Barbara Kent Lawrence, Steve Bingler, et. al.
2002
Written by nine scholars and sponsored by Concordia LLC, the Rural School and Community Trust and the Gates-supported KnowledgeWorks Foundation, this report recites the familiar arguments in favor of small schools: children attending them are less likely to cause trouble and to drop out. They're more apt to participate in extra-curricular activities, to join in class discussions, to have parents involved in the school, to go on to college, etc. What's new here is the authors' assertion that building small schools is not cost-prohibitive, indeed that it's "fiscally responsible" to spend tax dollars on small school facilities. That may be true. But what's missing here, as in most odes to smallness in schooling, is a cogent discussion of what else is needed for schools to succeed: high standards, a terrific curriculum, quality leadership, knowledgeable teachers, strong assessment and accountability, and data-driven decision-making. Unfortunately, the education world has its share of schools that are small but bad. They be found in the traditional public sector and also among charter and private schools. Hence serious reformers must consider a whole range of factors, not just school size. This report fails that test. But you can find it at http://www.ruraledu.org/keep_learning.cfm?record_no=614.
