Small Schools -- schools at the human scale

The best way to create a positive school culture, with a supportive, nur- turing atmosphere, is to start by creating a small school. The research has shown over and over again that students in small schools perform better in math and science and have better attitudes towards learning, lower dropout rates, better attendance—the list goes on and on.¹³

Self-concept, sense of belonging, and interpersonal skills are much higher in students who go to small schools than in those who attend larger schools. Small schools also have a much higher rate of parent involvement, which we know contributes to higher academic perfor- mance. Finally, the research shows that small schools are safer and eas- ier to secure. Think about this: A large public school system may spend more than 50 million dollars per year on school security!¹⁴ Instead of spending all that money to make their huge schools safer, why don’t they just use the money to make smaller schools?

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quote from The Big Picture: Education is Everyone's Business, Dennis Littky