Searching for ways to help students feel more connected to one another and to the school community as a whole, a junior high school implemented the social house approach. Social houses divide students into multiple social units, rather than into separate academic entities. Each unit has its own identity and theme.The different groups mix during the day in regular classrooms but divide into their four houses during social and academic competitions, community service activities, and schoolwide leadership meetings. The houses reflect the diversity of the school; students of varying races, ethnicities, ages, and academic abilities interact. Teachers and staff members are assigned to the houses to encourage stronger relationships between adults and students. As a result of the program, the schools' suspension and bullying rates have significantly decreased. Student achievement also improved, as measured by a rise in the school's Academic Performance Indicator test scores.