Growing concern about the quality of public education in the United States has driven numerous educational reform efforts across the last three decades. These reforms include increased accountability as exemplified by various requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the introduction of new curriculum and instructional methods in response to the standards movement and the redesign of public high schools, with an increased focus on creating small schools and small learning communities. Studies suggest students in small public high schools perform better academically, have higher attendance rates, feel safer, experience fewer behavior problems and participate more frequently in extracurricular activities. Additional studies show students who stand to benefit most from small school environments are those most in need, namely low-income students in low-achieving high schools in large urban areas, where graduation rates and low attendance are major problems. A 2007 study by New York University's Institute for Education and Social Policy reported that small schools have been shown to provide a positive social, as well as academic environment for students, and more effective interaction between students, teachers and administrative staff, contributing to higher attendance and graduation rates. (Contains 1 figure.)