NOT YOUR PARENTS' HIGH SCHOOL

Established 1995
Enrollment 1600 students
A California Distinguished School

Smaller Learning Communities for All Students

Prior to the opening of Windsor High School in 1995, progressive high schools across the country were creating Smaller Learning Communities combining teams of teachers with groups of students in order to foster a sense of community within a large school population. A decision was made by the leadership at Windsor High School to structure Smaller Learning Communities for all students.

All students are enrolled in an academic core along with other non-core classes. The core structure incorporates teams of 3 teachers who work together to deliver instruction through interdisciplinary project-based strategies. Each core of 3 teachers meets with students on alternating days for 4 ½ hours of continuous instruction to deliver content in 3 subject areas.

Windsor High School out performed schools with similar socio-economic status and received a similar schools ranking of 9 out of 10. The overall Academic Performance Index (API) was well above the average for high schools in Sonoma County at 725.

•  Integrated Project-Based Instruction: Core teachers share the same group of students so teachers better serve the academic needs of those students through collaborative planning. Cross-curricular assignments and projects are designed to add depth to the academic program. Novels assigned in English, for example, are often relevant to the topics covered in social studies and science.

•  Common Planning: Teachers within cores share planning time to discuss strategies to better serve the social needs of students. Teachers discuss strategies to better motivate individual students and meet with parents as a team to offer one common voice to parents and improve communication through joint conferences.

•  Teacher Mentoring: New teachers team with more experienced teachers providing ideal mentoring opportunities. New teachers gain experience working with lesson design, student behavior, and parent interaction.

•  Cross-age Student Mentoring: Two grades of students are enrolled in 9/10 cores and 11/12 cores. At the outset of each school year, approximately half of the students return to the same core with the same team of teachers. The older students serve as role models for the younger students who are already familiar with the culture and expectations with the core.

•  Junior and Senior Project Advising: The 11/12 cores provide the foundation for Junior/Senior Projects . Core teachers serve as advisors for their core students.

Alea Kelleher
“Humanities Core is our safe haven where we can learn, share ideas, agree, disagree, and still want to come back for the next class.”

Pilar Chavarria
“It's a house of love and learning and everyone calls this place home.”

Gina Jacino
“Last year was the best experience of my life. I discovered who I was. I also learned about our country, and that there's more to it than we know.”

Mel Williams
“It drives you crazy because nothing is simple – but it makes you more complex. We focused not only on the arts, but on personal morals, ethics, ways of life, beliefs, and learning from others.”

Willow Ramsay
“We get to create our own environment in which each person can learn and grow. It is a place to feel good about ourselves and the education we are receiving.”

Eliza Loweecey
“The exciting thing about this core is that we are actually, physically making a difference in the world we life in, through learning and through hands-on experience.”

“We have a new definition for the 3 Rs:
Rigor …Relevance…Relationships”

Jeff Harding, Founding Principal

For further information, contact

Mr. Jeff Harding, Assistant Superintendent (707-837-7733)
or
Patricia Law, Windsor High School Principal, (707-837-7767, x111).

Website: www.windsorhs.com