Mission: To promote students’ belief in and commitment to themselves; to foster a belief in themselves as effective, caring citizens who can articulate and achieve personal goals; to engender the belief in themselves as competent learners in a complex world; to have students form partnerships with their teachers to cultivate reading, writing, technological, and thinking competence; and to engender a belief and vision in themselves as life-long learners and contributors toward a better city and world.
The Little House Alternative Middle School is a highly supportive school program and learning community for Boston Public School students who, despite various efforts, are not successful in their present school and require a small setting and a high degree of academic individualization and personal attention. The Little House accepts students, ages 11-15, who are at risk of academic failure due to truancy, discipline and/or expulsion issues.
Classroom instruction centers on addressing skill and knowledge gaps through a standards-based approach, and giving students a rich exposure to the full range of grade/age appropriate curriculum in English Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies. Reading, thinking and writing are core components of the school. Technology is integrated at every step, and practical skills such as the world of employment are addressed in the curriculum. Goals for students include gaining independence and increasing attendance to tasks, planning and completing long-range and complex assignments, and preparing for the next step. The school also uses individual portfolios and stresses oral, written, and media presentation activities and various fine art experiences to enhance student achievement. Social justice and political and social concepts are central themes used to develop overall refinement and effectiveness in thinking skills.
Consistent with the schools’ mission, the profiles of many of the students at Little House include:
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Students must be officially referred by the Boston Public Schools, reside in the City of Boston, and be 12-15 years old at the time of referral. Generally, students are in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Students must interview with their parents/guardians and make a commitment to the principles of Little House Education Program and may be asked to sign a compact signifying understanding and acceptance of them. Students who meet the admission requirements and are enrolled begin an assessment period which is regularly 30 school days. This is a mutual assessment period in which Little House assesses the student’s reaction to the program and the student forms his/her own opinion as to whether the program can meet their needs. Little House evaluation is based on the student’s performance during the initial period in regard to academic program, attendance, and commitment to the Safety and Respect Compact.
Little House School is not: