Describes how some large high schools (1,000 or more students) are using innovative approaches to provide more personalized learning environments for students through the use of "home bases," house plans, and small academies. Also describes how one principal created a "nurturing and caring" environment for a 2,900-student high…

Staff at an Ohio high school with 1,200 students decided to create a more welcoming, supportive place for all students; initiate advisory periods; put up student pictureboards; provide career-exploration and social development opportunities, and radiate a steady diet of caring and friendly attention. (MLH)

The formal curriculum has a counterpart "hidden curriculum" of values and behavior, which is taught implicitly by the social systems of the school. Recent ecological studies have revealed the operations of school social systems in sufficient detail to suggest implications for the socialization of students and academic learning.…

Discusses national survey of high school teachers and parents of high school students. Finds that while teachers and parents associate small schools with certain positive effects such as low dropout rates and high parent involvement, educators planning to reduce school size must resolve several parent and teacher concerns such as class size. (PKP)

Compares a 1970s-era Canadian high school's failure to sustain its innovative character with challenges faced by a similar, recently founded high school. Both schools experienced problems with leadership succession, staff recruitment and retention, expanding enrollments, district and policy context, and community support. Recommendations are…

An Alberta high school principal describes the process of transforming a small vocational training school into an innovative school of science and technology. While preparing school plans, this principal learned the importance of open discussion. Community participants identified seven topics for further study that were later incorporated into a…

Presents the results from a 1984 national survey of high school community service programs. Findings include: 27 percent of high schools offer some kind of community service programs, enrollments vary greatly, females outnumber males, more than half of the programs have no hispanics, and 36 percent have no black students. Includes tables,…

Describes how a vertical teaching team established a school-within-a-school for grades 1 to 4 at Narcoossee Community School in St. Cloud, Florida. Includes planning, space allocation, curriculum content, and across-grade coordination. Describes benefits to teachers and students. (PKP)

Describes how several small schools have collaborated with the community and shared facilities, such as a former church, a former carriage factory, a medical complex, and a community college. Some of these small schools use social-service agency staff, others create schools-within-schools, and still others become charter schools. (PKP)

Presents planning lessons from the Community Involved Charter School, a Jefferson County (Colorado) grassroots initiative. Planners should seek community involvement in envisioning the school; define roles for students, parents, teachers, and community members; decide how to administer the school; decide on specifics, such as school size; and seek…

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.…

Describes seven school downsizing models adopted by school districts in several states to create small schools and schools-within-schools, including inadequacy of "policy by exception." Discusses policy-related challenges of schools-within-schools and small schools. Argues that state and school district policies and structures need to support, not…

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: The research summarized here suggests that: Children learn more than academic content from their school experiences, especially how to behave in nonfamily groups. Congruence between the school and community can contribute significantly to a sense of community among both adults and youth, but at some…

Based on societal, economic, and demographic trends (summarized in sidebars), this article forecasts an educational "ideascape" stressing active and service learning, higher cognitive skills, a past/present/future curriculum focus, lifelong learning, whole-person and transdisciplinary education, personalized learning, early childhood education,…

Reports research findings on efforts to reform large urban high schools by creating smaller learning communities: Size matters, but quality matters more; small schools should be created, not imposed; small school need to be accountable. Argues that given these elements, smaller learning communities will significantly improve achievement for all…