Anne Arundel County Public Schools Smaller Learning Communities Project Update Fall 2005

Over the summer of 2005, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) received a five-year, $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to continue the work of its Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program.  The funds support the initiatives begun under the grant since its inception in 2002 and provide a new component, the opportunity to be part of a national study to help the Department of Education evaluate programs that improve the reading skills of 9th grade students who read below grade level.

 The goals of the original grant are and remain:

• Enhancing Academic Achievement,
• Increasing Academic Rigor, and
• Creating a Positive School Climate.

Added to these core goals is the additional activity, participation in a research study.  The research component runs for the first two years of this new funding cycle – the overall project is funded through 2010.  The study is a national research program called Enhanced Reading Opportunities (ERO): Evaluating the impact of Adolescent Literacy Programs in Freshman Academies.  During the study, Anne Arundel’s four participating high schools will implement one of two reading programs chosen by the U.S. Department of Education through a competitive process. Two high schools will implement one of the designated programs, and two high schools will implement the other.  The four participating schools are Arundel, Glen Burnie, Meade, and Old Mill Senior High Schools.