American high schools operate in much the same way today as they did 50 years ago; leaving most of today’s young people without the academic preparation they need to be successful in the information age economy. Nationally the graduation rate for urban students hovers at 50%. Of those students that do graduate and go on to college, nearly half require remedial courses.
The traditional high school which typically has short class periods, detached subject areas, and teachers working alone in their classrooms may have worked at one time, but it is clear that it no longer meets the needs of a rapidly changing society and world. Today’s students must become prepared to make connections across cultures and fields of knowledge. They must be prepared to take on work that requires independent thinking and problem solving.
Many high schools have doubled in size in the last generation resulting in overcrowding and reduced student and teacher interaction. Some teachers see over 150 students per day. Students feel less connected to their teachers and peers in large high schools. Learning problems can easily go unnoticed or unattended to; students can feel alienated which often seeds risky behaviors such as searching for acceptance in gangs, drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Student academic achievement and general self-concepts are lower in large schools. These low self-concepts can be carried throughout life and affect work, family and community life as a whole.
Studies show that students who attend small high schools are more satisfied with their schooling. These small school children “consistently outperform comparison groups at all levels of academia, are less likely to drop out, and have more positive self-concepts. Furthermore, research indicates that the advantages of smaller learning communities are most acute for disadvantaged and marginal students, such as those populating large urban school systems” (Wall to Wall: Implementing Small Learning Communities in Five Boston High Schools, 1998, p.2).
According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, small high schools can provide children a personalized learning environment, higher graduation rate, feelings of being less isolated and more active engagement in school activities.
In New York City, the Bloomberg administration is has already experiencing the benefits of the over 170 small high schools opened over the last three years. Students of these schools are graduating at a higher rate with higher overall test scores.