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

2. Educating for Success! 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 2

3. Educating for Success! 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 3

4. Educating for Success! What is research? 1 1.careful or diligent search 2.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 3.the collecting of information about a particular subject 4 1 retrieved April 20, 2013 from www.m-w.com

5. Educating for Success! 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? 5

6. Educating for Success! 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. 6 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. Educating for Success! 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. 7

8. Educating for Success! Critical literacy in research 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. 8 What do we need to look for?

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

10. Educating for Success! 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 10 1 Does school size matter? A social capital perspective. A report prepared for School District no. 43, British Columbia, Canada

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

12. Educating for Success! 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? 12

13. Educating for Success! A peek at two schools 13

14. Educating for Success! A peek at two schools 14

15. Educating for Success! 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. 15

16. Educating for Success! 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 16

17. Educating for Success! 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” 17

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