Small Schools...Big Results
New small schools opened all over Ohio for the 2004-2005 school year. Experience the exciting transformation of these schools here!

Today's large urban high schools have big problems in cities across America. But there's a new energy pulsing through some of Ohio's largest urban high schools as they transform these large, low-performing high schools into autonomous small personalized high schools. The majority of these new small schools aren’t in new buildings. They are located within existing large schools-much like separate companies in a single office building or multiple "colleges" on a university campus.

The new schools keep alive the traditions that build communities-the athletic teams, the bands, and other extracurricular activities. But they'll build new traditions of personal attention, hands-on learning, and high achievement.

Research dating back to 1964 shows that small schools are safer schools and better places for students to work with adults who know them and whom they trust. Students graduate from small, personalized high schools at higher rates than traditional high schools. Small high schools have a lower dropout rate than their large counterparts, especially in urban areas, and more students who graduate from small schools go on to postsecondary education. There is less violence in small schools, less vandalism, a heightened sense of belonging, and better attendance. Students earn higher grade point averages and participate in extracurricular activities in greater numbers. Teachers report greater satisfaction with their work and their ability to reach students in small schools. Members of the community including parents and families are more involved in the life of small schools than their counterparts in large schools-for the same reasons as their children.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation believes that transforming large, low-performing, urban high schools into personalized, autonomous small schools results in:

• Higher student achievement
• Safer, more orderly schools
• Better graduation rates
• Improved attendance
• More teacher satisfaction
• Increased parent, family, and community involvement

Small schools demonstrate better student results by providing a structure that improves teaching and learning. Key strategies include collaboration, personalization, and instruction targeted to meet individual student needs.