Guest Viewpoint: When it comes to planning high schools: Think small
By Gerry House
11/19/02 - I imagine many readers are too young to remember the classic Volkswagen Beetle advertising campaign that began in 1959. It continued well into the 1960s and was heralded as the top ad campaign of the 20th century by Advertising Age.
The message was: Think small. In an age of dramatically big tail fins and conspicuous consumption, the small, practical Beetle defied the trends and appealed to the intelligent American consumer.
When it comes to schools and the best educational experience for our young people, I also appeal to the intelligent American school board member: Think small.
Forty years ago, around the same time the VW Beetle was introduced, James B. Conant promoted a highly influential campaign through the Carnegie Corporation that advised school boards and educators to take the opposite approach: Think big.
Conant urged that small schools be consolidated into large high schools. His rationale was that bigger was better, that students could be offered more variety, and that it was bound to be more cost-effective - you know, economies of scale and all that.
Well, we certainly have bigger high schools now. According to a recent study, the percentage of secondary schools enrolling more than 1,000 students has grown from 7 to 25 percent in the past 50 years.
Everything goes in cycles. After years when SUVs kept getting bigger and fiercer, the new Beetle was launched and was a huge success in the marketplace.
Likewise, small schools have become popular again. People like New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein are declaring small high schools a top priority and are directing precious resources toward establishing them.
Why are small schools getting so much attention these days? What can small schools do that large schools can't?
In a small school, there is a caring atmosphere. Principals know every student by name. Students, teachers, and counselors get a chance to really know each other well. Parents are much more likely to play an active role.
Small schools create focused environments where students have more opportunities to have trusting relationships with adults.
Studies have shown that when such a trusting relationship exists, students are much more likely to attempt and persist at rigorous work and thus reach higher standards. When students are in an emotionally secure atmosphere, they feel more confident and have less fear of failure.
Small schools shine by almost any criteria. According to the School Redesign Network at Stanford University, "Educational researchers have found that, all else equal, in comparison to large schools, small schools tend to have better attendance rates, stronger academic achievement, lower dropout rates, higher grades, fewer failed courses, greater participation in activities, less vandalism and violence, fewer behavioral incidents, and especially strong academic results for low-income students and students of color."
Another major benefit of small schools is greater teacher satisfaction. And although common sense would lead you to think that small schools would be more expensive to operate, surprisingly, that is not the case.
According to a new study by the Rural School and Community Trust, titled Dollars & Sense, "Creating facilities for small schools can be done cost-effectively, and . . . in fact, the cost of large schools is higher considering their negative outcomes."
What do we mean by small? A small high school, with grades 9-12, would have no more than 300 students, or 75 students per grade level. In school districts where this is not feasible, small learning communities - schools within schools - are the next best thing.
The Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) has had more than 12 years of success with the small learning community model, helping some 2,000 at-risk students in middle and high school stay in school, improve their academic performance, and graduate. ISA programs have achieved graduation rates of 96 percent, with 85 percent continuing to college.
ISA is now partnering with Teachers College at Columbia University to pilot a scalable model of the ISA program for high school students. Based on ISA's experience and the latest research findings, we believe the most effective secondary school programs rest upon seven principles:
• a cohort of students, beginning with grade 9 and adding a grade each year until a 9-12 cohort is built;
• a dedicated, consistent group of teachers who stays with the cohort through graduation;
• inquiry-based instruction incorporating strong literacy and numeracy components;
• continuous professional development and coaching for teachers and counselors;
• an extended day and school year;
• student support through counseling, parent involvement, and youth development activities; and
• continuous organizational improvement
After only one year, the ISA program is showing promising results. From the first quarter to the end of the year, students' attendance and grades increased considerably.
One high school principal noted the "deep commitment and engagement" of all involved. A teacher commented that the intense professional development is "helping students by helping teachers meet students' needs better."
And a student reported: "I focus more on education, and my concentration has gotten better. So have my grades."
As higher standards for graduation become the universal mandate, the country's dismally high number of dropouts - 7 million - is at risk of climbing even higher. Schools will need new strategies to prepare and retain their students for success and forestall a crisis for society as a whole. Small learning communities are a strategy worth pursuing.
So when you're planning a new school for your district, or reconfiguring an old one, think small. But when you're anticipating successful, satisfying outcomes for your students, teachers, and community, think big.
N. Gerry House is president and CEO of the Institute for Student Achievement in Lake Success, N.Y.
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| Reproduced with permission from the Nov. 19, 2002, issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2002, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |