Are Small Schools Better For Students?
Most folks take note when Bill and Melinda Gates contribute to a cause. One of the movements that Bill and Melinda Gates are supporting is the establishment of “small schools” in America.
Parents in Dublin have commonly heard that students are better served by a high school of more than 2,000 students than by a smaller high school of 1,000-1,200 students; however, recent studies have shown that a host of benefits can be enjoyed by schools with smaller learning environments:
- Higher student academic achievement
- Students have greater visibility with teachers
- Reduced violence and disruptive behavior
- Improved attendance and graduation rates – this translates into more state funding that can be used to support school programs
- Increased teacher satisfaction
- Greater cost-effectiveness in terms of amount spent to educate each graduating student
Not surprisingly, the average enrollment of the top 10 high schools in America is 681 students according to U.S. News & World Report. Small learning environments can be stand-alone schools, small schools sharing administrative resources, or large schools that have small learning environments. Many large schools are going through conversions to set up smaller learning environments. The target for small schools or large schools making the conversion is to have 250-300 students per grade level.
What Do Good Small Schools Have In Common?
Successful small schools share many of the same traits. For example, students are more visible to teachers in smaller learning environments. Additionally, teachers all know one another and tend to collaborate more frequently. Please click here to watch a video example of two math and science teachers collaborating to create a more integrated learning experience for their students while conducting experiments with homemade rockets.
Successful small schools also have non-exclusive admissions policies, involvement of families in the school community, and curriculum that’s integrated around a coherent focus (e.g., academic majors such as AP/Honors, Arts and Humanities, and Applied Technology).
Tassajara Prep, Dublin’s new public high school opening in 2012, will provide Dublin’s high school students with all of the advantages noted above through the creation of small learning environments that are focused on collaboration, integration of technology in the classroom, sterling academic performance, and extracurricular enrichment programs.
12:26 PM on November 9th, 2009
There is a good debate to be had here – one that is playing out in multiple ways in the education corridors. Another example that could fit within the structure we already have in place in Dublin – an excellent high school with a capacity for 2,500 students – is a Smaller Learning Communities Program. An excerpt from ”
http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/index.html” below:
“The Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program awards discretionary grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to support the implementation of SLCs and activities to improve student academic achievement in large public high schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more students. SLCs include structures such as freshman academies, multi-grade academies organized around career interests or other themes, “houses” in which small groups of students remain together throughout high school, and autonomous schools-within-a-school, as well as personalization strategies, such as student advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs.”
The point I’m making is the debate isn’t as simple as “small school” vs. “large school” – there are many ways approach this philosophy while taking advantage of the $120M brand new facility Dublin taxpayers have funded in Dublin High. Universities, in effect, are large campuses with “schools within schools” – communities that co-exist while benefiting from shared resources (performing arts, athletics programs and clubs/extracurricular programs benefit from a larger pool of students). International Baccalaureate programs are another example of a “school within a school” approach. These are items I am encouraging our school district to consider – and I encourage anyone with an interest in Dublin education to engage our school district with ideas.
On a personal note I went to a high school with a “house” system (students divided into houses to create community) – and I enjoyed the experience.
2:08 PM on November 9th, 2009
I’m surprised there is not much talk regarding a student’s own desire to learn and acceptance of responsibility for their future. You can throw as much money into the education system as you want. But one thing that would definitely help improve academic achievement is the willingness to learn by the students themselves. If a kid doesn’t feel like earning a high school diploma and going on to college, then just let them go an alternative route such as Wyotech or a hair salon school. At least then this country will have more competent mechanics and hair stylists. Why force kids to study when they don’t want to. It’s almost like parents forcing kids to do baseball, football, basketball, piano, volunteer work. Some kids just aren’t meant to be.
7:19 PM on November 9th, 2009
I agree, but the operative word is “could.” Will it? Only if there is competitive pressure from Tassajara Prep, do I see this possibility at DHS.
1:21 AM on November 14th, 2009
Parents organizing and presenting their case to the school district and school board has an impact with or without competition from another Dublin high school (there is lots of competition – from Pleasanton, from San Ramon and Danville, from local private schools).
I’ll provide three specific examples where I was directly involved in rallying parents to impact change:
- bond funds focused primarily on the high school (several years ago there was an attempt by the prior board to redirect high school bond funds to other projects) – parents organized, rallied, and won
- 9th Grade Advanced English for Dublin High – one of 21 AP / Honors / Advanced classes – this was added in part because of engaged parents effectively lobbying the school board and high school administration; worked on that several years ago and now my older daughter is thriving in that class
- Advanced Scholars Diploma – recently passed – again, a group of coordinated, motivated and well prepared parents lobbied successfully to get both the school and district to present a formal proposal to the school board which passed unanimously (and was going to pass with or without a charter school in the wings)
We live in a small town with a small school district – parents that take the time to engage with the school board, district and local schools make an impact.
Would be great to have you participate in our lobbying efforts to keep our schools moving forward – please feel free to call me at (925) 456-4316.