Hello, educatorca-ga!
You pose an interesting question. I have always assumed that
smaller schools were inherently “better” than larger schools, but your
question forced me to examine my own belief and discover whether it
had any merit!
The New Rules Organization has some very enlightening articles and
links concerning the benefits of small schools over larger ones. In
the article “Small Schools,” some of those benefits highlighted are:
Less violence
Improved student achievement
“Hundreds of studies have found that students who attend small
schools outperform those in large schools on every academic measure
from grades to test scores. They are less likely to dropout and more
likely to attend college.”
Strong community involvement among parents and neighbors, with
increased civic participation.
Greater cost-effectiveness. Even though the annual per pupil funding
is greater, the higher graduation rates mitigate the cost.
Read the entire article at
http://www.newrules.org/equity/smallschool.html
Violence in large high schools is a definite concern. A report by
the U.S. Department of Education, titled “Violence and Discipline
Problems in U.S. Public Schools: 1996-97”, reports that “more than
half of small school principals report either no discipline or minor
discipline problems, compared to only 14 percent of big school
principals. Furthermore, compared to schools with fewer than 300
students, big schools (1,000 or more) have 825 percent more violent
crime, 270 percent more vandalism, 394 percent more fights and
assaults and 1000 percent more weapons incidents.”
In fact, the shooting at Columbine, a high school with 2,000
students, was a wake-up call to the sense of alienation, isolation,
and violent activity that large educational institutions can foster.
The incident was a prime factor in prompting then Education Secretary
Richard Riley to convene a panel of school security experts. Their top
recommendation? Not metal detectors, gun control or police presence on
campus.“Rather, they said, reduce the size of the nation's schools.
Small schools are a powerful antidote to the sense of alienation that
can lead to violence.”
Read “Jack and the Giant School,” by Stacey Mitchell. Institute for
Local Self-Reliance (2000) at
http://www.newrules.org/journal/nrsum00schools.htm
Further excerpts about the benefits of smaller schools, from “Jack
and the Giant School” at
http://www.newrules.org/journal/nrsum00schools.htm, follow:
Achievement: “Small school students equal or outperform large
school students. Indicators used include grades, test scores, honor
roll enrollment, subject-area achievement, higher-order thinking
skills and years of education attained after high school. In Nebraska,
73 percent of students in districts with fewer than 70 high school
students enrolled in a post-secondary institution, compared to 64
percent of those in districts of 600 to 999 high school students.
These findings hold even when other variables, such as student
attributes or staff characteristics, are taken into account. Many
small schools are in rural areas, but researchers have concluded that
it is the smallness of the school, not it's setting, that makes it
successful.”
Sense of belonging: “Large schools function like bureaucracies,
small schools more like communities. Small school students are less
likely to feel alienated and more likely to report a strong sense of
belonging. Teachers in large schools might have 150 students each
semester. Students tend to be relatively anonymous and easily slip
through the cracks. Small schools enable teachers to work more closely
with a smaller number of students. This encourages teachers to go the
extra mile and enables them to respond to individual needs. The result
is that both students and teachers have a more positive attitude about
school.”
Parental involvement: Kids are not the only ones who are alienated
by large schools. Parents are as well. Studies have found that small
schools parents are more likely to be involved in their child's
education and to volunteer at the school. In rural areas, this is due
in part to the fact that small, local schools are close to home, while
consolidated schools may be many miles away.
Attendance/Dropout: Closely connected to a strong sense of belonging,
students at small schools have higher attendance rates. Students who
transfer from large to small schools also exhibit improved attendance.
Small schools graduate more of their students. In Nebraska, only 3
percent of those attending high schools with fewer than 100 students
dropped out, compared to a statewide average of 15 percent.
Extracurricular activities: Studies have found that participation
in extracurricular activities improves attendance and academic
performance. Students at small schools exhibit higher rates of
participation in extracurricular activities and individuals
participate in a wider variety of activities. In a school of 2,000
students, only the most talented will be recruited for the basketball
team or the drama club. The result is that a small number of gifted
students dominate the sports and activity rosters, while the vast
majority are relegated to spectator status. In small schools, sports
teams, musical groups and clubs depend on broader participation.The
number of extracurricular opportunities does increase with school
size. But a twentyfold increase in population produces only a fivefold
increase in opportunities. That is, as the school expands, an
increasingly smaller percentage of students are needed to fill the
available slots.
Poverty: Research has consistently shown that poverty exercises a
substantial negative effect on student achievement. The impact of
poverty is significantly reduced when kids attend small schools. In
fact, the larger the school, the more likely poor students are to
fail; the smaller the school, the more likely they are to succeed.
Curriculum: Even the smallest schools (100-200 students) are able
to offer core curricula comparable to schools of more than 1,200.
Moreover, small schools tend to be more flexible and allow teachers to
exercise greater control over curricula. As a result, small schools
more often apply innovative teaching methods, such as team teaching,
integrated curriculum and multi-age grouping, all of which have been
shown to improve student achievement.
The trend toward ever-increasing school size continues, however,
primarily due to economics and public policy. It is not unusual for
high schools to have as many as 2000-3000 students. Larger schools are
less expensive to operate on a per pupil basis. “In many states,
education funding formulas provide a flat rate per pupil and make no
adjustment for the higher costs of running a small school. This favors
larger schools and pressures smaller ones to close.”
Read “Small Schools.” New Rules Project at
http://www.newrules.org/equity/smallschool.html
Interestingly, many states are beginning to officially recognize the
benefits of small school size. The “Florida Small School Law, ” passed
in 2000, limits the size of new schools to:
Elementary School – 500
Middle School – 700
High School – 900
Read “Florida Small School Law.” New Rules at
http://www.newrules.org/equity/smallschoolfl.html
Vermont has also backed the “smaller is better” concept by adopting
Act 60, which provides grants to smaller schools and replaces the
local school tax with a statewide property tax, ensuring that everyone
pays the same rate, regardless of school district size and average
income level. In 1998, the Vermont Education Department backed up
their recommendations to the legislature with the following statement:
"Small schools in Vermont cost more to operate than larger schools but
they are worth the investment because of the value they add to student
learning and community cohesion." Read “Jack and the Giant School,”
by Stacey Mitchell. Institute for Local Self-Reliance (2000) at
http://www.newrules.org/journal/nrsum00schools.htm
For further information, refer to the following articles:
“Research about School Size and School Performance in Impoverished
Communities. ERIC Digest,” by Craig Howley. (12/2000) at
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed448968.html
“Taking Sides….,” by Jennifer Hosterman (3/24/2000) at
http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/morgue/2000/2000_03_24.opedyes24.html
I hope this information is helpful. It was very enlightening to me
and fun to research!
umiat-ga
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