The effect of small learning communities on indicators of student progress.

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. June 2009. Major: Educational Psychology. Advisors: Sandra Christenson, Theodore Christ. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 190 pages, appendices A-G.The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two different small learning community (SLC) models on indicators of student progress. Participants were 100 students enrolled in a large urban high school in a Midwestern state as well as 23 of their teachers. Of the two small learning community models studied, one was reportedly a high-functioning SLC while the other model was considered poorly-functioning. Students from the poorly functioning SLC were placed into the higher-functioning SLC and comparisons were made. After controlling for pre-test measurement error, increases in attendance were associated with placement in a higher-functioning SLC after one year. Qualitative analysis provided further support to the finding; students' perceptions of their school experience improved after re-placement. Implications of results in terms of the efficacy of SLCs, future directions for SLC research, and the importance of relationships in the educational arena are discussed