Smaller Learning Communities
The Small Schools Workshop
Source: The Small Schools Workshop Date: 2007
http://www.smallschools.com/
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The Small Schools Workshop is a group of educators, organizers and researchers, collaborating with teachers, principals, parents, and district leaders to create new, small, innovative learning communities in public schools. The Workshop’s website provides resources, guidance, and professional development to large public schools that are in the process of restructuring into smaller learning environments. The website includes an information center, which provides a working conceptualization of small schools, a directory of small schools across the country organized by state, a collection of research pieces, and a list of relevant materials and recent media articles. The website also provides a links to a small schools listserv and online forum hosted by YahooGroups. The site is a great resource for state, district, and school policymakers exploring smaller learning environments.

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Background and Context
One key approach to improving instruction for high school students is redesigning the environment and structure in which they learn. Creating smaller learning communities is one way schools are fundamentally reshaping that environment. Guided by a belief that student achievement will improve in a more personalized environment, advocates of smaller learning communities hope that smaller class sizes, increased teacher collaboration, comprehensive advisory systems, and a more relevant and rigorous curriculum will reap substantial gains in academic achievement.