Implications for Local Decisionmakers
The following are some issues local decisionmakers need to consider:
- School boards and administrators interested in creating smaller learning communities must understand the research, and make a compelling case for a different approach based on that research.
The notion that "bigger is better" continues to drive facility decisions in most school districts, despite considerable and mounting evidence that small schools with certain characteristics can be far more effective in educating students. There is a widespread belief among voters that large schools are more cost-effective and that the wide variety of course offerings available in larger high schools is necessary for student success in college and in life. Again, the research tells us a different story (Raywid, 1999).
- School boards and administrators must design and provide leadership for a process or mechanism that encourages the creation of such schools.
As discussed in an earlier section, a small school is more likely to be successful if administrators, faculty, and students are all committed to a common set of goals and a distinctive educational approach to attain those goals. Creation of viable new small schools with a shared vision and a distinctive educational approach will not just happen. New York City, Boston, and Chicago each have created a request for proposals process inviting educators and community groups to design new, potentially more effective schools.
- Administrators must be genuinely open to real parent and community involvement in the design and operation of schools.
Inclusion is an important part of such a process. Faculty, students, parents, and community members need to come together around common beliefs about the educational approach best suited to their students. They also need to feel confident that their opinions will be heard and the work they do to plan a "new" school will receive serious consideration. Many communities hold a wealth of untapped resources, physical and otherwise, that can contribute greatly to the educational process of students. A well-designed process will lead to the identification and ultimately the commitment of these resources.
- School boards and administrators should implement a system of choice within their district that allows students and faculty to make choices between schools and educational approaches.
One advantage of a small school is that agreement on goals and a distinctive educational approach is far more likely to occur when fewer people are involved. It is also far more likely to occur if all involved actively make a choice to be part of the school. The creation of small schools is also more politically feasible if parents and students can make choices about whether and how to be involved.
- Administrators need to develop a process for evaluating a variety of facilities options on a routine basis.
Examples from across the country provide ample evidence of the wide variety of approaches that emerge when school districts and communities engage in creative problem solving together. Most of these schools are unique to the community and circumstances from which they emerged.
- School boards and administrators should consider all options available, including charter schools, contract public schools, and other alternative forms of public schools.
In some communities charter and contract schools have been an important mechanism for the creation of small school alternatives in a district.
