Big school, small school: (Re)testing assumptions about high school size, school engagement and mathematics achievement

Journal of Youth and Adolescence

Volumn 39, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 163-176

  Weiss, Christopher C ^a   Carolan, Brian V ^b   Baker Smith, E Christine ^a  

^a Columbia University ^*  (United States)

^b CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK   (United States)

Author keywords

High school organization; High school students; Mathematics achievement; School engagement; School size

Indexed keywords

ACHIEVEMENT; ADOLESCENT; APTITUDE; ARTICLE; CHILD PARENT RELATION; CHILD PSYCHOLOGY; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY; FEMALE; FRIEND; HUMAN; JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; LONGITUDINAL STUDY; MALE; MATHEMATICS; MOTIVATION; PEER GROUP; POPULATION DENSITY; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; SCHOOL; SEX DIFFERENCE; SOCIAL BEHAVIOR; SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT; STATISTICS; TEACHING; UNITED STATES;

ACHIEVEMENT; ADOLESCENT; ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY; APTITUDE; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES; FEMALE; FRIENDS; HUMANS; JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; LONGITUDINAL STUDIES; MALE; MATHEMATICS; MOTIVATION; PARENTING; PEER GROUP; POPULATION DENSITY; SCHOOLS; SEX FACTORS; SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT; SOCIAL IDENTIFICATION; TEACHING; UNITED STATES;

EID: 77950353065     PISSN: 00472891     EISSN: 15736601     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-009-9402-3     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. Barker, R., & Gump, P. (1964). Big school, small school: High school size and student behavior. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
2. Battistich, V., Solomon, D., Kim, D.-I., Watson, M., & Schaps, E. (1995). Schools as communities, poverty levels of student populations, and students' attitudes, motives, and performance: A multilevel analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 627-658.
3. Bidwell, C. E., & Kasarda, J. D. (1980). Conceptualizing and measuring the effects of school and schooling. American Journal of Education, 88, 401-430. doi: 10. 1086/443540.
4. Bollen, K. A., & Hoyle, R. H. (1990). Perceived cohesion: A conceptual and empirical examination. Social Forces, 69, 479-504. doi: 10. 2307/2579670.
5. Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
6. Bryk, A. S., & Thum, Y.-M. (1989). The effects of high school organization on dropping out: An exploratory investigation. American Educational Research Journal, 29, 353-383.
7. Burkam, D., Ready, D., Lee, V. E., & LoGerfo, L. (2004). Social-class differences in summer learning between kindergarten and first grade: Model specification and estimation. Sociology of Education, 77(1), 1-31.
8. Chicago Annenberg Challenge. (1994). Smart schools/smart kids: A proposal to the Annenberg Foundation to create the Chicago school reform collaboratives. Chicago: Author.
9. Connell, J. P., Spencer, M. B., & Aber, J. L. (1994). Educational risk and resilience in African-American youth: Context, self, action, and outcomes in school. Child Development, 65(2), 493-506. doi: 10. 2307/1131398.
10. Cotton, K. (2002). New small learning communities: Findings from recent literature. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
11. Crosnoe, R., Erickson, K. G., & Dornbusch, S. M. (2002). Protective functions of the family relationships and school factors on the deviant behavior of adolescent boys and girls: Reducing the impact of risky friendships. Youth & Society, 33(4), 515-544. doi: 10. 1177/0044118X02033004002.
12. Developmental Studies Center. (1998). The child development project: Summary of the project and findings from three evaluation studies. Oakland, CA: Author.
13. Fine, M. (1991). Chartering urban school reform: Reflections on public high schools in the midst of change. New York: Teachers College Press.
14. Fine, M. (2005). Not in our name. Rethinking Schools, 19(4), 11-14.
15. Finn, J. D. (1989). Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research, 59, 117-142.
16. Finn, J. D., & Achilles, C. M. (1999). Tennessee class size study: Findings, implications, misconceptions. Educational Evaluation and Policy Review, 21(1), 97-109.
17. Finn, J. D., & Rock, D. (1997). Academic success among students at risk for school failure. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 221-234. doi: 10. 1037/0021-9010. 82. 2. 221.
18. Finn, J. D., & Voelkl, K. E. (1993). School characteristics related to student engagement. The Journal of Negro Education, 62(3), 249-268. doi: 10. 2307/2295464.
19. Fredericks, J., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59-109. doi: 10. 3102/00346543074001059.
20. Gamoran, A., & Hannigan, E. C. (2000). Algebra for everyone? Benefits of college-preparatory mathematics for students with diverse abilities in early secondary school. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 22(3), 241-254.
21. Garbarino, J. (1980). Some thoughts on school size and its effects on adolescent development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 9(1), 19-31. doi: 10. 1007/BF02088377.
22. Glanville, J. L., & Wildhagen, T. (2007). The measurement of school engagement: Assessing dimensionality and measurement invariance across race and ethnicity. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 67(6), 1019-1041. doi: 10. 1177/0013164406299126.
23. Goldsmith, P. A. (2004). Schools' racial mix, students' optimism, and the black-white and latino-white achievement gaps. Sociology of Education, 77(2), 121-147.
24. Goodlad, J. I. (1984). A place called school: Prospects for the future. New York: McGraw-Hill.
25. Gutman, L. M., & Midgley, C. (2000). The role of protective factors in supporting the academic achievement of poor African-American students during the middle school transition. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 29(2), 223-248. doi: 10. 1023/A: 1005108700243.
26. Hallinan, M. T., & Sorenson, A. B. (1985). Ability grouping and student friendships. American Educational Research Journal, 22(4), 485-499.
27. Herszenhorn, D. (2007). Small schools to be added by September. The New York Times, January 31. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/nyregion/31schools.html#.
28. Hoffer, T. (1995). High school curriculum differentiation and postsecondary outcomes. In P. W. Cookson & B. Schneider (Eds.), Transforming schools (pp. 371-402). New York: Garland Publishing.
29. Iatarola, P., Schwartz, A. E., Stiefel, L., & Chellman, C. (2008). Small schools, large districts: Small school reform and New York City's students. Teachers College Record, 110(9), 1837-1838.
30. Ingels, S. J., Pratt, D. J., Rogers, J. E., Siegel, P. H., Stutts, E. S., & Owings, J. A. (2005). Education longitudinal study of 2002: Base-year to first follow-up data file documentation. Washington D. C: National Center for Educational Statistics.
31. Jessor, R., Turbin, M. S., & Costa, F. M. (1998). Protection in successful outcomes among disadvantaged adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 2, 198-208. doi: 10. 1207/s1532480xads0204_3.
32. Johnson, M. K., Crosnoe, R., & Elder, G. H. (2001). Students' attachment and academic engagement: The role of race and ethnicity. Sociology of Education, 74(3), 318-340. doi: 10. 2307/2673138.
33. Kennedy, M. M. (2008). Contributions of qualitative research to research on teacher qualifications. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 30(4), 344-367.
34. Lee, V. E. (2000). School size and the organization of secondary school. In M. T. Hallinan (Ed.), Handbook of the sociology of education (pp. 327-344). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
35. Lee, V. E., & Smith, J. B. (1995). Effects of high school restructuring and size on early gains in achievement and engagement. Sociology of Education, 68(4), 241-270. doi: 10. 2307/2112741.
36. Lee, V. E., & Smith, J. B. (1997). High school size: Which works best and for whom? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19(3), 205-227.
37. Lee, V., Chen, X., & Smerdon, B. (1996). The influence of school climate on sex differences in the achievement and engagement of young adolescents. Washington, DC: American Association of University Women Education Foundation.
38. Lee, V. E., Smerdon, B. A., Alfeld-Liro, C., & Brown, S. L. (2000). Inside large and small high schools: Curriculum and social relations. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 22(2), 147-171.
39. Meier, D. (1998). Can the odds be changed? In M. Fine & J. I. Somerville (Eds.), Small schools, big imaginations: A creative look at urban public schools (pp. 85-92). Chicago: Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform.
40. Monk, D. H., & Haller, E. J. (1993). Predictors of high school academic course offerings: The role of school size. American Educational Research Journal, 30(1), 3-21.
41. Murdock, T. B., Anderman, L. H., & Hodge, S. A. (2000). Middle-grade predictors of students' motivation and behavior in high school. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(3), 327-351. doi: 10. 1177/0743558400153002.
42. National Association of Secondary School Principals. (1996). Breaking ranks: Changing an American institution. Reston, VA: Author.
43. National Research Council the Institute of Medicine. (2004). Engaging schools: Fostering high school students' motivation to learn. Committee on increasing high school students' engagement and motivation to learn. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
44. Natriello, G. (1984). Problems in the evaluation of students and disengagement from secondary schools. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 17(4), 14-24.
45. Natriello, G., McDill, E. L., & Pallas, A. M. (1990). Schooling disadvantaged children: Racing against catastrophe. New York: Teachers College Press.
46. Newmann, F. M. (1981). Reducing student alienation in high schools. Harvard Educational Review, 51(4), 546-564.
47. Newmann, F. M., Wehlage, G. G., & Lamborn, S. D. (1992). The significance and sources of student engagement. In F. M. Newmann (Ed.), Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools (pp. 11-39). New York: Teachers College Press.
48. No Child Left Behind Act. (2001). Public law. pp. 107-110.
49. Noguera, P. (2003). City schools and the American dream: Reclaiming the promise of public education. New York: Teachers College Press.
50. Oakes, J. (2005). Keeping track: How schools structure inequality (2nd ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
51. Passmore, S. (2002). Education and smart growth: Reversing school sprawl for better schools and communities. Translation paper. Produced by Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities.
52. Porter, A. (1989). A curriculum out of balance: The case of elementary school mathematics. Educational Researcher, 18(5), 9-15.
53. Powell, A. G., Farrar, E., & Cohen, D. K. (1985). The shopping mall high school: Winners and losers in the educational marketplace. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
54. Raudenbush, S. W. (1984). Magnitude of teacher expectancy effects on pupil IQ as function of the credibility of expectancy induction. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76(1), 85-97. doi: 10. 1037/0022-0663. 76. 1. 85.
55. Ravitch, D. (2006). Bill Gates, the nation's superintendent of schools. Retrieved August 3, 2006, from http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-opravitch30jul30,1,6210189.story.
56. Raywid, M. A., & Osiyama, L. (2000). Musings in the wake of Columbine. Phi Delta Kappan, 81(6), 444-449.
57. Roderick, M. (1993). The path to dropping out: Evidence for intervention. Westport, CT: Auburn House Publishing.
58. Roeser, R. W., Midgely, C., & Urdan, T. C. (1996). Perceptions of the school psychological environment and early adolescents' psychological and behavioral functioning in school: The mediating role of goals and belonging. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 408-422. doi: 10. 1037/0022-0663. 88. 3. 408.
59. Roscigno, V. J., & Ainsworth-Darnell, J. W. (1999). Race, cultural capital, and educational resources: Persistent inequalities and achievement returns. Sociology of Education, 72(3), 158-178. doi: 10. 2307/2673227.
60. Schneider, B., Swanson, C., & Riegle-Crumb, C. (1998). Opportunities for learning: Course sequences and positional advantages. Social Psychology of Education, 2(1), 25-53. doi: 10. 1023/A: 1009601517753.
61. Shernoff, D. J., & Schmidt, J. A. (2007). Further evidence of an engagement-achievement paradox among U. S. high school students, 2008. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37(5). doi: 10. 1007/s10964-007-9241-z.
62. Singleton, R. A., & Straits, B. C. (2005). Approaches to social research (4th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
63. Sizer, T. R. (1992). Horace's school: Redesigning the American high school. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
64. Smerdon, B. A. (1999). How perceptions of school membership influence high school students' academic development: Implications for adolescents at risk of educational failure. Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
65. Smerdon, B. A. (2002). Students' perceptions of membership in their high schools. Sociology of Education, 75, 287-305. doi: 10. 2307/3090280.
66. SRI/AIR. (2002). Targeted literature review of major constructs and their components: Evaluating the national school district and network grants program. Palo Alto, CA: Authors.
67. Stevenson, D. L. (2000). The fit and misfit of sociological research and educational policy. In M. Hallinan (Ed.), Handbook of the sociology of education (pp. 547-563). New York: Kluwer Press.
68. Stevenson, D. L., Schiller, K. S., & Schneider, B. (1994). Sequences of opportunities for learning. Sociology of Education, 67(3), 184-198. doi: 10. 2307/2112790.
69. Theroux, K. (2007). Small schools in the big city: Promising results validate reform efforts in New York City Public schools. Carnegie Reporter 4(3). Retrieved January 7, 2009, from http://www.carnegie.org/reporter/15/reform/index.html.
70. Wehlage, G. G., & Smith, G. A. (1992). Building new programs for students at risk. In F. M. Newmann (Ed.), Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools (pp. 92-118). New York: Teachers College Press.
71. Wyse, A. E., Keesler, V., & Schneider, B. (2008). Assessing the effects of small school size on mathematics achievement: A propensity score-matching approach. Teachers College Record, 110(9), 1879-1900.