Research Review – School Size

1. Research Review – School Size Prepared for Cobourg ARC April 22, 2013

2. From Cobourg ARC Minutes dated April 11, 2013 • Students in smaller schools have higher success rates and graduation rates • More course offerings and fewer combined classes at a larger school • Concern was expressed that research is conflicted in the enrolment number that define a small school • Students from small / medium schools are more successful in post-secondary placements

3. Internet based research on School Size • A google search with the key words school size yields 1.6 million results • Use boolean search operators and the number changes • Consider other search terms (e.g. achievement; secondary school; graduation rates; school culture; community; extra curricular; First Nation; accessibility) and the list is endless

4. What is research?1 • careful or diligent search • studious inquiry or examination; especially investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision or accepted theories or laws in light of new facts or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws • the collecting of information about a particular subject 1 retrieved April 20, 2013 from www.m-w.com

5. Interpreting research findings • Is the methodology clear? • Do we know what the authors did? • Are the findings generalizable? • Can we apply the findings to our context? • Is the research free of bias? • Are conclusions based on valid and reliable data?

6. Leithwood and Jantzi (2007)1 • The authors were commissioned by Regina School Division No. 4 of Saskatchewan to conduct a review of empirical evidence about school size effects. • Point #1 in the Executive Summary (page ii) states that: • “The weight of evidence provided by these studies clearly favours smaller schools. But smaller is a relative term. In districts with secondary school sizes exceeding 2500 students, for example, smaller can mean as many as 1500 students, a size which would be considered very large in other districts.” 1 retrieved April 18, 2013 from http://www.edu.pe.ca/esd/pdf/sop_Review_of_Evidence_about_School_Size_%20effects.pdf

7. Applying interpretation criteria to Leithwood and Jantzi (2007) • Is the methodology clear? • Yes, the report was based on a literature review that followed standard procedures of locating primary source, peer reviewed journal articles. • Are the finding generalizable? • The paper reviewed 57 studies, 40 of which were based on secondary schools. • The majority of the studies were from the US (67%). Only 4 were Canadian. • Is the research free of bias? • A literature review requires interpretation of data and analysis conducted by other authors. We do not know of any bias, but haven’t looked at the primary sources to see if we have the same interpretations.

8. Critical literacy in research What do we need to look for? • The sizes of the secondary schools in the reports. • The culture of the schools in the reports. • The organization of the curriculum, specialized programs and graduation rates in the districts where the research was conducted. • Information about the students from the districts where the research was conducted, including their learning needs, extra curricular interests and their intended post secondary destinations.

9. Can research findings be generalized? • Largest secondary school in the United States: • 4,483 students1 • Smallest secondary school in the United States: • 47 students Data is not publicly available in Ontario 1Retrieved April 18, 2013 from http://www.university-list.net/us/rank/school-100007.html

10. Other research • Smaller elementary schools promote educational attainment through a cohesive sense of community, since they facilitate more intimate student relations and community oriented education.1 1 Does school size matter? A social capital perspective. A report prepared for School District no. 43, British Columbia, Canada

11. Other research • Larger secondary schools have greater variety in their curricular offerings than do their smaller school counterparts1 A survey of 105 different courses revealed that 36% were provided at significantly higher frequencies in larger schools (>1,500 students). 1Barker, B. (1985). Curricular offerings in small and large high schools: how broad is the disparity? Research in Rural Education, (3)1, 35-38.

12. Other variables • The impact of secondary school size must be considered along with other elements. • What are the academic needs and interests of students? • Do they come from similar backgrounds? • What learning supports are in place for students?

13. A peek at two schools

14. A peek at two schools

15. What about post-secondary? • Students are asked where they will go upon leaving KPR secondary schools, but we have no internal guarantee of whether they do what they say they plan to do. • KPR has begun investigating student applications, acceptance and attendance at colleges and universities through external data partnerships.

16. From Cobourg ARC Minutes dated April 11, 2013 • Students in smaller schools have higher success rates and graduation rates • More course offerings and fewer combined classes at a larger school • Concern was expressed that research is conflicted in the enrolment number that define a small school • Students from small / medium schools are more successful in post-secondary placements

17. Summary • Size is a relative measure • Optimal size is contextual • There is a balance between program availability and school size • Students have different skills, interests, abilities and aspirations • There is no single outcome to determine what makes a school “better or best”

18. Slides prepared by: • Lynn Kostuch, Ph.D. • Instructional Leadership Consultant for Research & Accountability • Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB