Introduction
Southridge High School is the newest of five high schools in Beaverton, Oregon, the second largest school district in Oregon. From its architecture to its modes of communication, the school is designed to promote learning, a sense of community, and shared decision making. This emphasis on relationships - among school staff members, students, parents, and community members - was central to the design and planning of the new high school, a project led by former Principal Sarah Boly.
HistoryThrough surveys, phone interviews, focus groups, and numerous forums with students, families, and members of the business community and community groups, a Southridge philosophy was developed which underlies the core values of the school.
PhilosophySouthridge opened in 1999 with shared decision making and mentoring relationships as essential features of life. This is evident in nearly every aspect of its structure and practices.
Neighborhoods: Four neighborhoods bring together a cohort of teachers and school staff members with about 475 students. Students are assigned to each neighborhood in heterogeneous groups. Each neighborhood has its own identity and governance structure and functions as a "smaller learning community" under the direction of its neigborhood faculty.
Smaller Learning CommunitiesAdvisory: Teacher advisory programs are at the heart of smaller learning communities. One teacher is assigned to advise 20-25 students during the course of their high school careers, ensuring personalized attention to students' needs. Advisory periods are scheduled each month to deliver a wide range of academic advisement functions as well as help solve school culture issues and accomplish student developed diversity awareness and appreciation agendas.
AdvisorySkytime: During a 45 minute period twice a week, students can choose to meet with teachers or counselors, or work on projects or homework. The Skytime teacher is also the student's advisor and will stay in that mentoring relationship for as long as the student remains at Southridge. This is one way we help ensure that every student is known by a caring adult in the school.
SkytimeLink Crew: A transition program for 9th graders in which 12th grade students server as mentors.
Trimester Schedule: A trimester schedule of approximately 12 weeks per term makes it possible to offer students more options, more instructional time, while promoting a depth of learning. The district requires students to take 23 credits to graduate; however, Southridge students can take 30 credits, which results in acceleration of learning in many areas.
Depth of learning: All students are encouraged to take advanced study in a Career Academy (focus area) or be an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate to graduate. During their junior or senior year students will take up to 15 additional courses and complete career related learning experiences, 60 hours of Service Learning, and a senior project, all of which are tied to their focus area, in order to earn the Certificate of Advanced Mastery. A commitment to interdisciplinary team teaching, contextual learning, and personalized support for all students is a priority.
Career AcademiesCritical Friends Groups: Attention to the development of positive staff and student relationships is crucial to creating a culture of mutual trust and respect. At Southridge, the protocols of the Critical Friends Group Model are used to address this need. CFGs meet on a regular basis to provide teachers with the emotional safety necessary to hold honest discussions about student work and personal teaching practices. CFGs have become a crucial strategy at Southridge because the school's goals and visions for learning require that all teachers engage in intense collaborative work.
Shared Decision Making: CFGs have enabled a shared decision making process to develop more effectively. That process includes identifying key issues or problems, taking a staff vote or reaching consensus to investigate the issue further, convening a task force to develop a proposal for action, consulting the stakeholders regarding a draft proposal and giving all the opportunity to ask clarifying questions and provide feedback, and submitting the proposal to the staff for a vote or consensus to adopt or reject the proposal.
Results: One might be tempted to dismiss Southridge's accomplishments because the school serves a highly educated community, was designed "from the ground up" with strong community and district support, and staff members were hired based on their common vision of schooling. True, these conditions greatly facilitated success at Southridge, but they are not sufficient. More important is a leadership approach that empowers others to share in decision making.
Students consistently report in focus groups that Southridge is a positive environment. Drop-out rates continue to decline, and state assessment results have shown gains in all areas. Southridge was named an Exemplary Smaller Learning Communities site in 2002 by the US Department of Education and has been recognized throughout Oregon for its accomplishments.
StatisticsSource: By Request, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. To read the entire Schools Making Progress profile on Southridge, visit the Schools Making Progress Series site.
(Page last updated 8/20/08)