Create Strong Learning Communities

Creating schools that are learning communities is critical to ensuring that achievement gaps across racial, ethnic, and economic groups are closed and that the academic performance of all students soars. If we are to assure that all students have competent, caring, qualified teachers, we must restructure schools to break down the barriers that isolate teachers and create and sustain small and well-focused learning communities. In these restructured school settings, teachers have the necessary time, flexibility, and resources needed in order to meet 21st century needs of students. Teaching and learning prosper because they are structured around what we know about how people (teachers as well as students) learn and grow.

This section provides information on why learning communities are important, how they can work in a real-world context, and what steps need to be taken to transform schools into learning communities.

NCTAF's 2003 Summit on Learning Communities

21st C Teaching and Learning

Modern Learning Technologies

Redesign by Design