Do Smaller Schools Work?Do Smaller Schools Work?

Jennifer L. FongJennifer L. FongJoint Doctoral Program, UC Joint Doctoral Program, UC

Berkeley SFSU, SJSU, CSU-EBBerkeley SFSU, SJSU, CSU-EB

A Preliminary Look at the Effectiveness of Small Schools

and Smaller Learning Communities in California

BackgroundBackgroundAcademic Joint Doctoral Program in Urban

Educational Leadership (UC Berkeley, SFSU, CSU-EB, SJSU)

Member, First Cohort Research design proposal to be

submitted for review this summer

Stanford, M.A., Educational Administration & Policy Analysis; Prospective Principal’s Program, 2000

Yale, B.A., Biology; Teacher Preparation Program, 1993

Professional Assistant Principal, Mission HS,

San Francisco Unified School District , since 2001

Science Teacher, Mission HS, 1997-2001

Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching for California, 2000

Elementary School Teacher, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 1995-6

Science Teacher, H.S. for Environmental Studies, New York City, 1994-5

Informal Educator, New York Botanical Garden, 1989-1995

Rationale for ResearchRationale for Research

Small schools and smaller learning communities are popular.Numerous non-research articles support the

small school concept.The Federal Government has awarded $281

million dollars during the first three fiscal years of its Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program.

The Gates Foundation reports that it has awarded $733 million to high school reform.

Rationale for ResearchRationale for Research

Is small school reform really worth over $1 billion dollars?

What evidence demonstrates whether small school reform is producing results in America’s high schools?

What role does small school reform play in closing the achievement gap?

Preliminary Research PlanPreliminary Research Plan

To research the effectiveness of smaller schools and smaller learning communities, as measured by the graduates who are UC-eligible.

To analyze the effectiveness of smaller schools and SLCs in closing the achievement gap.

Preliminary Source of DataPreliminary Source of Data

The preliminary research proposal looks at a California high school database compiled by UC Berkeley Professor Bernard Gifford.

Definitions Used in This Poster

There is no clear consensus in the literature about the size of small schools. This poster defines these categories:

Very Small <250 students

Small 251-500 students

Medium 501-1000 students

Large 1001-2000 students

Very Large >2001 students

Minority students include African-American, Latino, Native American students.

Key Research Questions Are smaller schools in California more effective

than larger schools? Are smaller schools able to produce greater percentages of graduates who are UC eligible?

Are smaller schools able to more effectively narrow the achievement gap?

Do schools which participate in the SLC program demonstrate greater effectiveness than non-SLC schools? Does the initial year a school receives funding have an impact on the schools’ ability to produce graduates who are UC eligible?

Importance of ResearchImportance of Research Few peer-reviewed, experimental research

pieces exist in the literature regarding small schools, although many popular articles, reviews and handbooks advocate for small schools.

The existing literature suggest that small schools may: Produce increased achievement Result in increased student participation and

satisfaction with school Lead to increased staff coordination Promote equity for all students

Importance of ResearchImportance of Research

This research could have a significant impact on California schoolchildren.

Large and very large schools account for 1.4 million high school students, or 94% of the 9-12 regular high school population.

Very large schools average more than 50% minority students.

Impact on CaliforniaImpact on California

843 Comprehensive High Schools (9-12) 75% have more than 1000 students

CategoryNumber of

StudentsNumber of

Schools Percentage

Very Small <250 63 7.5%

Small 251-500 38 4.5%

Medium 501-1000 99 11.7%

Large 1001-2000 274 32.5%

Very Large >2001 369 43.8%

All UC eligiblegraduates

Very Small 31.7%

Small 38.9%

Medium 32.4%

Large 38.6%

Very Large 35.9%

Minority UC eligiblegraduates

Very Small 21.5%

Small 30.6%

Medium 24.4%

Large 25.8%

Very Large 25.8%

Small Schools have:Small Schools have:•highest rates of UC eligibility overall & for minority students•narrowest achievement gap

Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings

Small schoolsSmall schoolsSmall schools have highest UC eligibility

rates for all students & for minority students.

Smaller schools may be more effective at closing the achievement gap and promoting equity for minority students.

Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings

Smaller Learning CommunitiesAn initial review shows that the

achievement gap is lower in SLC schools than non-SLC schools

Also, the achievement gap narrows, or improves, the longer the SLC school has received funding.

More than 55% of the very small More than 55% of the very small and 40% of small schools and 40% of small schools show show nono achievement gap achievement gap

Total # of schools

# with no achievement

gap

% of schools within

category

Very Small 63 35 55.6%

Small 38 15 39.5%

Medium 99 29 29.3%

Large 274 30 10.9%

Very Large 369 34 9.2%

Grand Total 843 143

The opposite is worth stating: 90% of large and very large schools

show an achievement gap.

Category

Schools with achievement

gap

% of schools within

category

Very Small 26 41.3%Small 23 60.5%

Medium 70 70.7%Large 244 89.1%Very

Large 335 90.8%Grand Total 698  

Schools WITH an achievement gap (by size category)

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

Very Small Small Medium Large Very Large

Size Category

Per

cen

tag

e

Schools with NO achievement gap

(by size category)

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Very Small Small Medium Large Very Large

Size Category

Per

cen

tag

e

Preliminary data on SLCsPreliminary data on SLCs

Average2000 2001 2002 2003

Not part of SLC

Achievement gap-7.0% -9.0% -9.7% -10.3% -10.9%

Minority UC eligible graduates

26.1% 30.4% 23.5% 22.9% 25.5%

All UC eligible graduates

33.1% 39.5% 33.2% 33.3% 36.4%

Percentage minority

58.7% 64.3% 60.8% 60.4% 45.9%

The Longer a School Participates in the SLC

Program, the Narrower the Achievement Gap

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

2000 2001 2002 2003 Non-SLC

SLC Initial Funding Year or Non-SLC School

Siz

e o

f A

chie

vem

ent

Gap

ConclusionsConclusions Smaller schools appear to have a positive impact on

achievement gap of California high schools. Similarly, the achievement gap in schools with Smaller

Learning Communities is narrower than non-SLC schools.

It appears that small schools and (larger) schools with smaller learning communities may indeed be worth the millions of dollars being invested in them.

Additional data needs to be collected and analyzed in order to more fully address these research questions.