The Durham Performance Learning Center (DPLC) stands as a vital part of the Durham Public Schools system, offering a specialized high school experience designed to empower students who are seeking a different path to success. As one of three alternative schools within the district, DPLC is dedicated to enrolling and nurturing students who may have faced challenges in traditional school settings. If you or someone you know is looking for a supportive and flexible learning environment, the Performance Learning Center might be the perfect fit.
DPLC caters to high school students who have encountered obstacles such as academic struggles, attendance issues, or a lack of motivation in their previous schools. It’s also an excellent option for those simply seeking a different educational approach or atmosphere. What sets the Performance Learning Center apart is its commitment to personalized education. Through small class sizes, flexible scheduling options, and individualized academic interventions, DPLC strives to re-engage students with their education. Social and emotional learning support is also a cornerstone of their program, alongside comprehensive post-secondary planning activities, all aimed at guiding students back towards graduation and future success. The school fosters a warm, family-like culture, emphasizing genuine relationships between students and staff, and promoting creative strategies to meet the diverse needs of its student body. With a maximum capacity of 200 students, the Durham Performance Learning Center maintains a close-knit and supportive community.
Enrollment at the Performance Learning Center takes place at the beginning of each semester, welcoming students who have completed at least their first year of high school. To be eligible for consideration, applicants should have successfully completed courses in English I and Math I, and ideally Earth/Environmental Science and World History as well. A clean disciplinary record is also a requirement. It’s important to note that DPLC does not offer the Occupational Course of Study, nor does it provide ELL sheltered classes or ELL electives. The primary focus at the Performance Learning Center is to efficiently guide students towards meeting the minimum graduation requirements. Consequently, the curriculum consists of standard-level courses with a limited selection of electives, and does not include after-school athletics or activities on-site. However, DPLC encourages eligible students to participate in extracurricular activities at their base high schools and to pursue advanced academic opportunities through Durham Public Schools e-learning programs and partnerships with community colleges.
For students and families interested in exploring whether the Durham Performance Learning Center is the right choice, the first step is to complete an application available on the Durham Public Schools website or by contacting the school directly. The dedicated enrollment team carefully reviews each applicant’s academic history, attendance records, and disciplinary background to make informed enrollment decisions. Upon acceptance, both the student and a parent or guardian are required to attend an orientation session prior to正式 enrollment.
The Performance Learning Center Model: A History of Success
The Performance Learning Center model has a rich history, originating from Communities In Schools of Georgia. The first Performance Learning Center opened its doors in the 2002-2003 academic year. Since then, the PLC model has expanded significantly, with centers now operating in states such as Georgia, Arizona, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Virginia. This growth has been made possible through dedicated investments from various school districts and philanthropic organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, and the Nicholson Foundation. In Durham, the Performance Learning Center was established through a collaborative effort between Communities In Schools of Durham and Durham Public Schools, opening its doors in the 2007-08 school year and bringing this successful alternative education model to the local community.
The DPLC Creed: Guiding Principles for Student Success
At the heart of the Durham Performance Learning Center is a powerful creed that reflects the school’s core beliefs and commitment to its students:
- We believe that anyone who has an active desire to change his/her circumstances deserves the opportunity to work toward that goal.
- We believe that knowledge and success stem from a quality, personal education, the courage to face our fears, our failures, and our past and move beyond them, the ability to see a new path when the one we’re travelling compromises who we are and how we see ourselves, and a resilience that finds us firmly on our feet when we stumble along the way.
- We believe that the lessons we learn here are for us in part, but for others on the whole.
- We believe that anything worth having should be difficult to get.
- We believe that positive contributions to our community and school will only breathe more life into all the things we will accomplish.
- We believe that our experiences do not dictate who we are or who we will become.
- We believe that it is our right to strive for the greatness we know we can achieve.
- We believe that the sky is the limit.
This creed encapsulates the spirit of the Durham Performance Learning Center and its unwavering dedication to helping each student reach their full potential.
