Leander High School

1. Leander High School Smaller Learning Communities Rigor Relevance Relationships Leander High School SLC

2. Smaller Learning Communities http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sslc/elements.shtml • Purpose: • Supports development of Small, Safe, and Successful learning environments in large high schools. • Goal: • Ensure all students graduate with knowledge & skills for successful transition to college and careers. Leander High School SLC

3. Smaller Learning Communities • 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

4. High School Redesign & SLC • We want to encourage students at LHS to: • CompleteRigorousCoursework • (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

5. Grant Goal 1 for LHS • 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. • How will we achieve this? • Through Academic Teams in 9th & 10th Grades • Through Advisory Classes Leander High School SLC

6. Goal 1: School Climate – Academic Teaming • Description: • 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: • 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

7. Goal 1: School Climate – Academic Teaming & Advisory Classes • Academic Teaming • 9th Grade • 10th Grade • Advisory Classes • 9th Grade • 10th Grade • 11th Grade • 12th Grade • http://www.smallschoolsproject.org/PDFS/Planning_Resources/spring2003/spring2003-advisories.pdf Leander High School SLC

8. Grant Goal 2 for LHS • Goal 2: Student Achievement • To help all LHS students maximize their academic potential as demonstrated by the successful completion of TAKS. • How will we achieve this? • Establishing 9th Grade Tutorials • Establishing 10th Grade Tutorials • Establishing Goals for Passing Math & Science TAKS Leander High School SLC

9. Goal 2: Student Achievement • 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

10. Goal 2: Student Achievement • Grade Level Tutorials • 9th Grade • 10th Grade • Collaborative Team Tutorials – for all students • English • Math • Science • Social Studies Leander High School SLC

11. TAKS Achievement • 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

12. Grant Goal 3 for LHS • 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 post-secondary education, training, or workforce. • Career Academies • Career Clusters • Achieve Texas • Advanced Courses, Tech Prep & Dual Credit Leander High School SLC

13. Career Academies • 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). • http://casn.berkeley.edu/definition.html • http://casn.berkeley.edu/resources/solid_evidence.html Leander High School SLC

14. Career Academies • 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. • http://casn.berkeley.edu/resources/learning_by_doing.html#2 • http://www.principalspartnership.com/smalllearning.pdf Leander High School SLC

15. Goal 3: Academic Rigor & Student Retention - Career Academies • 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

16. Goal 3: Academic Rigor & Student Retention - Career Academies • 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

17. Goal 3: Academic Rigor & Student Retention • Advanced Courses, Tech Prep & Dual Credit • 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

18. For more information regarding SLCs at Leander High School Contact: Brad Mansfield Melissa Wood Principal, Leander High School SLC Coordinator, Leander High School Leander ISD Leander ISD Brad.mansfield@leanderisd.orgMelissa.wood@leanderisd.org (512) 435-8000 ext. 88022 (512) 435-8000 ext. 81200 Leander High School SLC