Best Practice Profiles of Smaller learning Communities

While there is a virtual tidal wave of movement toward Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs) in urban districts across the nation, many are just in the throws of converting now. Many schools have completed much or all of the planning to convert into SLCs, fewer have begun the implementation process, and even fewer have fully converted.

There are almost an unlimited number of best or promising practices throughout the country. However, there is a much smaller sample of large urban secondary schools with many similarities to LAUSD profiles that have successfully and fully converted from comprehensive middle or high schools of over 2,000 – 3,000 students into various forms of smaller learning communities.

In this survey we have tried to search for those examples that have reached for total or at least substantially entire conversions for the whole school enrollment. Below is just a sampling of a few. UNITE-LA is currently surveying partner organizations locally, statewide and nationally to identify schools whose size, demographics, and experience will provide insights and lessons to LAUSD teachers, administrators, and leaders.

UNITE-LA and other partners are currently planning visits to Best Practice Schools so that LAUSD reformers can learn more about the effective design and implementation of Smaller Learning Communities. You can learn more about these and other best practices through contacting UNITE-LA, checking our SLC website at or searching many of the references in this notebook.

1. Local/Regional:

Long Beach Poly 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
2. State of California

Fremont HS, Oakland ()

  • Enrollment – 1,700; 31% African/American, 47% Latino, Asian 17%; Graduation Rate 60%, 0% passed AP, SAT9 Reading 9%, LEP 51%
  • Five small schools, each with its own theme and unique California school code
  • Students select their school in the eight grade
  • Five schools will share a common site and designated services – managed centrally by a Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • Each school leader and the COO share decisions regarding the site and shared services
  • No overall site principal
  • Partners with BayCES ( to facilitate the reform efforts.

Castlemont HS, Oakland (

  • Enrollment – 1,800; 56% African/American, 37% Latino; Graduation Rate 81%, 2% passed AP, SAT9 Reading 7%, API 447, LEP 28%
  • Two houses that “loop” with students
  • Students are randomly assigned at grades 9-10
  • “Upper division” small schools for grades11-12
  • Plan Four themed “Upper division schools” with student choice
  • Existing Academies include Computer Science and Technology, Construction and Manufacturing, Culinary Arts, Environmental Resources, Fashion design, International Trade and Transportation, and Visual and Performing Arts
  • Overall Castlemont will retain its identity, but gives significant autonomy to its small schools
  • Partners with BayCES ( to facilitate their efforts.

Sir Francis Drake HS, San Aselemo ()

  • Enrollment – 1,100
  • First Academies -- Communications Academy, Engineering, and ROCK (Grade 9-10 Integrated Studies) instituted in 1992-3
  • Upper School Grade 11-12 Academies in Communications, Pre-Engineering, Environmental Science Academy, and Academy X, which emphasizes humanities and public service.
  • 2001-02, added the International Studies Academy.
  • 40% of 11th and 12th graders remain in “traditional HS option” or about 400-500 students
  • 2002-03 all 9th graders were assigned to small learning communities called "clusters". Three teachers in each cluster share a common group of students and thus are able to coordinate instruction and expectations. The Revolution of Core Knowledge (ROCK) program for 9th and 10th graders integrates English, social studies, science and art/drama.
  • While Sir Francis Drake is not as large and possesses a higher socio economic demographic than a typical LAUSD high school, it still holds interesting lessons. Drake did not completely convert to all students in SLCs. Instead, it left a “space” for those students, parents, and/or teachers that wanted a “traditional option”. That group is small enough that they themselves gain some of the attributes of an SLC.

3. Nationwide

Enumclaw High School, Enumclaw, WA (

  • Enrollment 1,600 – 93% white and overall high achieving
  • Established two small schools in 2002 and plan five interest-based schools in fall 2003
  • Two schools implemented looping for two and up to four years of teachers staying with students – 150 students per school
  • Decided to convert all grades at once rather than phase in by grade
  • Advisor and advocacy teams set up for each student with a teacher, parent or guardian, advisor and community mentor meeting 3-4 times per year
  • The key is the whole planning process and selection of the five interest based schools were designed with heavy input from teachers, parents, students
  • Parents made it clear they did not want career-based decision forced on their children in late MS and HS.
  • Each school has a strong college prep curriculum using experiential learning to "ignite student passion for learning", not explicit career prep
  • The Adventure School features highly integrated and hand-on learning strategies – themed based curriculum, internships, service learning, etc.
  • The School of Design and Production facilitates learning with students interested in the visual arts, designing and manufacturing products that improve the world we live in.
  • The School of Global Studies and Business school facilitates learning with students interested in our increasingly interconnected world and how business influences personal, national, and world growth.
  • The School of Innovation and Technology facilitates learning with students interested in science and technology and how new developments will change our world.
  • The School of Culture and Performing Arts facilitates learning with students interested in the interaction of self-expression and its impact on people’s lives.
  • The School of Discovery and Human Resources school facilitates learning with students interested in improving quality of life through scientific investigation and connections to community, human, and natural resources.

Julia Richmond Complex, New York, NY (

  • Initially a failing, aging school with 3,000 students and a graduation rate of just 33%
  • Converted in three years – 94-96 – graduating the then existing students and phasing in four new high schools and an elementary and pre school
  • Vanguard High School - A typical high school course of study and organizational structure – 400 students
  • Manhattan International High School - Designed for students with limited fluency in English – 310 students
  • Talent Unlimited Performing Arts High School - A specialty school that also offers basic courses – 400 students
  • Urban Academy – Rigorous college oriented curriculum - 120
  • Special education junior high school designed for severely autistic children.
  • Ella Baker Elementary School - An elementary school for children of employees of hospitals in the neighborhood.
  • All schools have physically separate class space
  • Some Shared spaces for gymnasiums, library, science lab, etc.
  • AP courses taken at local community college
  • Overall academic results are vastly improved from pre-conversion
4. District wide SLC Reform

Sacramento Unified School District

  • District-wide enrollment – 52,000
  • 9 Comprehensive HS, 2 Alternative, 1 magnet – 13,000 students total
  • 72% minority – basically ¼ of each white, black, Latino, and Asian
  • Significant Achievement Gap, 30% LEP, Low API's, 58% 9 graders graduate
  • Carnegies and Gates grants awarded to local School-to-Career Partnership – LEED - to facilitate transformation with SCUSD
  • Clear and concise Board Policy passed with 14 points of SLCs defined
  • Hiram Johnson High School, 2,690 students, and Will C Wood High School, 1,200 students, start with converting grades 9 and 10 to SLCs averaging 200 students taking at least 85% classes together. Sacramento HS, 2,025 students, has been closed and will re-open in September 2003 as a charter school of separate academies led by the St. Hope Foundation.
  • After challenging start – launched a sophisticated and thoughtful stakeholder engagement and public relations campaign
  • 8 new schools planned to be opened – 3 in 2003/4 with 110-500 students, based on national models, including the MET, New Technology High School, and America’s Choice
  • Hired external evaluator
  • Significant investment in leadership training
  • Selected eight themes

District wide SLC reform is occurring in many districts throughout the country and here in California including Sacramento USD, San Diego USD, San Francisco USD, Oakland USD, Long Beach USD, and others. Most are partnering with key intermediaries or nonprofits to assist in this change. For Example, Sacramento USD partners with the School-to-Career partnership LEED-Sacramento (

To learn more about Smaller Learning Communities, go to .