Learning Communities, High Schools, and School Reform

Abstract

Learning communities can promote K-12 reform by modeling sound academic practices that all should master in their last year of high school and their first semesters in college. In addition, given the growing prevalence of systemic reform of K-12, andthe number of systems and states aligning high school exit standards with college entrance, learning communities exemplify "reformed' higher education. In other words, if high schools demand high standards, foster inquirybased learning, and encourage students to participate in authentic assessment, then colleges also must attend to coherence, sound pedagogy, and the mastery of academic discourse.