Academies

Definitions

Career Academy

A career academy is a school-within-a-school where a group of students have the same

teachers (both academic and vocational).  These teachers work on a team to integrate

their instruction, connecting it to the world outside of the classroom and using a career

field as a context to teach content standards.

Career Clusters

Career clusters are a way of organizing content delivery and course sequencing so students

experience many of the same benefits of career academies, while putting less of a strain on the

school's master schedule.  Academic teachers may or may not integrate their instruction. 

The teachers in the vocational "cluster" usually do integrate their instruction.  Career clusters

are often referred to as career "pathways" or "majors."

Freshman Academies or "Houses"

Freshman academies or freshman houses are designed to help students succeed in the

academically perilous transition year from middle school to high school.  The ninth grade

student enrollment is often divided up into teams of students who all have the same teachers.

This allows each teacher team to identify academic and behavioral problems early and create

team-based interventions.  The traditional ninth grade content standards are usually augmented

with instruction study and/or social skills and responsibility.  The teachers may or may not

integrate their instruction.

Small Learning Communities (SLCs)

Small learning communities (SLCs) are a large, catch-all umbrella that describes any effort to

subdivide the general whole-school population into a school-within a school.  Career academies,

career clusters (pathways or majors), and freshman academies are some forms SLCs can take.