Evidence suggests: (1) a negative relationship exists between some educational outcomes and school size; (2) the minimum efficient sizes of elementary and high schools are about 300 and 500, respectively; and (3) schools will tend to be smaller and more efficient under voucher systems than under public systems. (RL)

The relationship between high school size and student learning was studied using three waves of data from the National Education Longitudinal Study with hierarchical linear modeling to examine achievement growth in reading and mathematics. Results suggest that the ideal high school enrolls between 600 and 900 students. Exceptions are discussed.…

Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education provide a foundation for organizing a workshop on improving undergraduate education in a large university. In such a workshop, each participant responded to five questions concerning the principle of his or her choice, and the implications for a given institution were discussed. (MSE)

Redesigning education to recreate an ecologically sustainable community is a critical societal need. Educators should focus not on technological fixes, but on formulating new cultural assumptions. As Wendell Berry realized, genuine improvement will begin only in the country. Rural schools should stop emulating urban and suburban schools and attend…

Summarizes findings of a study exploring student attitudes to schools of different size. A semantic differentiate scale of attitude toward school was completed by 4,746 (British) pupils from 192 primary or junior schools. Those attending schools of 60 or fewer showed more positive attitudes than those attending larger schools. (45 references) (MLH)

Despite their reputation for excellence, private schools cannot absorb the burden of educating all youngsters desiring to flee public education. Private schools are expensive and succeed because of effective leadership, small school size, and parent involvement. Public schools must be freed from the stranglehold of teacher unions and central…

Six college advancement professionals respond to a hypothetical case of across-the-board cuts in nonacademic departments by telling how they would make budgeting choices. The strategies used include involving senior advancement managers as a team, cultivating consensus, preserving priority projects, sharing responsibility among departments,…

Schools that would gain the most from technology face the greatest obstacles. A study of four large urban school districts (Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland) reveals common barriers: overwhelming size, deteriorating buildings, pervasive poverty and inequity, high teacher turnover, low expectations, insufficient staff development,…

Discusses school-design concepts that can help create safer schools that provide a supportive environment where teachers can know their students better and where continuity of learning is fostered. Emphasis is away from building large-scale schools to more compact learning environments. (GR)

Recognizes award-winning school architectural designs in K-12 schools and universities illustrating innovative, yet practical, solutions in planning, design, and construction. Project information including school location, statistical data covering school size and project costs, and the architectural firms involved are provided. (GR)

Combines budget and performance information to study the effects of high school size. Suggests that since small high schools are more effective for minority and poor students, and the budget per student is found to be similar for small and large schools, policymakers might support the creation of more small high schools. (SLD)

Discusses school design trends for K-12 public schools focusing on such issues as school size, interdisciplinary learning, team teaching, and less rigid classroom structure and more independence for students. Strategies and questions to consider for achieving design goals for the future are highlighted, including classroom shapes for elementary…

Examines several alternative ways for school districts to reduce the construction costs of new facilities. Finds that spacing out the start of facility construction projects and building during economic downturns in the construction industry offer the best options for construction cost savings. (PKP)

This paper studies teacher mobility using matched employee-employer panel data from Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools. The Norwegian institutional setup with completely centralized wage setting for teachers is ideal to analyze the effect of non-pecuniary job attributes on quit decisions. We find that teachers tend to leave schools with…

The aim of this study was to investigate differences, if any, in reading achievement among Swedish pupils 9 years of age with respect to school size and location. Data from the IEA reading tests for approximately 3400 children in 124 different schools were used for the analyses, which were carried out using a structural equation modelling…