Classroom Learning Communities: Overview

   Classroom Learning Communities are created on the basis of 8 key components. These key strategies, when executed congruently, create an environment that fosters student collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication at all academic levels and across all content areas.
   Engaging in continuous improvement efforts at the classroom level begins on "Day 1" of the school year as students develop their own classroom ground rules and mission statement. This process, sets the stage for dynamic classroom collaboration, student engagement, and student ownership and accountability.
  As the school year progresses, students and teachers collaboratively write classroom SMART goals and individual student goals. These goals are displayed in classroom data centers and student data binders. These goals align to building goals and are communicated through the district, building and classroom plan-on-a-page. These goals are monitored through professional learning communities with teachers and during classroom meetings facilitated by students. The power of the conversations that occur in professional learning communities and classroom meetings drive continuous improvement efforts through the use of quality tools and the Plan-Do-Study-Act process. Students communicate this progress to families during student-led conferences.