Does size matter?

Came across a compilation of research by the National Conference of State Legislatures about smaller learning communities, which schools are using to break up larger high schools. These would be incorporated into the new Garden City High School if the bond issue passes, and the building would actually be structured to house them. It sounds like GCHS would be headed in the direction of “career academies,” in which students choose an academy based on a field of interest, and their academic and vocational classes are geared to that theme. The students in the academy would stick together and the teachers would collaborate.

According to the conference’s report, here’s what the research shows about smaller schools/learning communities:

• They “support academic achievement” – Apparently, some studies show achievement is higher in SLCs, while others show it’s equal to other environments.
• They promote academic equity (closing the achievement gap)
• Student attitudes and behaviors are more positive
• Extracurricular participation rates are higher
• Attendance is higher and dropout rates are lower
• Students feel better about themselves and others (perceptions of themselves academically and in general)
• Smaller schools prepare students for college as well or better than larger schools

There’s also a U.S. Department of Education grant that supports development of small learning communities in schools of 1,000 or more students.

What does this mean to the bond issue? It seems a lot of research says small schools are the way to go, but is USD 457’s small learning community plan best? The school would be designed with different wings, and a “community” would fit in each wing (kind of like the houses in Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, I suppose), but GCHS is managing to operate an engineering/construction academy and a health science academy now in its current building. Staff say, though, that it doesn’t work as well as it could because all the classes in the academy are spread out, so it’s hard for, say, the welding teacher to collaborate with the math teacher.

The research also advocates small schools in general, which begs the question of whether adding a second high school would be a better plan. (Three board members preferred this idea, and the administration recommended it, but bond issues to add a second high school to Garden City have failed twice.)

Irrelevant but intersting side note: This blogger recommends New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman as the next secretary of education — apparently he’s a big backer of small learning communities — but predicts the choice will be Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.