This article presents case studies of five students who had experienced school failure and chose to attend either of two public charter schools in Texas. In all cases, small school and class size appeared to be the critical factors in the creation of small, caring, learning communities that promoted changing attitudes and negative school…

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…

Each month "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This March 2004 issue includes the following: "Where Children…

Most of the recent literature on the achievement effects of school size has examined school and district performance. These studies have demonstrated substantial benefits of smaller school and district size in impoverished settings. To date, however, no work has adequately examined the relationship of size and socioeconomic status (SES) with…

Based on public opinion, public schools have never made the kind of dramatic, positive impact on the lives of the poor that it originally intended. In order to assess whether public schools are effective or not, the author attempts to answer several questions. These questions include: (1) Is school a sorting mechanism?; (2) Is public education a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of per-pupil funding, the amount allocated to fund students in K-12 public education, and how this funding related to student achievement. This is one of the most contentious issues in education, especially in light of the current economy in California, where the state budget crisis has…

Most of the scholarship and commentary on mathematics education deals with issues of curriculum and instruction; this is understandable in a field logically belonging to the domain of curriculum and instruction. Moreover, issues of teaching and learning are compelling to people who love to learn and teach mathematics. Policy receives shorter…

Written by an interdisciplinary group of experts in education, psychology, sociology, and other fields, this landmark handbook provides a thorough examination of U.S. secondary education from the private academies of Colonial America to the comprehensive high schools and alternative schools of today. This accessible compendium is a treasure trove…

Dramatic reductions in the dollars available for public education require a new and systemic approach to balancing school district budgets. This manual provides numerous examples of successful budget reduction strategies based on a six-step process that has demonstrated its effectiveness in small, medium, and large school districts. Supported by…

This dissertation reflects the outcomes of a small school district that is successfully incorporating 21st century skills with the demands set forth by our current educational policy, No Child Left Behind. Considerations regarding globalization, future work force and work skills, definition of 21st century skills, supporting 21st century skills in…

The United States Department of Education (2008) noted that the percentage of ethnic minority students in public education increased from 22 percent in 1972 to 43 percent in 2006. This increase largely reflected the growth of the Hispanic population, especially in the state of Texas. Richard (2003) reported that Hispanic students drop out of…

This paper explores the impact of school district organizational structure on the productivity of educational systems and describes the implementation in New York State of a collaborative study process involving school district reorganization. The case for organizing schools or districts into larger units is typically made on either efficiency or…

As part of a 45-state study, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed during the 1982-83 school year to 70 of Oklahoma's 237 public K-12 school districts enrolling fewer than 1,000 students; the questionnaire requested information about rural districts, teachers, students, and school programs. For the 45 responding districts, average student…

A study was undertaken to rank the California Community Colleges according to a transfer ratio determined by the number of transfers compared to institution size. For each college, transfer ratios were computed by dividing the college's fall 1992 credit enrollment by the number of transfers from the college in the 1993-94 academic year. Four…

Today, the division of large schools into subschools or subunits is often recommended as the answer to a number of problems in education. This paper examines the several forms of school-downsizing efforts and the somewhat diverse purposes for which they are being established. The data come from a review of literature and an evaluation of 22…