League of Small Democratic Schools

In 2004, John Goodlad and colleagues from the Institute for Educational Inquiry (IEI), a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1992, created the League of Small Democratic Schools (LSDS) with a grant donation from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. In August 2007, the League of Small Democratic Schools was renamed the League of Democratic Schools (LODS).

The purpose of the LODS is to promote professional development that emphasizes the growth of students as individuals who are successful members of a democratic society and to help preserve schools that successfully advance the Agenda for Education in a Democracy. The Agenda for Education in a Democracy is mission-driven and research-based, consisting of a four-part mission, a set of strategies, and conditions required for implementing the strategies. The four components of the mission include enculturation of youth into a social and political democracy, introducing the young to human conversation, practicing pedagogical nurturing, and ensuring responsible stewardship. The Agenda is primarily implemented by the Institute for Educational Inquiry, the Center for Educational Renewal at the University of Washington, and the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER).

Schools initially selected for participation in the LODS were chosen because of their commitment to preparing students to be productive members of a democratic society and their possession of the following five characteristics: (1) democratic purpose, (2) student achievement, (3) ongoing professional development, (4) approaches to learning, and (5) personalization. According to the Institute for Educational Inquiry (IEI), schools possessing democratic purpose believe that developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students require for successful participation in social and political democracy is the primary purpose of schooling. Schools evidencing student achievement demonstrate that students are and can be successful both academically and socially. For ongoing professional development, the IEI maintains that all members of the school community should engage in continuous learning. Schools with this characteristic use a variety of approaches, including engaging students with parents and other adults within the community. Finally, the characteristic of personalization is exemplified by schools through the deliberate personalization of relationships among students, teachers, parents, and administrators.

LODS initially consisted of 12 charter schools organized into geographic clusters. The clusters were organized to encourage both cross-age activity and the transfer of professional knowledge. Schools were (and are) required to identify a partner agency that in many cases is a member of the NNER. However, there is no direct requirement for partner agencies to possess an NNER membership.

Activities of the LODS are classified in two ways: professional growth and development, and protection and preservation. Professional growth and development are supported by the LODS through capacity building, provision of assistive materials, mutual assistance, supportive relationships, research, community engagement, and leadership development. Protection and preservation are supported by the LODS through local support, recognition, providing support in communications with the media, technical assistance in obtaining external funding, and providing access to expert help.

The IEI provides support to participating schools through funding the participation of school leaders in an annual leadership session, funding to support regional coordinators, technical support visits by IEI staff members/regional coordinators to schools in each cluster, cross-site visits, books and other materials, newsletter sharing information about work in the League, and membership recognition. [Page 513]The IEI lists the following benefits for participating schools: capacity building related to the school's vision, core values, and renewal; facilitated sharing of strategies and ideas; professional development to expand knowledge and strengthen connections between classroom practice and the Agenda; research and inquiry conducted and shared on successful practices; leadership development that expands knowledge/skills for effective leadership; collaboration in getting grants; provision of materials and expert help; communication and collaboration to strengthen local support; visitation sites and networking with national networks associated with the IEI; providing a forum for support and sustainabil-ity; and national recognition. Colleges also receive benefits for participating as partner agencies.

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