The Learning Community
Subtitle: the story of a successful mini-school
By: James Penha and John Azrak, with Angelo Giugliano, David Powell, William Therway.
Contributors: Azrak, John, joint author.
Publisher: Paulist Press
Published: 1975
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 123
Subjects: Education. Secondary. Mini-School, Philosophy, Interdisciplinary, Academics, Guidance, Experimental methods.
Genres: Non-Fiction
First sentence: The Learning Community is vastly more than the sum of its parts.
Description: This book describes "The Learning Community," a minischool that was founded in 1972 by five teachers as an alternative program within a large urban high school in Astoria, New York. The Learning Community included 150 high school juniors and seniors and 6 teachers. The book overviews the development of the minischool, beginning with the first teachers' meeting to address the school's philosophy; the strategies used to promote positive teacher-student relationships; and decisions made by both teachers and students regarding curriculum and student evaluation. The Learning Community was based on a democratic approach to education that gave students the freedom to plan their own course of study and that recognized individual talents, abilities, and personalities. The curriculum included required skills courses; interdisciplinary courses in which students studied a single idea or concept from various perspectives; and minicourses that concentrated on specialized topics suggested by students and teachers. Instead of grades, students received personalized written evaluations that emphasized student accomplishments, as opposed to failures. An "open classroom" approach also allowed teachers and students to interact outside of instructional time and encouraged teachers to act as coordinators and facilitators of student learning. Although the program was regarded as a success, it was terminated in 1976 due to pressure from school administrators. (LP/ERIC)

ERIC ID: ED407197
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: label: 1
title: Preparing for Community
pagenum: 11; label: 2
title: Creating Community
pagenum: 21; label: 3
title: The Making of the Open Secondary Classroom
pagenum: 33; label: 4
title: Readin', Writin', and 'Rithmetic in Community
pagenum: 45; label: 5
title: Experiencing the World as One: The Interdisciplinary Community Theme
pagenum: 61; label: 6
title: The Community and the Individual Student: Academics
pagenum: 77; label: 7
title: Measuring Academic Achievement
pagenum: 91; label: 8
title: The Community and the Individual Student: Personal Growth
pagenum: 103; label: 9
title: Epilogue: Every School Should Have One
pagenum: 117