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Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Smaller Learning Communities Grant Program
2008 Cohort
Nicki Brisson, Director
School Choice and Parental Options
“Research tells us that Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs) can be remarkable opportunities for improving the intellectual and social life of children, youth, educators, and parents where all students can achieve at high levels and where staff can engage in exciting opportunities to teach and learn, and where exciting momentum can be parlayed into systematic school reform.”
Awards discretionary grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to support the implementation of SLCs and activities to improve student academic achievement
Was established in response to growing national concerns about students too often lost and alienated in large, impersonal high schools
Also was designed to address concerns about school safety and low levels of achievement and graduation
The USDOE Smaller Learning Communities Grant Program…….
Federal dollars used to organize large high schools into smaller structures
Freshman academiesMulti-grade academies organized
around career interests or other themes
Houses in which small groups of students remain together throughout high school
Utilizes personalization strategies such as student advisories, family advocate systems, mentoring programs, etc
SLC Overview……
To increase the focus on the learner and the collaborative nature of teacher and student work
To increase student academic achievement
To increase the graduation rateTo improve the school cultureTo close the achievement gap
among subgroups
SLC Goals & Objectives……
Create an environment for successEquip ALL students with rigorous coursework
and skills for post-secondary successProvide accelerated learning strategies and
interventions for students below grade levelProvide opportunities for students to engage
in real-world, relevant learning projectsProvide high-quality, relevant professional
development Increase participation in advanced academics
SLC Strategies to achieve goals….
2004 SLC Cohort (closed June 2008) 6 comprehensive high schools $3,000,000 grant award
2005 SLC Cohort 10 additional comprehensive high schools $11,000,000 grant award
2006 SLC Cohort 10 additional comprehensive high schools $9,000,000 grant award
2008 SLC Cohort 8 additional comprehensive high schools $10,416,611
TOTAL $33,416,611
SLC Impact to Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Full-time release SLC CoordinatorHourly funds for after-school
planning, mentoring, etc.Stipend for professional summer
professional development attendance
Academy specific suppliesTravel to professional conferencesField tripsDues and fees
Use of federal grant dollars…..
Required by the grant for each year of funding
2007/08 are available and will be sent to each school
University of Miami Education Evaluation Team (UMEET) Dr. Ann Bessell, Director of
Research Miriam Pacheco-Plaza, Senior
Research Associate
SLC Program Evaluation…….
Required for each year of the grant
Data will determine program effectiveness and continued funding for 2012 and 2013
Will require minimal data collection from school-site personnel
USDOE Annual Performance Reporting…….
Additional funding to support and strengthen SLC academies/activities
Improved school culture to meet the needs of today’s students
Increased opportunity for improved academic achievement of students
School recognition through designation as a national SLC Design Studio
MDCPS Smaller Learning Communities opportunities……
An SLC grant recipient school that has been identified as having exemplary SLC practices and research-based key elements in place for ALL students
An SLC grant school that has demonstrated student achievement
SLC Design Studio Defined…
Provide visiting school teams with research-based SLC strategies and structures that have proven successful at the host school
Assist visiting school teams with concrete plans to develop and implement their own SLC plan
Provide reflection and introspection from the host school on their own SLC practice to learn, strengthen, and enhance their own continuous improvement
SLC Design Studio Goals….
What is our purpose in sharing what is happening in our school?
What current successful instructional components and SLC principles should be the focus of our Design Studio?
Who is willing to commit the time to do the work required and be responsible to carry our tasks in a timely manner?
Who will be the lead in the Design Studio process? What is the role of the district and how can the school
garner their support?
Points for discussion when considering design studio status….
Academic Teaming – interdisciplinary teams of teachers who share the same student
Adult advocate systems – a practice that ensures that at least one adult knows each student well
Examples of Target SLC Instructional Strategies
Differentiated Instruction – provides academic instruction for students of all academic skill levels
Freshman transition activities – a process to ensure a successful transition into both high school and an academy or house
Multi-year groups – teachers remain with a group of students over a period of tow or more years, fostering trust and relationships
Target instructional strategies cont…
Academies – subgroups within schools organized around particular themes
Alternative scheduling – allows teachers to develop lessons that are more compatible with learning objectives
House plans – divides students in a large school into groups of several hundred, either across grade levels or by grade level
Examples of Target SLC Organizational Structures
Magnet Programs – involves the use of a specialty core focus to attract students
School-Within-a-School – a small autonomous program housed within a larger school building
Teacher Advisory Systems – advisory activities that include assisting students develop personal learning plans, engage in career education, and develop post-secondary plans
Target organizational Structures cont……
Nicki Brisson, DirectorSchool Choice and Parental Options305-995-1530 Office786-412-3184 [email protected]
Ana Amador, Budget AnalystSchool Choice and Parental [email protected]
District Support
“Although the task of change is monumental, the work is good, the work is timely, and the work serves the needs of today’s children.”
QUESTIONS???????
