Educational Equity and School Structure: School Size, Overcrowding, and Schools-Within-Schools

Abstract

Consistent with the Williams v. California suit, our focus in this article is on educational equity, particularly the interface between equity and school organization. We concentrate on two structural issues, school size and school overcrowding, and one specific school structure, schools-within-schools. We organize the article as an interpretive summary of existing studies of these topics, concentrating on how these structural issues relate to social stratification in student outcomes, particularly academic achievement. Our evidence is drawn from both national studies and, when available and appropriate, from research that discusses the effects of school structure in California. We use this evidence to define which size high schools are best for all students (600900 students), which responses to school overcrowding are appropriate (building more schools rather than adding portable classrooms or multitrack year-round schooling), and how creating smaller learning communities in high schools can work well for everyone by reducing the potential for internal stratification. California policies, however, have not promoted these responses. In many cases they have actually exacerbated inequality in educational outcomes and assisted the transformation of the social differences students bring to school into academic differences. We advocate reforms that are associated with high achievement and achievement that is equitably distributed by race, ethnicity, class, or family origin. Reforms that raise achievement of children at the lower end of the distribution without damaging those at the top are ones toward which we believe our nation should strive. By offering empirical evidence of practices that lead toward this important goal, we hope to inform the important debates surrounding the Williams case. Consistent with the Williams v. California suit, our focus in this article is on educational equity, particularly the interface between equity and school organization. We concentrate on two structural issues, school size and school overcrowding, and one specific school structure, schools-within-schools. We organize the article as an interpretive summary of existing studies of these topics, concentrating on how these structural issues relate to social stratification in student outcomes, particularly academic achievement. Our evidence is drawn from both national studies and, when available and appropriate, from research that discusses the effects of school structure in California. We use this evidence to define which size high schools are best for all students (600-900 students), which responses to school overcrowding are appropriate (building more schools rather than adding portable classrooms or multitrack year-round schooling), and how creating smaller learning communities in high schools can work well for everyone by reducing the potential for internal stratification. California policies, however, have not promoted these responses. In many cases they have actually exacerbated inequality in educational outcomes and assisted the...

School Size as a Factor in the Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students

“…For example, the Annenberg Foundation had pledged $500 million to reform urban schools in Chicago (Ready, 2004). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had also contributed $51.2 million for the creation of 67 small theme-based schools in New York (Ready, 2004).…”

School Size and Youth Violence: Potential Mediating and Moderating Role of School Connectedness

“…Although there is no consensus, a few researchers have found that once schools reach above 1,000 students enrolled there appears to be a dramatic increase in youth violence (Ferris & West, 2004;Kaiser, 2005). Others educators have advocated for a range of 400 to 800 (Galletti, 1999) or 600-900 (Ready et al, 2004), whereas, others have advocated for no more than 150-200 students per grade level (Kaiser, 2005). Devoe et al (2003) also supported this position with statistical data.…”

“…More specifically, in the past 30 years, there has been growing empirical support that as school size increases, students tend to have less participation in school activities, higher absenteeism, and higher dropout rates (Cotton, 1996a(Cotton, , 1996bFowler & Walberg, 1991;Jones, Toma, & Zimmer, 2008;Kearney, 2008;Lindsay, 1982;Pittman & Haughwout, 1987;). Students in larger scores also tend to have lower levels of academic achievement, lower rates of attending college, and poorer self-reports of equity (Cotton, 1996a(Cotton, , 1996bGalletti, 1999;Pittman & Haughwout, 1987;Ready, Lee, & Welner, 2004). Many studies show these domains of functioning to be superior in smaller schools, with few results indicating that larger schools are "equally" effective at best (Lindsay, 1982).…”

Effect of visual feedback on classroom noise levels

“…School buildings and classrooms that cannot meet size requirements for the number of students negatively influence the performance, with poorer students being more affected (Earthman 2002:4). Ready, Lee andWelner (2004:1992) indicate that fewer students have been reported to pass reading and mathematics proficiency tests in overcrowded schools possibly because of increased teacher stress and poor classroom facilities.…”