In this paper, a companion piece to "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools" (ED544382), the authors analyze small high school spending in three urban districts--Baltimore City, Boston, and Chicago--to understand whether it is higher than in larger schools; if it is, why it is different; and the policy…

As we engage our students in social studies topics--whether at the college level or the secondary level--we are charged with promoting habits of mind and thought that produce our country's citizens. If we are doing our jobs, we are insistent about finding ways to connect the democracy in our classrooms with the democracy in our culture, and thus…

In recent years, the teaching staff from the Central Queensland school of Wowan State Primary School have been responding to recently released Education Queensland initiatives or whole school literacy planning, "Literate Futures: Reading" (Education Queensland, 2002), and a framework for pedagogical reform, "Productive…

Recent research literature suggests that students benefit from positive relationships with their teachers. Small high schools attempt to formalize expectations for such relationships through a variety of organizational structures, including the advisor role. As advisors, teachers work with a group of students in order to guide and support them.…

This monograph reviews literature on school and class size for its relevance to the concerns of CREATE [Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity]. It estimates the numbers of small schools and numbers of children learning in small schools worldwide. It assesses the implications of school size, large and small, for…

This study examined the reasons that four high school students who had previously refused to attend school willingly attended an alternative K-12 school for students with special needs. The two research questions that framed this study were (a) why do students who refused to attend their regular schools willingly attend Brookfield Park? and (b) in…

Recent school tragedies in Wisconsin, Colorado, and Pennsylvania challenge school planning and management leaders to face a crucial decision: will such events be permitted to inspire educational fortresses based on the divisiveness of fear or will we rise to the higher mission of creating learning environments that welcome, unify and inspire…

A coalition of small high schools in New York state is challenging the notion that using standardized tests and curricula is the best way to prepare all students for college-level work. The New York Performance Standards Consortium is a network of 40 schools that have agreed to use common performance assessments as a requirement for graduation,…

In response to Mr. Ayers and Mr. Klonsky, Mr. Duncan argues that Chicago's Renaissance 2010 initiative is holding adults accountable by closing low-performing schools rather than trapping children in a failing educational environment.

Small high schools organized around themes are distinguished by engaged students and collaborative faculties. Ms. Raywid describes schools that have adopted a variety of themes, all of which have resulted in student success. (Contains 5 endnotes.)

This paper provides 11 steps on how to build a strong journalism program in a small high school. The categories discussed include: what is meant by a strong program; particular problems of small schools; additional problems affecting schools regardless of size; the advisor; the program; the staff; facilities and equipment; work environment;…

For many rural residents, life is often characterized by harsh circumstances that threaten the very fabric of their existence, while for others, who tend to identify with a higher socio-economic class, rural living is a conscious choosing of an alternative lifestyle. Schools within these rural communities would also be quite different from their…

Zions First National Bank in Utah adopted a local school in Garrison with a student body of 11, and invited them to participate in their Christmas tree program and a field trip to Salt Lake City. The venture proved so popular and rewarding for the children and bank staff that more field trips were funded and later, when the school burned down, the…

Despite all the rhetoric about the quality aspect of small schools, the discussion inevitably boils down to a consideration of cost. The issue of cost differentials associated with school size requires an examination of the cost implications of alternatives. There are definite economies of scale associated with size; however, there also appears to…

The term "Community Relations" is descriptive of the way of life for a school administrator in a small district where administrators are closer to the public. Community relations is more than just a steady stream of news releases or articles published in the annual town report. Community relations is (1) the total effort that an…