Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act: Implications for Rural Schools and Districts
Additional Challenges
NCLB requirements, combined with funding inequities and economy of scale issues, could lead to increased state pressure for school consolidation in rural areas. Rural schools have long been targets for consolidation. It has been widely perceived that consolidation saves money and that students are better served by larger schools that are able to offer a comprehensive curriculum. Yet, a large body of research exists demonstrating the social and educational benefits of small schools. A recent report by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation summarizes this research (Bigler et al., 2002). According to the report, small schools are safer and more conducive to building strong relationships between students and adults. More students who graduate from small schools go on to postsecondary education than students who graduate from large schools. Students in small schools participate more in extracurricular activities. Teacher satisfaction is greater in small schools. Moreover, small schools foster community cohesion by functioning as community and cultural centers, bringing together community residents of all ages and backgrounds. In addition, recent research points to the effectiveness of small schools, particularly with at-risk students. Large schools compound the negative effects of poverty. On average, smaller schools cut the relationship between socioeconomic status and achievement in half compared to larger schools. As grade levels increase, the effect of school size on achievement increases (Howley & Bickel, 2000). The large and growing body of research cited in the report provides evidence that small schools provide enormous benefits to students, teachers, and communities.
The report also cites two recent studies that demonstrate the cost effectiveness of small schools. Historically, data used to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of large schools focused on average costs per student. The studies, one conducted by researchers in New York and the other by researchers in Nebraska, measured the cost of educating students who graduate. Both studies found that for small schools, the cost per graduate was slightly lower than for larger schools. This is because the dropout rates were much lower at small schools.
The requirements of NCLB, without accompanying increases in funds to implement them, will likely result in a push for larger schools. If the goal of the federal government is to improve academic achievement for the students, the research points to increasing support for small schools, not closing them.
