In a NYC study it appears that smaller schools have a higher graduation rates that the large megaschools. Research has found that 70% of students from small schools graduated on time, while just 61% of the students who were turned away managed to earn diplomas in four years.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/city-small-schools-better-on-time-graduation-rates-report-article-1.1436692#ixzz2dAnomes6
However, large schools are far more efficient in terms of facilities, because they are less costly (per student) to operate and maintain. So, what can be done in light of this striking new discovery? The simple answer is to turn the large mega-schools into smaller institutions. This can be achieved by simply creating many schools within the large one. A norm for centuries within universities with their colleges of disciplines, but for varying majors, it does create local communities within a large setting.
Here is the proposal. Every high school with more than 3000 students can be divided into, say, three campuses, red, blue, green, each of a mere thousand. Each sub-school has advisers, principals, and other administrators, though duties can overlap. Students in the blue school, for example, can form a bond for learning tasks at hand. Intellectual competition will be encouraged (if this is allowed these days). Homerooms can be focused on just their "smallish" group. Teachers can appeal to the various segments in a "challenging" manner.
This approach may be worth some consideration, given that it involves really very little additional resources, it creates a learning communities, it stresses cohesiveness, and it challenges students to do well. Of course, classes can be mixed amongst all student, as well as sports teams and other groupings in the school.
Why not? I cannot think of a single disadvantage. Ya know, if the graduation rate increases by only a few points, that is a cheap victory in the never ending spiral of educational defeats.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/city-small-schools-better-on-time-graduation-rates-report-article-1.1436692#ixzz2dAnomes6
However, large schools are far more efficient in terms of facilities, because they are less costly (per student) to operate and maintain. So, what can be done in light of this striking new discovery? The simple answer is to turn the large mega-schools into smaller institutions. This can be achieved by simply creating many schools within the large one. A norm for centuries within universities with their colleges of disciplines, but for varying majors, it does create local communities within a large setting.
Here is the proposal. Every high school with more than 3000 students can be divided into, say, three campuses, red, blue, green, each of a mere thousand. Each sub-school has advisers, principals, and other administrators, though duties can overlap. Students in the blue school, for example, can form a bond for learning tasks at hand. Intellectual competition will be encouraged (if this is allowed these days). Homerooms can be focused on just their "smallish" group. Teachers can appeal to the various segments in a "challenging" manner.
This approach may be worth some consideration, given that it involves really very little additional resources, it creates a learning communities, it stresses cohesiveness, and it challenges students to do well. Of course, classes can be mixed amongst all student, as well as sports teams and other groupings in the school.
Why not? I cannot think of a single disadvantage. Ya know, if the graduation rate increases by only a few points, that is a cheap victory in the never ending spiral of educational defeats.
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