual Credit
Leander High School SLC
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Purpose
◦ The purpose of Academies is for our students to gain
academic personalization by selecting relevant and
rigorous courses that will give them an edge in both the
workforce and in the college admissions process. (LHS
Counseling Dept 2007-08)
◦ This will allow Leander High School graduates to be set
apart form others by demonstrating marketable skills,
competencies and attributes meaningful to potential
employers/colleges/universities. (LHS Counseling Dept
2007-08).
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http://casn.berkeley.edu/definition.html
http://casn.berkeley.edu/resources/solid_evidence.html
Leander High School SLC
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What are they?
◦ Each academy is built around a career theme.
◦ Focus is on career areas that will offer academic &
occupation-related courses.
◦ Students will complete state required courses, and
elective/advanced courses will drive the academies.
◦ The Career Academies at LHS will be on a choice
basis, the student has the opportunity to choose
which academy they wish to belong to.
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http://casn.berkeley.edu/resources/learning_by_doing.html#2
http://www.principalspartnership.com/smalllearning.pdf
Leander High School SLC
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Four Career Academies have been established
at Leander High School and are aligned with
the Career Pathways put in place by the Texas
Education Agency in its Achieve Texas
Program.
Art & Communication
Business & Computer Technology
Engineering & Industrial Technology
Human Services, Health & AgriScience
Leander High School SLC
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Career Clusters
◦ Directly related to and supported by Career Academies
/ Career Pathways
◦ Courses chosen during high school become the
foundation for the future; therefore, careful selection
of courses will form a Career Passport to a chosen
career.
Leander High School SLC
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Advanced Courses, Tech Prep & Dual Credit
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LHS Performance Goals:
◦ Increase the percent of students enrolling in AP/IB
classes by 10% over the next three years while
increasing the percent of students taking AP/IB
exams by 75%; and,
◦ Increase the completion rate of all students
attending LHS to 85 – 90% for the 2008-2009
school year.
Leander High School SLC
Contact:
Brad Mansfield
Principal, Leander High School
Leander ISD
[email protected]
(512) 435-8000 ext. 88022
Leander High School SLC
Melissa Wood
SLC Coordinator, Leander High School
Leander ISD
[email protected]
(512) 435-8000 ext. 81200