In an effort to find out what makes small schools work, teachers, administrators, and students from seven small high schools in seven states were interviewed. While each school was different, themes that surfaced included the presence of varied forms of small learning communities, personalized learning plans, learner-centered assessment and…

Schools in East Oakland (California) serving minority groups experienced overcrowding, poor attendance and graduation rates, and violence. Community groups pressured the school district into opening six new, small charter schools and creating schools within schools at the high schools. Cooperation among community groups, the district, and the Bay…