Introduction

A visitor to Sierra Vista High School (SVHS) in East Los Angeles County is likely to be struck by its welcoming atmosphere. Students, staff members, and parents appear relaxed and eager to share their stories. A Latino parent's response to the question, "What makes Sierra Vista a special place for students?" provides insight into this sense of caring at the school. She replies: "Teachers call and talk to me in my language if my daughter falls behind. They want to help. I feel valued."

Sierra Vista High School is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Baldwin Park Unified School District. It was established in 1961 and, today, has a culturally diverse enrollment of 1,900 students. Eighty-two percent of the students are Hispanic, with the remainder representing Asian, Filipino, African American, and white. This is not just a story about SVHS, but also a story about the school's partnership with the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program and Technical Center, which operates a technical magnet school (TMS).

The Center is a 25-year-old collaborative partnership of community-based organizations, businesses, public agencies, and 12 school districts. In 2000, the partnership was awarded a Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Implementation Grant to support the expansion and field testing of SLC strategies based on career pathways. Partnership members wondered if these strategies could be effective with the six lowest performing high schools in the partnership.

The TMS in collaboration with the six target high schools decided to implement the following SLC strategies:

• Move students into small groups at the Technical Center and then into community internships
• Increase the access of students remaining on campus to individualized instruction and counseling by enrolling them in career pathways of 400 students each
• Provide opportunities for schools to share promising practices