International Center

for
Leadership in
Education
Creating
Small Learning
Communities
Learning is about
constructing relationships in
which students connect with
teachers or subjects. Small
schools foster the
personalization strategies to
support those relationships.
Tom VanderArk
SMALL LEARNING
COMMUNITIES
Bigger isnt always better!
School within a School
Clusters of Students
Organized around Areas of
Interest
Students with Same Group
of Teachers
What
Small Learning Communities
Small Learning Communities
School-within-A School
House Plans
Freshman Academy
Magnet Schools
Academies
Types
School-Within-A School
Small, Autonomous Program
Groups Students
Increases Student Support
Self-governing
Own Physical Space

Structure
Small Learning Communities
Curriculum
Create a focus
Strive for higher levels of
Rigor and Relevance
Differentiation
How does it work?
Students will group according to subject
matter
Students will field statements to attempt to
answer the question
Student will take Cornell Notes
Students will move to another group at said
time
Student will repeat process
Student will move to home groups and share
out