, ▁re defined ▁Washington ▁High ▁School ▁as ▁a ▁college ▁prepar atory ▁school , ▁and ▁George ▁Washington ▁Pre par atory ▁High ▁School , ▁" The ▁P rep ," ▁became ▁an ▁academic ▁institution ▁for ▁gr ades ▁ 9 – 1 2 . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁re organ ization ▁of ▁Washington ▁Pre par atory ▁High ▁School ▁into ▁Small ▁Learning ▁Commun ities ▁( S LC s ) ▁began ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁S LC ▁is ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁unity ▁and ▁coh es iveness ▁and ▁to ▁fost er ▁the ▁individual ▁needs ▁of ▁students . ▁The ▁S LC s ▁that ▁were ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁effort ▁are : ▁E tech ▁( Engine ering ▁and ▁Technology ); ▁EL MS ▁( E th ics , ▁Le ad ership , ▁and ▁Med iation ▁Sch ol ars ); ▁S . T . A . R . S ▁( Visual ▁and ▁Perform ing ▁Arts ); ▁B IZ ▁( Bus iness ); ▁SH AP E ▁( He alth ▁and ▁F it ness ); ▁and ▁Law ▁and ▁Justice . ▁The ▁three ▁Mag net ▁programs ▁have ▁remained ▁int act . ▁During ▁subsequent ▁years , ▁Washington ▁added ▁Perform ing ▁Arts , ▁Math / S cience , ▁and ▁Communic ation ▁Arts ▁Mag net s ▁and ▁achieved ▁hon ors ▁in ▁sch ol astic , ▁athlet ic ▁and ▁extra - curr icular ▁competition . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁and ▁particip ate ▁in ▁senior ▁activities ▁such ▁as ▁prom , ▁senior ▁pic nic