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Creating and Sustaining Small Learning Communities
Strategies and Tools for Transforming High Schools
Second Edition
- Grace Sammon - President, GMS Partners, Co-Founder, National Career Academy Coalition, Founder, The Business Institute for Educators
November 2007 | 248 pages | Corwin
High school reform expert, consultant, and author, Grace Sammon, offers district and school leaders a step-by-step approach to the work of redesigning high schools into smaller learning communities. This book moves education leaders and school reformers from an appreciation of creating smaller learning communities to the nuts and bolts of doing the work while making improvements in school culture, professional practice, data gathering and analysis, and academic achievement. In addition, it provides a full CD-Rom tool kit for developing, sustaining, and evaluating a successful small learning community. This resource and collection of tools are essential for school leaders serious about small learning communities and continuous improvement.
List of Artwork
List of Tool Kit Files
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1. The Journey Begins
2. Formation, Study, and Awareness: The Sum of the Parts
3. Leading an Improvement Process: Changes in Practice Are Inevitable
4. The Plan?s the Thing: Establishing Structures
5. Establishing SLC Teams: Developing the Mission, Culture, and Schedule
6. Curriculum for College and Careers
7. Professional Practice
8. Powerful Partnerships
9. The Student Experience: Making It Personal
10. Sustaining: The Experts Are Among Us
Resources
References
Index
"Creating and sustaining small learning communities is not for the faint of heart. Without this invaluable resource and the talents and expertise of the writer, we likely would have done neither."
Houston Independent School District, TX
"Strikes the right balance between theory and practice. This extensive text and impressive electronic tool kit reflect a national perspective on school reform gleaned from Sammon's many years of partnering with school systems for success for all students and teachers."
Sarasota County Public Schools, FL
"Builds capacity in applying research to practice, providing strategies to improve teaching and learning that maximize student achievement, and using tools and techniques that enable staff to implement, share, and sustain new learning."
Yukon Public Schools, OK
I have learned so much through Grace Sammon’s work at our high school. Her vision, honesty and optimism are the ingredients that helped to make our program such a success. We know that we have a lot of work yet to do – but Sammon is the one who assisted a team of teachers with the most important step – that being the first.
Leesa B. Falterman, Special Education Coordinator and Life Skills Academy Director