Research on School Size

Summary of Findings

Summary of Major Findings from 40 Studies in a library search of 2 major educational research databases (Education Abstracts and ERIC)

• Though "small schools" are defined in various ways (300-500 students), most experts agree that K-8 schools should not be above 500 and elementary (K-6) should not be above 350


• Benefits of small schools outweigh the disadvantages


• School systems get greater educational benefits from small schools than smaller classrooms


• Larger schools are a greater detriment to poor, disadvantaged populations.


• Larger schools are a greater detriment to girls, particularly in reading and mathematics (at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels).


• Many school systems are now returning to smaller school size


• Benefits of small schools found in both public and private institutions


• Benefits of small schools found in urban, suburban, and rural settings


• NO article explicitly cited disadvantages of small schools.

Advantages of Small Schools (From 34 articles)

• Teachers have a more positive attitude about responsibilities for students' learning than in larger schools.
• Higher levels of student accountability than in larger schools.
• Higher attendance rates than in larger schools.
• Higher student achievement rates than in larger schools.
• Fewer discipline problems than in larger schools.
• More parental involvement than in larger schools.
• Greater feelings of student connectedness and engagement than in large schools.
• Ability to focus on a strong core curriculum
• A more positive learning environment than in a large school.
• An environment in which teachers can experiment with new and improved educational tools.
• An environment that facilitates more teacher reflection and professional development that large schools
• Greater student participation in school activities than in larger schools
• For schools with a significant proportion of economically disadvantaged students, test scores are higher in small schools
• Students at risk of falling behind are more likely to achieve in smaller schools.
• Students display more social concern in smaller schools
• Smaller schools have a culture of mutual respect and hard work.
• Elite private and parochial schools purposely keep enrollments small to promote high academic achievement.

Impact of Consolidation on School System Financing (1 article that summarizes research)

• Inconclusive research on if consolidation leads to financial benefits.
• Consolidation can cut administrative costs, but other savings do not materialize.
• Schools that consolidate often do not realize financial benefits because they engage in post-consolidation capital products (e.g., new buildings)
• Consolidation can increase administrative costs and class size
• Consolidation is seen by some experts as a marginal reform
• Sharing services is seen as a better option than consolidation (since it makes it possible to educate students in small schools and have the economies of scale and buying power of a larger district)

Ambivalent Research on Advantages of Small Schools (from 5 articles)

• If weighed equally, poverty is a greater predictor of student achievement on test scores than school size. (This article does not, however, say school size has no effect on test scores.)
• Research on school size is unclear, so systems should avoid drastic reforms such as consolidation (if they have small schools) or movement to smaller schools (if they have large schools).
• In Nebraska, smaller rural schools lost funding after the state designed a new school funding formula.
• Test scores were not significantly different in rural K-8 versus K-12 districts in Missouri.