Small Schools - Positive Outcomes

"School Size in Chicago elementary schools: effects on teachers' attitudes and students' achievement." American Educational Research Journal v. 37 no1 (Spring 2000) p. 3-31
Valerie Lee, Susanna Loeb

This study explores whether teachers and students are influenced by the size of the inner-city elementary school to which they belong. Focusing on teachers' attitudes about their responsibility for student learning and students' 1-year gains in mathematics achievement scores, we used data from almost 5,000 teachers and 23,000 sixth and eighth-grade students in 264 K-8 Chicago schools. The data were collected through 1997 surveys and annual standardized tests. We employed hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to estimate school effects. On both outcomes, small schools (enrolling fewer than 400 students) are favored compared with medium-sized or larger schools. In small schools, teachers have a more positive attitude about their responsibility for students' learning and students learn more. Even after taking size into account, learning is also higher in schools with higher levels of collective responsibility. Thus, we conclude that school size influences student achievement directly and indirectly, through its effect on teachers' attitudes.

"The Hobbit Effect: Why Small Works in Public Schools. Rural Trust Policy Brief Series on Rural Education," Lorna Jimerson, 2006

Across the country, states are pushing to close their small rural schools with the mistaken hope of saving money, in spite of overwhelming evidence that smaller schools are beneficial for students, and that they frequently function as the glue that binds together small communities, serving as their economic and social hub. The battle is even more illogical, the author contends, when compared with the opposing trend in urban areas, where reform efforts concentrate on breaking down dysfunctionally large schools and forming new, smaller learning communities.

"Small Learning Communities: Extending and Improving Practice," Diana Oxley. Principal Leadership, v6 n3 p44-48 Nov 2005

In this article, the author discusses small learning communities (SLCs), a term that is used to refer to the practice of organizing secondary schools into smaller units. Features of SLCs include small structure, curricular specialization and choice, a focus on the learner and learning, and, in particular, the active and collaborative nature of teachers' and students' work.

"School Size and Its Relationship to Student Outcomes and School Climate: A Review and Analysis of Eight South Carolina State-Wide Studies," Kenneth R Stevenson, 2006

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.

The author reviews eight school size studies performed by doctoral students and graduate faculty at the University of South Carolina. These studies examine the relationship of South Carolina school size to academic achievement and to costs per student at all grade span groupings, including elementary, middle, and high school. The studies are categorized by grade span covered, and their methodology and findings summarized. The authors find that the issue of school size is complex. Smaller middle schools produce better results academically. At the elementary and high school level, school size and outcomes may depend on the children served.

"Creating Small Schools: A Handbook for Raising Equity and Achievement", Dan French; Mary Atkinson; Leah Rugen, 2007, Corwin Press, 248 pages.

While current research shows that comprehensive high schools remain the norm, effective small-scale high schools feature lower student-to-teacher ratios, longer instructional blocks, more parent involvement, and increased advisory and student support. The resulting instructional benefits include reduced dropout rates, increased attendance, higher student achievement, and fewer discipline problems.

>"Houston Annenberg Challenge Evaluation Report, 2002: Lessons Learned on Urban School Reform." Pedro Reyes; Joy C Phillips, 2003, Houston Annenberg Challenge, 170 pages.

This report describes an evaluation study of the Houston Annenberg Challenge, which was a school reform initiative designed to improve the quality of Houston's diverse urban schools by promoting an academically rich and purposeful education for all students. The study examined academic achievement, comparing Annenberg schools with other schools in the region; school development, specifically in relation to the three goals established by the initiative concerning teacher learning, school isolation, and school size; and the long-term impact of the effort in building a framework for school reform throughout the region.

"New Small Autonomous Schools District Policy. Revised." Oakland Unified School District, CA, 2000

For full text: http://www.ousd.k12.ca.us.

Inspired by the gains in student achievement realized by the small schools movement in New York City, the Oakland Unified School District (California) has proposed creating a network of 10 new, small autonomous (NSA) schools over the next 3 years. School size will range between 250 and 500 students, depending on grade level. "Autonomous" means that the school has control over curriculum, instruction, and assessment consistent with state and district standards.

"Small is Beautiful in the Public Schools," San Francisco Magazine, Diana Kapp.

Summarizes Oakland's 2003 move to smaller schools and the positive impact the move has had on graduation rates, academic achievement, and student morale.

"Sizing Up What Matters," Neal McCluskey, 2002, Center for Education Reform.

"Smaller is better" is often the mantra of school leaders with regard to class size, while the benefits of smaller schools are ignored. Benefits of small classes seem obvious--teachers with fewer students could devote more time to each student. Conducted in 1985-89, Tennessee's Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) found that students in smaller classes for 4 full years, K-4, were 5 months ahead of peers by grade 8. These results were widely publicized and influenced public policy across the country. Subsequently, other researchers found major flaws in the STAR study, but policy implementation in other states had already begun. In 1996 California began a massive effort to lower the average K-3 class size from 28 to 20. Despite costing an estimated $8 billion, class size reduction has produced no achievement gains, according to state-commissioned evaluators. Other research in the United States and other countries has also failed to support small-class assumptions. On the other hand, a lot of evidence indicates that decreasing school size is a more promising reform than smaller classes. Research has shown that small schools can offer a strong core curriculum and comparable levels of academically advanced courses; are safer; and produce greater feelings of connectedness and engagement among students. Since World War II, the average school size has grown by a factor of five, student-teacher ratios have sharply declined, and academic achievement has fallen. These phenomena alone show that "smaller is better" for schools, not classes. It appears that politics may trump reality.

"The Impact of Setting and Size on a School's Culture and Climate," Cletus Bulach and Ronnie Williams, 2002-03-01

This research investigated the impact of school setting and size on the culture and climate of a school. Twenty-five schools and 1,163 teachers were involved in the study. There was a significant negative correlation between school size and the school's culture and climate. Other findings were that elementary schools had more positive climates than middle and high schools, and urban schools had less positive climates than rural and suburban.

"Small Schools and Teacher Professional Development." ERIC Digest. Michael Klonsky

Small schools can provide an environment well suited to new and improved forms and models of teacher professional development. A compact faculty size can support close interpersonal relationships, resulting in greater teacher collaboration on interdisciplinary units and personalized teaching plans for all students. Thus, the necessity and opportunity for shared professional learning are heightened. In small schools, teachers often use peer-coaching models in which teachers serve as coaches for other teachers and facilitate reflective professional development activities that enable them to know students and themselves better. Knowing students well also entails professional development that supports the teaching of students with special needs and those from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Small size allows personnel to shift their schedules as needed to support practices the school deems important. Relationships between teachers and administrators in small schools tend to be more personal and informal, resulting in greater cooperation among the staff. Innovations resulting from teacher experience are more likely to be recognized and implemented in small schools.

"School Size as a Factor in Elementary School Achievement." John Alspaugh and Rui Gao 2003-04-28

The relationship between elementary school enrollment and fifth-grade achievement was explored using data from a large urban Missouri school district. The district's 39 elementary schools received uniform allocations of resources from the district and used the same instructional materials but varied considerably in K-5 enrollment, socioeconomic status (SES), and student achievement. Stanford 9 NCE reading, mathematics, language, science, and social science achievement scores were compared for schools having K-5 enrollments of less than 200, 200-299, 300-399, 400-499, and 500 or more. Controlling for SES, as indicated by percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, statistically significant differences were found among the mean levels of achievement of students in the five school enrollment groups. Smaller schools tended to be in the older inner-city part of the district, while larger schools were found in the newer suburban parts of the district. There was a general decline in achievement as school enrollments increased, for both the inner-city and suburban schools.

"15 Small Schools" Rosalyn Spencer, Human Scale Education, 1999, 50 pages.

This report details findings from visits to 15 small schools associated with Human Scale Education. These schools are all different, reflecting the priorities of their founders. But there are features common to all of them--parental involvement, democratic processes, environmentally sustainable values, spiritual values, links with the local community, an emphasis in co-operation rather than competition, and mixed age learning. The characteristic that links them all is smallness, and it is their small size that makes possible the close relationships fundamental to good learning. By good learning, the schools mean learning in a holistic sense, encompassing the development of the creative, emotional, physical, moral, and intellectual potential of each person. Contact information, grade levels and number of students taught, and a brief history are given for each school. Educational philosophy, school-community relationships, educational practices, and grading systems are described, as well as the extent to which the national curriculum and SATs are used. Environmental education and activities, service learning, experiential activities, and exposure to the world of work are extensive. The governing structure of the school, the extent of student participation in decision making, and financing arrangements are described. Advantages of being small and specific problems encountered are also discussed.

"New Small Learning Communities: Findings from Recent Literature," Kathleen Cotton, Northwest Regional Educational Lab, Portland, 70 pages.

This document presents research findings about the results well-run small schools produce. It begins by giving definitions of the various types of small schools and smaller learning communities, such as focus or "theme" schools, freestanding schools, and schools-within-a-building. It discusses the requirements for success as identified by researchers and practitioners, and cites barriers to implementing effective small schools. An important point is that a small school does not provide a quick fix to problems in educating students or maintaining safety by virtue of its size, but, rather, it creates an environment that acts as a facilitating factor in promoting increased student learning, and enhancing collegiality among teachers and personalized relationships between teachers and students. Other benefits of well-run small schools include increased order and safety, higher school attendance and graduation rates, higher levels of extracurricular participation, greater parent participation and satisfaction, more positive teacher attitudes and satisfaction with their work, high-quality curricula that are well-aligned with national goals, and greater cost-effectiveness compared to larger schools. The paper ends with a list of World Wide Web resources and an annotated bibliography.

"School Size, School Climate, and Student Performance." Kathleen Cotton, Northwest Regional Educational Lab, 1996.

Details the major findings on school size in several areas: curriculum, cost effectiveness, achievement, student attitudes, behavior, dropouts, alienation, self-esteem of students, and teacher attitudes. In its extensive examination of the literature, it finds that academic achievement in small schools is at least equal--and often superior--to that of large schools; student attitudes toward school and student behavior are more positive in small schools; teacher attitudes toward work and administrators are more positive in small schools; students academic and general self-concepts are higher in small schools; and levels of extracurricular participation are much higher and varied in small schools.

"The Great Size Debate. Issue Trak: A CEFPI Brief on Educational Facility Issues," Sue Robertson, Council of Educational Facility Planners International.

This report reviews research that compares large schools to small schools in such areas as academic performance, class size benefits, operational problems, and student social development. A list of small school benefits for students, families, teachers, and the institution is included. The research indicates that as more schools-within-schools begin to function autonomously, they may yield desired student benefits at the most reasonable investment in capital and operations. While smaller classrooms appear to improve academic performance, some research also indicates that smaller class sizes can reduce teenage pregnancy rates and the need for disciplinary action. However, greater numbers of smaller classrooms are creating shortages of qualified teachers who can implement successful classroom learning. Efforts to provide smaller classrooms are also forcing school districts to quickly devise capital programs to address greater classroom numbers. Most of the research reviewed concludes that smaller class and school sizes are beneficial, with the greatest positive impact occurring for students from poorer families. Evidence supports the school-within-a-school approach and significant class size reductions in the primary grades

"Are Small Schools Better? School Size Considerations for Safety & Learning. Policy Brief." Joan McRobbie, WestEd, San Francisco, CA.

New studies from the 1990s have strengthened an already notable consensus on school size: smaller is better. This policy brief outlines research findings on why size makes a difference, how small is small enough, effective approaches to downsizing, and key barriers. No agreement exists at present on optimal school size, but research suggests a maximum of 300-400 students for elementary schools and 400-800 for secondary schools. Researchers focusing on the interaction between poverty and enrollment size offer a rule of thumb: the poorer the school, the smaller its size should be. Major benefits derived from small schools include: students learn well and often better; violence and behavior problems diminish, and attendance is higher and dropouts fewer. Poor and minority students benefit the most. Positive changes that smallness invites include the forming of strong personal bonds, parent and community involvement, simplicity and focus, improved instructional quality, improved teacher working conditions and job satisfaction, and built-in accountability. Barriers to downsizing include iconic notions of school; lack of time, resources, and technical assistance; system impediments; and cost concerns. State and district policies can support downsizing by providing incentives for creating small schools and removing disincentives that may exist in law or policy.

"Small Classes, Small Schools: The Time Is Now," Patricia Wesley, Educational Leadership v59 n5 p6-10 Feb 2002

Provides reasons why class size and school size are important school improvement ideas; highlights findings of selected research on class size and school size; relates personal teaching experience supporting benefits of both small classes and small schools; describes results of a study of an eight-teacher school-within-a-school in Chicago. Author reviews literature on small schools and small class sizes, determining that many independent and private schools utilize both small schools and class size to ensure student success. Author reconfirms that "educators know that students do best in places where they can't slip through the cracks, where they are known by their teachers, and where their improved learning becomes the collective mission of a number of trusted adults."

"The Influence of Scale," Craig Howley and Robert Bickel, American School Board Journal v189 n3 p28-30 Mar 2002

Schools and districts with large number of economically disadvantaged students are likely to have higher average test scores if both are smaller. Larger school sizes, up to a reasonable limit, improve average test scores in affluent communities. Achievement among larger schools in larger districts shows the strongest relationship with socioeconomic class (SES); smaller schools in smaller districts show the weakest relationship with SES.

"Why Small Schools Now?" Barbara Krysiak and Cecilia DiBella, School Business Affairs v68 n7 p25-29 Jul-Aug 2002

Reviews literature on small schools and school size. Describes the strengths of small schools, optimum school size, the impact of technology, relation to student achievement, public and educator concerns about school size, financial incentives for small schools, costs and benefits of constructing small schools, and administrative costs associated with small schools.

"A Study on the Relationship between Students' Achievement, School Size and Gender," Ed La Sage and Renmin Ye, 2000.

The relationship between school size and students' achievement in reading and mathematics by school level and gender was studied in order to illuminate issues of school size and equity and alternatives such as school-within-a-school plans. Data on 251,049 students from kindergarten through 12th grade were collected from 291 elementary, middle, and high schools in an urban Texas district. Correlations between academic achievement and school size were determined. For minority students, the effects of school size were mixed, with positive correlations for some groups at some levels that were not sustained at other levels. Findings do show that female students are negatively affected by school size in reading and mathematics at elementary, middle, and high school levels, while negative impact on males is only seen at the high school level. Previous research and the findings of this study suggest that smaller school sizes and smaller class sizes help educators understand and work with their students.

"When It Comes to Schooling...Small Works: School Size, Poverty, and Student Achievement," Craig Howley and Robert Bickel, Rural School and Community Trust, Randolph, VT.

This report summarizes a series of studies on school size, poverty, and student achievement. These studies analyzed 29 sets of test scores from various grades in Georgia, Ohio, Montana, and Texas to examine the relationship between school-level performance on tests, school size, and community poverty level. The studies found that as schools become larger, the negative effects of poverty on student achievement increase. The less affluent the community served, the smaller a school should be to maximize the school's performance. The well-documented correlation between poverty and low achievement is as much as 10 times stronger in larger schools than in smaller ones in all 4 states. These benefits of smaller schools seem to be particularly important at the middle grade level where children are approaching the age when they are most at risk of dropping out of school. While children of all races are as likely to be affected by the relationship between school size, poverty, and achievement, minority children are often enrolled in schools that are too big to achieve top performance given the poverty levels in their communities. Nine tables and graphs present findings from the studies. Three Web sites on small schools are listed.

"Small Schools. Issue Brief," Jan McComb, Oregon State Legislature, Salem. Legislative Policy, Research, and Committee Services.

This brief discusses the benefits of small schools and whether schools can be too small. For years, it was thought that larger schools could offer more comprehensive instructional programs of greater quality at lower costs than smaller schools. However, recent research indicates that larger may not be better, and that smaller schools may in fact be more productive and effective. Benefits include better attendance, lower dropout rates, better student attitudes, increased academic accomplishment, fewer discipline problems, increased adult connections, less cost per student, increased extracurricular activities, increased parental support, and better safety. However, can schools be too small? Studies have demonstrated that, ideally, high schools should have between 600 and 900 students. Research also supports earlier findings that school size is especially important for the most disadvantaged students.

"Small Schools Yield Big Educational Benefits," School Renaissance Inst., Inc., Madison, WI, 2000.

For the most part, education in the United States started out small, but the 20th century brought significant changes. The Industrial Revolution and immigration swelled American cities at the beginning of the century, and urban schools grew along with them. In the 1950s and 1960s, many communities, educators, and politicians focused on integration, and found it desirable to move from neighborhood schools to bigger, more diverse institutions which could offer students a more comprehensive curriculum and extra-curricular activities at a lower cost. This report discusses the benefits of small schools (between 350 and 900 students). The report contends that small schools offer a more rewarding experience for students and staff, as well as a degree of community experience that is rarely possible in large schools. It also states that research suggests that students perform better in small schools, and that research has begun to call into question James Conant's assertion that large schools are a better educational bargain. The report discusses how to accomplish a transition to smaller schools and points out that small size does not automatically ensure success or guarantee quality.

"Small Schools--A Reform That Works," An Occasional Paper of the Small Schools Coalition, Mary Anne Raywid, 1997.

This booklet addresses three questions about small schools, commonly posed by skeptics: "What do we really know about small schools?" What is there to recommend them?" and "Can we explain their track record?" With regard to the first question, large-scale studies compared the records of 300 students in 8 small New York schools prior to and after entrance; examined the records of 20,000 students in Philadelphia's public high schools, comparing small- and large-school student performance; and examined the test scores of 13,000 students in Alaska. Other studies involved nearly 12,000 students in 800 high schools nationwide. These studies consistently found that small-school students did better academically than did large-school students, and this was particularly the case for disadvantaged students; that size had more influence on student achievement than any other factor controllable by educators; and that the impact of size held at all grade levels, from elementary through high school. Besides positive effects on student achievement, small schools have much else to recommend them: at-risk students are more likely to achieve, there is less violence in school, students display more social concern, and dropout rates are reduced. This track record can be explained by small size, a nonconventional organizational structure, and a setting that operates more like a community than a bureaucracy. Smallness permits and invites a number of practices and arrangements recommended by educational research.

"The Academic and Social Effectiveness of Small-Scale Schooling," Journal of Early Education and Family Review v6 n1 p25-28 Sep-Oct 1998

Reviews research affirming the superiority of small schools, whether urban or rural. Includes studies on student and staff attitudes at small schools, extracurricular participation and attendance, underlying conditions that lend support for a smaller schools, and issues of equity

"When Is a School District Too Large? Too Small? Just Right? Lessons from Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Leonard Pellicer, School Business Affairs, v65 n11 p4-6,8-10,26-29 Nov 1999

The long-standing sentiment driving consolidation into larger school districts has shifted, though research shows no consensus on right size. Larger districts appear to benefit students from more affluent backgrounds, while penalizing those from poorer backgrounds. Different sets of organizational dilemmas arise from increasing or decreasing district size.

"School Size, Cost, and Quality," Stephen Lawton, School Business Affairs v65 n11 p19-21 Nov 1999

A 1970s research summary concluded that student participation decreases with increasing institutional size and that a school should be sufficiently small to need all of its students for its enterprises. Engaged students attend regularly, whereas marginalized students drift away. K-8 schools should not enroll more than 500 students.

Small Schools, Big Imaginations: A Creative Look at Urban Public Schools. Ed. by Michelle Fine and Janis Somerville. Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform. 166 pages.

School reform leaders from Chicago (Illinois), Denver (Colorado), New York (New York), Seattle (Washington), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and Los Angeles (California) created the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform to work to improve urban education so that all urban youth are well-prepared for postsecondary education, work, and citizenship. Papers in this volume provide insights into an approach advocated by the Cross City Campaign, the small schools movement. The following papers are included: (1) "Introduction: What's So Good about Small Schools? (Michelle Fine); (2) "Beginnings: An interview with David Sherman (United Federation of Teachers) in New York City" (New York); (3) "Urban Dreamcatchers: Planning and Launching New Small Schools" (Jacqueline Ancess); (4)"Small Schools: Spaces for Moral Outrage and Education for Social Justice" (Maxine Greene); (5) "Perspectives: Administrators" (Olivia Ifill-Lynch and Sylvia Gibson); (6) "Perspectives: Teachers" (Michelle Smith); (7) "Authentic Relationships: Honoring the Difficult" (Camilla Greene); (8) "Perspectives: Parents--Holding on to a Dream: Parents' Hopes and Fears for New Small Schools"; (9) "Perspectives: Students"; (10) "Perspectives: P.S. 261" (Arthur Foresta, Mark Buswinka, Billy Holiday, Michael Hopper, and students); (11) "Can the Odds Be Changed? (Deborah Meier); (12) "Marathon High School: Reflection Grounds Dramatic Restructuring" (excerpt from "The Five Schools Study: Restructuring Philadelphia's Comprehensive High Schools" produced by Research for Action for the Philadelphia Education Fund (ED 411 604)); (13) "Essential Elements of Small Schools" (Cross City Campaign); (14) "The Small School Movement: A Review of the Literature" (Robert Gladden); and (15) "The Effects of Size of Student Body on School Costs: New York City High Schools" (Patrice Iatarola, Leanna Steifel, Norm Fruchter, and Robert Berne).

"Simple Justice: Thinking about Teaching and Learning, Equity and the Fight for Small Schools," William Ayers, 1999.

Teaching is an intellectual task of serious proportions, in part because the student and situation are constantly changing. The task of teaching involves, as well as intellectual commitment, an ethical stance with an implied moral contract. A good teacher communicates a deep regard for students' lives and the belief that each student is unique and worthy of reverence. Regard extends to the insistence that students have access to tools with which to negotiate and transform the world. Ernest Gaines'" A Lesson before Dying" illustrates the position of a teacher faced with a resistant student and the self-reflection that comes with struggling to teach well. Teaching and learning are fundamentally relational, but large schools are most often structured in ways that make real relationship impossible. A small schools philosophy is a restructuring strategy that is aimed at the disconnection between teacher and student that often comes with the large school. The call for small schools puts the student at the center of the educational enterprise and places parents and communities at the center of school life. The fundamental message of the teacher is that the student can change his or her life. This task is easier in the small school environment.

"For Authentic Accountability Think Small," Barbara Kent Lawrence,

Journal of Education v. 185, n 3, pp 41-50, 2004

Relying on standardized tests to measure performance and determine accountability obscures the fact that only reciprocal rights and responsibilities can create authentic accountability. A student has the right to expect a teacher will begin on time with a well-prepared lesson, the necessary materials, and the skill to conduct a class. A teacher, in turn, can expect that a student will do homework, bring personal supplies to class, want to learn, and participate attentively. The right of the one is the responsibility of the other. Unfortunately, many American students and teachers cannot assume that these expectations will be met, and, without the accountability they foster, students' results on important tests will likely be deficient. The intent of this article is to think about the ways small schools succeed by holding people accountable through methods other than testing. It also provides some examples of how being small can help promote accountability in schools throughout the United States.

"Small Schools: The Numbers Tell a Story. A Review of the Research and Current Experiences." The Small Schools Workshop. Michael Klonsky, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago.

A compelling body of research shows that when students are part of smaller and more intimate learning communities, they are more successful. The latest research demonstrates that small schools, particularly schools of choice, have a measurably positive impact on inner-city students, especially those from minority and low-income families. The tradeoff for the wider selection of courses offered in large schools has been the sacrifice of coherence, intimacy, security, student choice, and teacher autonomy that a small school can offer. In small schools, the level of participation in all activities tends to be higher, and fewer students are marginalized. Research also suggests that restructuring schools can work and that reorganizing schools into smaller units has important benefits for minority and disadvantaged students. Dropout rates appear to decrease as schools get smaller, and the sense of community is enhanced. The experiences of those who have attempted to create smaller schools in the Chicago, Illinois public school system indicate that successful implementation ultimately depends on the adequate accommodation of old and new school structures and on transformation rather than the simple addition of innovative practices. A list of recommended readings is provided to supplement information.

"Small Schools: Research." Chicago Public Schools. http://smallschools.cps.k12.il.us/research/html.

Summarizes the major research on small schools to explain Chicago Public School's decision to not have an elementary school with over 350 children. Reiterates that small schools have higher attendance, equal or better levels of academic achievement (as measured in a variety of ways), higher levels of extra-curricular participation, and few problems with discipline.

"Small Schools, Real Gains," Patricia Wasley and Richard Lear, Educational Leadership 58, no. 6, pp 22-27, March 2001.

Article summarizes the research on the benefits of small schools. Small size is defined as fewer than 400 students. Such schools have strong relationships between adults and students, and between parents and school staff. School organization tends to be flat, with broadly distributed leadership, and professional development tends to be on-going and site-specific. Small schools develop their own culture, which typically revolves around hard work, high aspirations, and respect for others. Despite these benefits, cultural expectations and the notion that a large selection of courses is the best way to meet student needs discourages systems from promoting small schools and helping them thrive.

Small Schools - Positive Outcomes

Research Articles that Find that Small Schools Have Positive Outcomes

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