The Department of Education is now accepting applications for the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) grant program. According to the Federal Register notice inviting applications, the SLC program awards discretionary grants to LEAs to support the restructuring of public high schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more students into smaller units for the purpose of improving academic achievement in these schools. These smaller units include freshman academies, multi-grade academies organized around career interests or other themes, ‘‘houses’’ in which small groups of students remain together throughout high school, and autonomous schools-within-a-school. These structural changes are typically complemented by other personalization strategies, such as student advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs. Each application must address two absolute priorities: preparing all students to succeed in postsecondary education and career; and common planning time for teachers.
Notice of Intent to Apply: July 15, 2010
Application Submission Deadline: August 6, 2010
The Department is estimating that there is $32 million available to award grants to up to 14 states. Each grant will be for a period of five years. For more information please see the Department of Education’s Web site.
Tags: Congress, funding, grants, Secondary, small learning communities