SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
RESOURCES
UC A-G DOORWAYS
TO A-G REQUIREMENTS
WEBSITES
REPORTS
NEWS ITEMS
UC A-G DOORWAYS
TO A-G REQUIREMENTS
The University of California's new expanded Doorways web site provides easy access to the three UC sites related to the "a-g" subject area requirements:
The Course List Site
Use this search engine to find a California high school or program's UC certified course list. The lists include the courses that have been certified as fulfilling the "a-g" subject requirements for admission to the University of California as a freshman. The lists also indicate courses that are UC certified honors courses.
This web site aims to assist high school educators in designing courses that meet both the University of California subject area requirements and conform to school curricular reform efforts. Specifically, the site provides a wealth of information about the "a-g requirements", including course descriptions of dozens of standard, honors, and innovative courses that have been accepted by UC. It also provides assistance in understanding the UC course approval process and helpful insights as to why courses have not been approved. We hope that you find this site useful, and welcome any recommendations for improvement.
The a-g Guide Site
The ultimate goal of the "a-g Interactive Guide Project" is to clarify the UC course approval process, to provide guidance to schools on how to present their course offerings to UC, and to ensure that UC/CSU subject area requirements encompass the best of high school reform efforts in California
The Online Update Site
This site provides you with a faster, easier way to update your University of California certified "a-g" course list.You will be guided through all the steps necessary to submit updates to existing courses on your course list as well as be given the opportunity to create new courses. The questions are laid out in an interview format for your ease of use. Once you have submitted your updates to UC, you may monitor the progress of UC's evaluation of your submission(s).
WEBSITES
Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) [
The Annie E Casey Foundation (AECF) has worked to build better futures for disadvantages children and their families in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. AECF supports Small Schools as an important solution to the failure of jumbo schools in cities including Los Angeles.
Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools (BayCES) [
The BayCES assists urban schools, school districts, and community groups in the work of creating or redesigning their schools. This is an excellent introduction and comprehensive resource for educators, community leaders and families.
Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationEducation Program
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focuses its education investments in two primary areas both aimed at addressing historically underserved young people: creating more small high schools and reducing financial barriers to higher education. The foundation is helping large, troubled high schools transform themselves into smaller, more personalized learning environments, while at the same time funding the replication of successful small school models.
Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationEducation GranteeNewsletter Archive
Each month the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides all education grantees with a brief on-line newsletter. The newsletter offers research summaries, best practices and profiles, and technical assistance on a specific topic related to school reform and restructuring.
Bob Pearlman [
Bob Pearlman has been a key leader of educational reform efforts nationally in a unique 30-year career as a Teacher, Co-Director of Computer Education, Teacher Union Leader and Negotiator, Foundation President, and Director of Education and Workforce Development. This site shares best practices and strategies for implementing and personalizing small learning communities.
Education Alliance at Brown University [
All of our projects share in common a clear focus on applied research and technical assistance that reflects equity and diversity issues within schools. The Alliance is a regional service center in a contract with the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Program of the U. S. Department of Education
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) [
A federally-funded national information system with one of the strongest and broadest research engines on the web. An “Ask ERIC” for Small Learning Communities produces over 1800 responses
Jobs for the Future [
Jobs for the Future seeks to accelerate the educational and economic advancement of youth and adults struggling in our economy. Select “Small Schools” under Educational Opportunities for Youth, and many valuable SLC resources and findings are listed.
Los Angeles Unified School District B
District B has published a Small Learning Communities WebPages that includes a PowerPoint presentation and important websites.
New England Small Schools Network (NESSN)
The mission of the New England Small Schools Network (NESSN), launched through a generous grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is to demonstrate the power of small schools in successfully educating our increasingly diverse student population and preparing them for productive future lives in a democratic world.
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
[
The NCEF site hosts an extensive resource list of links, books, and journal articles examining research and changing standards for K-12 school and enrollment size, and class and classroom size, and Small Learning Communities.
NWREL Serving Smaller Learning Communities [
This site is a project of the Smaller Learning Communities Program of the U.S. Department of Education. This program helps large high schools of 1,000 or more students to create smaller, more personalized learning environments. The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) is the agency coordinating assistance to schools and districts around the country that have been awarded Department of Education grants to work toward creating smaller learning communities.
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) [ then select Initiatives from the lower menu bar]
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has begun the second year of their Secondary School Redesign Initiative (SSRI), an effort to raise student achievement and to provide San Francisco families throughout the city with high quality secondary school choices. Their site gives insight into the reform dialog and evolving transformation from large to small school designs, including planning and implementation proposals
School Redesign Network [
The School Redesign Network at Stanford University provides an opportunity to Access, Connect, Watch, Link and Discover the transformation from big to small schools. This is an interactive site with regular group discussions moderated by leaders in the field of small learning reform.
Small Schools Project
The Small Schools Project, part of the Center on Reinventing Public
Education at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs provides support to the many new small schools being established in Washington State and throughout the United States.
Small Schools Workshop [
Founded in 1992, the Small Schools Workshop is a group of educators, organizers and researchers collaborating with teachers, principals and parents, in the creation and support of small, innovative public schools. They work with the USDOE to provide information regarding SLC developments and funding opportunities. Site includes extensive Research and “Bookshelf” resources and Listserve.
Small Schools Workshop Northwest at Lewis & Clark College [
The Small Schools Workshop is a resource for public schools and school districts engaged in restructuring and whole-school improvement. To further the work of the Chicago SSW, the Small Schools Workshop Northwest was founded in October 2000 at Lewis & Clark College to support the growing small schools movement in the Northwest.
Stanford University [
Stanford’s site includes compelling research regarding conversion from large to small school design. On the home page enter a search for “small learning communities” and several good resources will appear.
US Department of Education OVAE, Smaller Learning Communities Program Homepage [
This “go to” website includes grant opportunities along with a variety of resources including news and updates.
REPORTS
Cotton, K. (2001) New Small Learning Communities: Findings From Recent Literature. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Education Laboratory.
Often cited as “The Cotton Report”, this is a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of research on small schools and small learning communities. It goes into detail about characteristics of effective small learning communities, and it also includes links to multiple resources for those interested in designing small learning communities. Download at [ or as a resource at [
Fine, M., & Somerville, J.I., Eds. (1998). Small Schools, Big Imaginations: A Creative Look at Urban Public Schools. Chicago: Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform.
This book uses the voices of urban teachers, administrators, parents and students who are finding success in schools that are personalized and rigorous. Through interviews the authors provide information to support people advocating for small schools at all levels. Order from [
Almeida, C. & Steinberg, A. (2001). Connected Leraning Communities: A Toolkit for Re-Inventing High Schools. Jobs For the Future.
This extensive resource book provides practical strategies for those engaged in the work of high school redesign. The report can be downloaded at [
Allen, L. (2001). Wall to Wall: Implementing Small Learning Communities in Five Boston High Schools. Providence, RI: Northeast and Islands Regional Educaiton Laboratory.
This report provides detailed information on how five large high schools created smaller learning communities and important lessons on making the transition. The report may be downloaded at [ entitled LAB Work Paper.
Aiming High: High Schools for the 21st Century. State of California, Department of Education.
This report is built on the legacy of Second to None, California's visionary guideline for high school reform. Aiming High is a how-to document for implementing a standards-based educational system. The document's focus is to guide schools in "doing the right things" and in "doing things right." California public high schools have received copies of Aiming High and an introductory video. For information go to [
No Dream Denied: A Pledge to America’s Children, National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future [
There has been some recent Teachers’ Union concern about the implementation of small schools in Boston, Oakland, and several other communities. Cris Gutierrez, a commissioner of NCTAF believes SLC’s respond to the teachers’ imperative for decent, dignified and professional working conditions.
Pearlman, B. (2002) Designing, and Making, the New American High School. Technos Quarterly, Spring 2002. [
This is an insightful article that examines high school design from the student perspective.
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
[
The NCEF site hosts an extensive resource list of links, books, and journal articles examining research and changing standards for K-12 school and enrollment size, and class and classroom size, and Small Learning Communities.
NEWS ITEMS
Show Students Why They’re Learning:
School-to-Career Teaching Offers Context for Those ‘Boring’ Subjects
Los Angeles Daily News
Thursday, December 5, 2002
By Caprice Young
President of the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District
Romer Suggests LAUSD Think Small
Breaking Up Schools May Help Retention
Los Angeles Daily News
Saturday, May 3, 2003
By Beth Barrett
Staff Writer
The Business Perspective
Los Angeles Business Speaks Out
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
“The Business Perspective”
September 13, 2002
By Rusty Hammer
President & Chief Executive Officer
Thursday, December 5, 2002
Show Students Why They’re Learning
School-to-Career Teaching Offers Context for Those ‘Boring’ Subjects
By Caprice Young
President of the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District
In the United States, there is a debate over whether to prepare high school students for entrance to college vs. direct entrance to the work force that has prohibited educators, parents and even students from thinking about a more expansive set of educational opportunities. It is time to move beyond this limited and generally polarizing discussion to the broader focus of preparing all students for life success, by giving students greater authentic choices so they can make more informed decisions about their academic and professional futures.
In California, this question is often examined in the following extremes: high school students should either be on a college/university track or have a career and technical education option. This is an unnecessary and damaging way to define the question that inevitably leads to a polarized discussion poorly serving youth. In addition, mandating to students that they must take a set of college-preparatory courses is no insurance that they will want to learn, take these courses or go on to further studies. Increasingly, the University of California requirements have been used as the basis for college preparation for all students. However, the current course development and approval process tends to have the unintended impact of suggesting that students cannot or should not take the necessary required academic courses simultaneously with courses in career and technical areas.
Some people voice a legitimate concern that college education proponents often unfairly discount technical careers as being less important and dignified pursuits than white-collar professions. There is a compelling argument to be made that those who become skilled in various crafts and technologies need to have a basic knowledge of the arts, history and oterh liberal arts curricula if they are to understand the world in which they live and work. They must become the educated, informed citizens that America’s representative democracy relies on as voters. It is the voter in whose hands lay the privileges, rights and powers granted by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
High schools need to improve the integration of academic and applied instruction and the rigor of career and technical education. The University of California requirements should acknowledge the value of rigorous career and technical academy courses for credit. Students should be enabled to take courses that encourage learning, broaden their education and satisfy high school and college requirements. This combination would provide additional options to motivate students and drive home the importance, value and application of academic subjects in the real world of work, where all students hope to eventually succeed.
School-to-Career is based on the simple but powerful idea that students are more motivated to learn when they see relevance to what they are asked to learn. Rather than allowing the “tracking” dichotomy to define the way we look at high school education, school-to-career is one strategy that prepares all students for both post-secondary education and a career. School-to-career motivates students to want to learn and become excited about their career dreams and their potential for accomplishment through job shadowing and internship experiences. In fact, a survey of Los Angeles students in the fall following their high school senior year revealed that 75 percent of school-to-career students were enrolled in some form of post-secondary education, compared with 57 percent of their peers.
We have discovered through initiatives such as school-to-career, small learning communities, career academies, integrated academic and vocational education, as well as other similar educational strategies, that all youths can be offered a rich, engaging and rigorous education that maximizes academic preparation, fosters students’ “desire” to seek post-secondary education and ensures that they can successfully transition into a career whenever they exit the education system. We have also learned that an educational experience that nurtures a love of learning increases the likelihood that a student becomes a lifelong learner with greater career and personal success.
Currently, a large number of students are dropping out of inner-city high schools, with most students believing that math and science are boring and useless. To make learning more relevant and exciting to students, the school-to-career instructional strategy uses career context and application of knowledge as tools to teach academic subjects. Many high schools and career academies use fields such as law and justice, heath care and media as themes to teach math, science, literature, history and the arts. By using the context of these careers, students can see an example of why they need to learn these subjects.
Parents, like students, know that it is important to have both knowledge and the skills to apply that knowledge in a variety of contexts. It is often assumed and reported that most parents want their children to go to college and complete a bachelor’s degree, even though Los Angeles County statistics suggest that the majority do not. When parents are asked whether they want the whole K-university educational system to be aimed at academic and career preparation, they always answer, “of course.” A survey of parents throughout California revealed that they overwhelmingly support school-to-career for their own children. For example, 89.3 percent of parents think school-to-career would help students prepare for college and focus their attention on a career goal. Parents and students recognize the potential for school-to-career to ultimately provide lifelong success.