Turbulence - Prologue. Prologue

RIVERVIEW HIGH -- LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Riverview High has restructured its 2000 students into four smaller communities in order to improve academic performance for all students and increase opportunities for engagement and relationships.

Key Components
. Systematic academic and social support for students
• Wide range of opportunities for students to be successful
• Places and times to meet together more often
• Collaboration and communication among staff
• Positive relationships between students-adults-families-community

Students in grades 9 and 10 will take their academic core classes within their learning community and will take their electives with the general student population. Students in grades 11 and 12 will take all their classes with the general student population. Riverview hopes to retain the benefits of a comprehensive high school for more mature upperclassmen, while providing the sense of community, structure and accountability of a smaller school for younger students.

Goals
. Close the Achievement & graduation gap for students of color and students in poverty
. Create a strong sense of community and connection among and between students, staff and parents.
Pyramid of Interventions
• Multi-layered continuum of intervention options for ALL students at various points of success and struggle in their school career
• Focus on interventions designed to boost student learning, engagement, and relationships
• Expanded and developmentally-appropriate menu of academic and non-academic activities and resources to help students attain their IGP goals

Four Smaller Learning Communities
• Grouping students and staff in order to make the Pyramid of Interventions feasible and create a greater sense of belonging
• 525-550 students per community, multi-age, grades 9-12. Grade twelve students partner with grade nine students to form mentorship pairs. Students without pre-selected voluntary partners are randomly assigned at the beginning of the year
• Support staff stay with the same student for full 4 years
• Core academics within each learning community (esp. grades 9 and 10)
• Academic staff assigned by departments

Mentoring Program
• Each grade nine student has a grade twelve student from their learning community who stays with them for full year.
• Mentorship pairs are selected according to shared interests and compatibility
• Mentors meet with assigned partner 25 minutes daily
25-minute daily "Resource Time"
• Time to foster relationships between staff, parents and students
• Flexible but structured assigned and voluntary time for which grade nine students are accountable to their mentors.
• Supervised by Learning Community Mentorship Council and staff advisors who volunteer for the job.