In the long run, the picture is even more sobering.
Although more students attended four- and two-year colleges, small school alumni did not complete community college in greater numbers than the control group. After six years, about 10 percent of students have earned an associate’s degree, about the same proportion as students who did not attend small schools. The researchers also found no differences in employment or income.
There is one notable exception. Students who attend a four-year college are more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree if they attend a small high school. Nearly 15% of elementary school students earn a four-year degree within six years, compared with 12% of their peers.
Joel Klein served as New York City schools superintendent from 2002 to 2011 during the reform period. Klein said the data shows small schools’ efforts are worth it. He considers it one of his most important achievements, along with the expansion of charter schools. Closing large high schools and replacing them with new ones requires tremendous political will because it triggers resistance from teachers unions, he said. In new, small schools, teachers are not guaranteed a job and must reapply or find another school to hire them.
New York is not the only city experimenting with small schools. Places such as Baltimore and Oakland, Calif., have also used Gates Foundation funding to experiment with the concept. The results were not encouraging.
Klein believes other cities have failed to replicate New York’s success because they simply broke large schools into smaller units without establishing a new culture. In New York, aspiring principals submitted detailed proposals that, like charter schools, would open gradually, adding grades one at a time.
There are also unintended consequences in New York. Seats are limited during the transition period between the closure of older schools and the slow addition of new smaller schools. Enrollment increased at the city’s remaining large schools. While some students enjoy the intimate atmosphere of their new small schools, many more suffer from overcrowding.
Whether due to political resistance, replication challenges, or shifting philanthropic priorities, the small school movement ultimately failed. By the 2010s, would-be reformers turned their attention to evaluating teacher effectiveness and school turnaround strategies.
Today, with enrollment declining in many districts, school consolidation rather than expansion is the focus of the conversation. MDRC’s Unterman said some school districts are now exploring whether elements of the small school model — advising systems or “schools within schools” — can be recreated on larger campuses.
It’s no secret that New York City’s small schools are vast improvements over the crumbling schools they replaced. Most are still operating, a testament to their staying power. However, the evidence they left behind also highlights a harsh truth. Improving high schools can drive important milestones, like getting more students to college. Changing students’ economic trajectories may require more radical changes.
This story about a small high school is written by Heckinger Reportis a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Register Jill Barshay proof point and others Heckinger Communications.
