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Performance Learning Center®
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Communities In Schools (CIS) and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) have partnered together to open an exciting new high school for selected CMS students. The Performance Learning Center® (PLC) is a small, non-traditional high school geared toward students who are not succeeding in a traditional high school setting.
The PLC model was developed by CIS of Georgia in 2003, and today there are more than 25 sites across the state of Georgia. Charlotte’s PLC, which opened in the fall of 2006, is the first in North Carolina. It is located at 1400 N. Graham Street, in the historic Parks Hutchison School building, The PLC incorporates CIS’s caring philosophy and approach that combines strong personal relationships between staff and students with an intense focus on academic achievement. A Services Coordinator, who is a CIS employee, coordinates non-academic services to support students, such as recruiting volunteers to be "career coaches" for students, job shadowing, internships, and community service activities.
The PLC’s business-like environment challenges students to complete assignments at their own pace, using an online computer-based curriculum. Students who have fallen behind in their credits will be able to move ahead in their classes more quickly, as well as have opportunities for dual enrollment in college courses.
CMS veteran principal Sherry Sigmon, previously at Coulwood Middle School, is the PLC's principal. Sigmon is energized about the unique learning environment of the PLC and feels it offers a much-needed option for a certain type of student. “The PLC is an excellent option for some students who may not be succeeding in their current school or who are at risk of dropping out,” Sigmon said. “But the student still must be highly motivated and have the desire to succeed. Only students who have strong self-motivation will be a good fit for the PLC environment,” she added.
Ann Clark, CMS Regional Superintendent for High Schools, says that the PLC program is not an “easy out” for students, but in fact requires students to pass courses at a higher level than in a traditional CMS high school. “The academic component of the PLC is just as rigorous, if not more so, than that of other CMS high schools,” said Clark. “What makes it unique is the computer-based curriculum and the concentrated focus on academics, course completion and the opportunity for dual enrollment in college courses.”
Students are recommended for the PLC by their teacher or guidance counselor, and students must complete an application and interview process.
For more information about the PLC, student enrollment requirements, or volunteering, contact the PLC at 980-343-1118 or plc@cms.k12.nc.us.
Here is the link to the PLC's own website: http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/plc
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The PLC is located at 1400 N. Graham Street, in the historic Parks Hutchison School building.
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