Are Small Schools Better?

            Several studies in recent years have found the merit in choosing smaller schools versus larger schools. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein of New York City have begun the process of disbanding larger high schools in favor of separating them into smaller school. For students requiring special attention, it is extremely difficult to provide every child with a superior education if there are not enough faculty to support the student population.

At my school I am lucky to have a small student to teacher ratio. At some schools ratios can be 50:1 or more which makes it nearly impossible to be able to form meaningful relationships with every student. Some of the relationships I have formed during my education have provided me with invaluable mentors and opportunities I would never have sought out without their encouragement.

Education is a pivotal pillar in our society and significant funding and thought should go into our education system. I agree that smaller schools are more effective because it is simply not feasible to reach every student if you have a population of thousands or tens of thousands of students. I find it extremely important to make sure every student has the opportunity for an education and the structure of the institution can have an enormous effect on student success.

The benefits of having a smaller classroom mean teachers can take more time to individually assess and assist students. Having hands on instructors who are able to connect with students will provide a far superior experience. I think access to resources like tutors or meeting with teachers before or after school are imperative to allow children the opportunity to truly learn and understand the world around them.

More places in the United States should evaluate the sizes of their schools and classrooms to ensure they are actually educating a large audience, not just filling seats in a classroom. Larger high schools may offer additional classes, such as in Naperville, IL schools, with an average of 3,000 students or more, have classes like Latin and Mandarin. In California and Texas some high schools are as large as 7,000-9,000 students. So while these classes might be available at larger schools, if less students are graduating and receiving a thorough education are these options truly even options?

 Having a larger school might provide greater opportunities for students. However, the benefits of having smaller, more intimate classroom and school sizes are apparent. Do your research when you are looking at high school options or moving to a new school district. The graduation rate between smaller (less than 5,000) and larger (5,000 or more) schools is significant with small school having around 15% higher graduation rates.

When determining what the best choice for you and your education is, I implore you to keep these success rates in mind. Next time you have the choice between a small school with a lot of faculty support or a massive complex where you are lost in the crowd, think of these success rates. The choice is yours, but the research is clear; you are much more likely to be successful in a small school with more individualized opportunities.