Small Learning Communities

and AVID: Perfect Together

Presented by Chad SoleoLocke High: Phone (323) 757-9381 / Email: cfs8905@lausd.k12.ca.us

AVID: Schoolwide Support

Our overarching goal when considering AVID’s role in the implementation of Locke’s small learning community model:

Continue to utilize the AVID program as a catalyst and vehicle for schoolwide improvement, specifically in the continued development of Locke’s college culture and continued impact upon the academic achievement of all students.

AVID had to remain in a position to support all small learning communities within the greater Locke High School community, which didn’t allow for its transformation into one academy that inequitably served a select group of students.

Attributes of SLCs in LAUSD “LAUSD’s ‘Small School Learning Communities’ will have the

following core of common characteristics or attributes guided by Board policy and the Superintendent’s priorities as referenced in Closing the Achievement Gap: Improving Educational Outcomes for Under-Achieving Students.”

Unifying Vision/Identity Rigorous Standards-Based Curriculum, Instruction &

Assessment Equity & Access Personalization Accountability and Distributed Leadership Collaboration/ Parent and Community Engagement Professional Development

Attribute Implications Each SLC must consider “equity and access” with regard to

meeting the needs of its entire student body. Plans/ Proposals should address the unique needs of special

education students, English language development students, students requiring intervention in math and/or English language arts, and advanced students.

AVID, a program designed and proven successful for meeting the needs of “middle” students, cannot become an SLC and meet the expectation of “equity and access.”

AVID utilized as a “shared program” or adopted by an SLC is a vehicle for many students to access more rigorous coursework and ultimately college.

Attribute Implications The process begins with a “Unifying

Vision.” The structure and everything else follows the vision.

Each emerging SLC must identify its students, assess need and build a vision to meet the needs of its student clients.

If the vision is to give our students access to a college education, and AVID has data behind it to that end, then the design of the SLC should include the program from the beginning.

Locke High School 2005-2006

Ninth Grade House One

AVID 9

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Ninth Grade House Two

AVID 9

AVID 9

AVID10 AVID

11

AVID12

The School of Social

EmpowermentPerkins

Business Careers

Academy

Visual & Performing Arts Academy

AVID10

Technical & Professional

Careers Academy

Liberal Arts

Academy

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AVID12

AVID10

AVID10

AVID10

Challenges Master Scheduling:

SLCs create more rigid master schedules: more singletons/ doubletons.

With fewer teacher options per content area, it becomes more difficult to accommodate students’ scheduling conflicts.

Content area teachers volunteering for the AVID elective are impacting the core/elective offerings more intensely in an SLC.

Teachers have more preps within content areas, making it even more difficult for them to take an AVID elective.

Conflicting SLC Bell Schedules If each or any of the SLCs has its own bell schedule, “shared

services and programs” become difficult to coordinate. Physical Separation:

Without one section of AVID at each grade level in each of the academies, student and teacher transport is inevitable.

Challenges Student Programs

With thematic communities emerging, students are encouraged to take a series of electives, making it difficult to complete core requirements, SLC electives and AVID without considering extending the day or changing the bell schedule to accommodate additional periods.

Expansion The number of small schools and their accelerated implementation

demands faster expansion for the AVID program – faster than we’re ready for.

Distributed Leadership The roles of SLC Coordinators and other school leadership positions

are being redefined and may include things like creating master schedules which require additional training.

The AVID Counselor Each small learning community has its own counselor, so every

counselor has to be an AVID counselor.

Successes: AVID & SLCs Collaboration Around Student Need

Common playing time and scheduled meetings are filled with dialogue about individual students that teachers have in common.

Students feel apart of the community. They know all of our teachers and our teachers, AVID coordinator and counselors know our students.

A “guidance class” (Advisory) modeled after AVID serves all students meeting personal, social, career and academic needs, and establishing the expectation that all of our students will apply to a four-year college in their senior year.

Literacy and math support conferences (in addition to a planning conference) to assist in English 10 and algebra classes, in effect cutting teacher-student ratio in half.

Schoolwide Adoption of any strategy, methodology, philosophy is difficult with 120 teachers. SLC adoption is more manageable with 12-15 teachers. Strategies like Cornell Notes, tutorials, WICR strategies are embraced by individual small schools.

AVID Parent and Student Support and participation in the proposal process gives emerging SLCs momentum from the start.