Through the house system, a New York City high school's 2,500 students benefit from a small school environment while accessing large-school resources. Each house participating in a privately funded after-school program features various activities that supplement daily instruction while building on their students' interests. (MLH)

In this article, the author discusses small learning communities (SLCs), a term that is used to refer to the practice of organizing secondary schools into smaller units. Features of SLCs include small structure, curricular specialization and choice, a focus on the learner and learning, and, in particular, the active and collaborative nature of…

Principals must structure their schools' learning environments with high expectations for achievement and behavior and for positive student-teacher relationships to ensure safer, more inclusive, and higher achieving schools. Personalizing high schools as to size, groupings, schedules, tutoring, and conflict mediation is essential. (Contains 27…