Smaller, Safer, Saner Successful Schools. - National Clearinghouse ...

For copies contact:National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities at the National Institute of Building Sciences1090 Vermont Avenue, N.W., #700, Washington, D.C. 20005–4905On the Web: http://www.ncef.org Toll free telephone: (888) 552–0624

Smaller, Safer, SanerSuccessful SchoolsJoe Nathan and Sheena ThaoCenter for School ChangeNational Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, Washington, D.C.Center for School Change, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota2007

Table o f ContentsAcknowledgements ................................................2Executive Summary .................................................7Summary of Research on Small Schools and Shared Facilities ......8School Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School .........................26Amistad Academy. ...............................................27Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center. ............................29Boston Arts Academy and Fenway High School ......................31Buffalo King Center ...............................................33Cesar Chavez ....................................................35City Academy. ...................................................37Clark Montessori. .................................................39Codman Academy ...............................................41Frederick Douglass Academy ......................................43Julia Richman Education Center ...................................45KIPP .............................................................48Mesa Arts Academy ..............................................50Minnesota New Country School ....................................52Northfield Community Center ......................................54Perham Area Community Center (PACC). ...........................56Perspectives Charter School .......................................58School of Environmental Studies ....................................60The MET .........................................................61Vaughn Next Century Learning Center ..............................63Withrow University High School .....................................64YESPrep .........................................................66Resources .........................................................68Photo Credits. ....................................................68About the Authors ................................................683

5aResearch Summary

66a

Executive SummaryMore than $20 billion a year currently is being spent to construct public schools. Hundreds of billions are beingspent to carry out public education. Everyone wants the best possible use of that money. Families want safe,nurturing, challenging, and effective schools for their children. Community members and policy-makers wantschools to be successful, and to make efficient use of their tax dollars, regardless of how much is spent. This booklet isdesigned to help make those things happen, by giving readers opportunities to learn from some of the most effective,innovative district and charter public schools in the country.We can make significant progress toward what Americans want by using ideas from the finest small schools andschools that share facilities. This report combines profiles of district and charter public schools from all over the UnitedStates with a research summary, showing how educators and community members have created these schools.Because more than 50,000 people “downloaded” or purchased a copy of the original, 2001 report, we have revisedand updated this edition.The report provides brief case studies of 22 public school buildings in 11 states: Arizona, California, Colorado,Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas. These buildings house almost50 schools and social service agencies. The profiles that follow represent urban, suburban, and rural communitiesthroughout the United States. These schools serve a vast array of youngsters. They are united in their ability to improveachievement and behavior in safe, nurturing, stimulating environments.The key conclusions of this report are:1. Smaller schools, on average, can provide• a safer place for students• a more positive, challenging environment• higher achievement• higher graduation rates• fewer discipline problems• much greater satisfaction for families, students, and teachers.2. Schools that share facilities with other organizations can offer7a• broader learning opportunities for students• high quality services to students and their families• higher student achievement and better graduation rates• ways to stretch and make more efficient use of tax dollars.Of course, not every small school is terrific. And being small is notenough – that’s why the profiles describe key elements of the schools, alongwith being small.We believe, and we hope, that this is an encouraging useful report.These schools show how to provide much more effective education for students.And they help show how small schools and those that share facilitiescan be much more satisfying places for teachers. This is a critical issue as thenation considers how to attract and retain teachers.This is not a report about educational theory. It is a study about howreal, existing schools can help the nation offer saner, safer, smarter, betterpublic education."The value of small schools has beenconfirmed with a clarity and a levelof confidence rare in the annals ofeducation research." (Raywid) Photoillustration, 5a: KIPP School in NewYork, 6a: Withrow University HighSchool in Cincinnati is a classicexample of a large district schoolthat was not successful until itreopened as a cluster of smallschools; 7a: Arizona Agribuisinessand Equine Science Center, Phoeniz,Arizona. All are featured in this report.7

Summary of Researchon Small Schools and Shared FacilitiesSchool buildings are getting moreattention and they should. Aschool’s size and the groups withwhom a school shares space canmake an enormous difference for students,families and the broader community.Whether located in an urban,suburban, or rural area, small schoolsare safer and, in general, students insmall schools learn more. Moreover,school buildings that share spacewith other organizations can provideyoungsters with a better educationand use taxes more efficiently. Theseare some of the key lessons peoplethroughout the United States arelearning. This report shares their stories.Given the enormous sums of moneybeing spent on schoolconstruction, this is a critical time todiscuss how the money will be spentand what type of buildings will beconstructed. Public school districtsare spending billions of dollars onschool construction. A survey ofabout 16 thousand public school districtsfound that they spent about $23billion in 2005, and $25.3 billion in2006. An estimated $51 billion will bespent between 2007 and 2009.Meanwhile, colleges and universitiesspent more than $11 billion in 2006.Estimated higher education institutionspending will be more than $45 billion2007-2009 (Agron, 2007).Moreover, these figures do not includeconstruction expenditure forthe more than 4000 chartered publicschools in the U.S., some of which areconstructing new buildings (Agron,2007b)Imagine a small, inner city publicsecondary school deeply interestedin the best ideas of Asian andAmerican education that starts everyclass with teachers and studentsbowing to each other, praising eachother for their efforts. The school beginsevery day with a 20-minute assembly,during which students are rewardedfor persistence. This publicschool produces students who haveamong the state’s highest test scores,even though this inner city school isopen to all.Imagine a rural secondary schoolthat begins the school year with anindividual family-student-teacherconference, asks students to make8a8

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESResearch onSchool SizeThe positive effect of small schoolshas been known for years, but itwas not until the last decadethat studies found a strong relationshipbetween higher academicachievement and lower enrollment(Eckman and Howley). A researchsummary commissioned by the U. S.Department of Education was clear.It notes that the value of smallschools in increasing achievement,graduation rates, satisfaction, andimproving behavior has been “confirmedwith a clarity and a level ofconfidence rare in the annals of educationresearch” (Raywid 1999: 1).Another study found “a large bodyof research… (that) overwhelminglyaffirms the superiority of smallschools” (Cotton). A 2007 report onsmall district high schools in Boston,called “Pilot Schools” found that thePilots’ students “outperform studentsfrom other non-exam Boston PublicSchools on every standard measureof engagement and performance forevery racial, economic, and academicsubgroup examined. Pilot highschool students show better MCASscores, higher attendance rates,higher promotion rates—and thefour-year graduation rate for 2006was more than 23 percentage pointshigher than the rate for BPS students,75.7% as compared with 52.2% forBPS.” (Tung and Ouimette).When an entire district decides toadopt a strong small schools strategy,exciting things can happen.Beginning in 2000, with help from theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation,the Cincinnati, Ohio Public Schools,created small schools in several troubledlarge high schools. Small wasnot enough. The schools focusedtheir staff retraining efforts on reading,writing and methods of workingwith urban students. Some administratorswere replaced. Principalswere able to select staff, with helpfrom teams at the schools. The district’sfour-year graduation rate increasedfrom 51% in 2000 to 79% in2006. Not perfect, but much better.Moreover, the high school graduationgap between white and black studentswas eliminated. (Bowers,Nathan, 2007).Amistad Academy (a charter publicschool) in New Haven,Connecticut and Withrow University(a Cincinnati district school) are greatsmall public schools, open to all.Both enroll significant percentages oflow-income students. Both have academicachievement that equals orexceeds most suburban schools servinga very different group of youngpeople.Professor Anthony Bryk of theCenter for School Improvement of theUniversity of Chicago analyzed studiesfrom all over the country examiningthe relationship between schoolsize, cost, and quality. He found…”smaller high schools are more engagingenvironments and producegreater gains in student achievement…smallerschools are more productivework places for both adultsand students. In these more intimateenvironments, teachers are more likelyto report greater satisfaction withtheir work, higher levels of moraleand greater commitment. Problemsof student misconduct, class cutting,11a11b11cThe best small schools emphasizeindividual attention and close adult/student working relationships,along with high academic expectations.11

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolsmath tests.• At Broad Acres Elementary Schoolin Maryland, the number of familieswith no health care access declinedfrom 53 percent to 10 percent andthe number of families with no healthinsurance coverage went from 38percent to 10 percent.• At Lane Middle School in Portland,Oregon, suspensions declined from50 to 15 over a two-year period.(Dryfoos).In many cases it is not only the studentwho needs support, but also hisor her family. When a school sharesfacilities with social service agencies,children and families have access toprograms that will serve their needsand help students succeed in school.Families often do not know how orwhere to access services that couldhelp them. When different social serviceagencies are together in thesame building and are able to coordinatetheir eligibility procedures,families are better able to find thehelp that they need, are able to doso quickly and efficiently, and knowwhere to go in the case of an emergency.Assistance from social serviceagencies is most effective when theentire family is helped, rather thanjust individual members. If families aresuccessful and their needs are met,then their children will perform betterin school (Institute for EducationalLeadership).Social services are not the onlykind of services that can be madeavailable to students through ashared facility. Some schools sharespace with a city or county library,dramatically expanding the range ofbooks, computers, and other materialsavailable for student use. BostonArts Academy and Fenway HighSchool share space with a music library,thus expanding the collectionand allowing the library to stay openlonger hours at no additional cost tothe schools.A third major benefit of co-locationis that it allows a community tooffer programs, facilities, and servicesthat it might otherwise not be able toafford. The northwestern Minnesotacommunity of Perham created amarvelous community recreationbuilding, open from early in themorning until late at night. Neitherthe city, the school district, nor localbusinesses could afford to construct,maintain, or operate the center bythemselves.But by working together, they can.The story is the same in Northfield,Minnesota. The Northfield CommunityResource Center is the product ofcollaboration among five organizations,including the city, local schooldistrict, senior citizens program, andtwo anti-poverty agencies. Togetherthey were able to create and operatea marvelous, state of the art centerthat none of the groups could affordby itself.High schools in Twinsburg andMedina, Ohio, are using the sameprinciples. Twinsburg is a suburbantown near Cleveland. A communityfitness center, next to the high school,is managed by the City of Twinsburg.It includes a swimming pool, divingwell, a field house with a six-lanetrack and three athletic courts, lockerrooms, offices, and childcare and receptionareas. The facility is usedboth by high school students and thebroader community (Fanning/Howey,a).The Medina School District andseveral community organizations aredoing something both similar andunique. The local hospital will lease apart of the community center andsupply staff, equipment, and other resources.A new auditorium with an orchestrapit and seating for 1,200 isbeing constructed. A local performingarts foundation has pledged$200,000 to help fund construction,and will operate the auditorium(Fanning/Howey b). Co-location ofthis type means that tax funds arebeing stretched and spent in a muchmore efficient manner. This is goodnews for taxpayers, as well as thoseresponsible for administering taxfunds.A fourth major benefit of sharedfacilities is that it creates more timefor families to spend together. A numberof “work site” public schools, suchas those in Miami, Des Moines and St.Paul, are open to workers in the immediatearea. So, for example, manyfamilies whose children attend theDowntown Kindergarten located in aSt. Paul bank, or the school at theMiami-Dade airport, drive to andfrom work with their children, havedaily contact with their child’s teachers,and sometimes eat lunch withthem. Many busy families appreciatemore time with their children.Educators and community leadersin other countries are seeing the benefitsof small schools and shared facilities.In the Netherlands, for example,two elementary schools recentlyhave been constructed with theseideas in mind. In Vleuten, an elementaryschool has been built directly undera new apartment building18

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES19a19bShared Facilities permit tax funds tobe spent efficiently. Another majorbenefit of co-location is that it allowsa community to offer programs, facilities,and services that it might otherwisenot be able to afford. 16a:Architectural rendering for a Medina,Ohio performing arts center beingconstructed by serveral organizationsas a cooperative. 17a: Co-locationwith a medical clinic helps studentsat Vaughn Next Century School inCalifornia be healthier, and learnmore. 19a and 19b: Twinsburg, Ohio,fitness center.19

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools20a20bMaking schools "true centers of thecommunity" seems to make a lot ofsense. If avoids costly duplicationof facilities and structures, it allowsunderused schools to be used manymore hours per day and year." (NorthCarolina Department of Education)2020

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESserving families and senior citizens.Part of the idea is that it will be easyfor senior citizens to volunteer in theelementary school located directlyunder their apartment. A number ofsenior citizens are doing just that.Another Dutch elementary schoolhas just been built in Deventer, on thesecond story of a store in a commercialarea. Part of the idea here is thatit is easier for students to study realworld examples in, for example,mathematics. Students study percentagesand decimals and then visit21asome nearby shops where they cansee how math is being used in business.The school includes an outsideplay area and gymnasium.Aurora Charter School inEdmonton, Alberta, illustrates anotherexample of the co-location idea. Thisschool is housed in a multi-story buildingowned by a local hospital. Someof the hospital's programs are locatedin the building. Sharing space allowsstudents to easily learn moreabout careers in medicine, as well asto discuss health and science issueswith hospital professionals.A “National Summit on SchoolDesign,” convened in October 2005,bought together more than 200teachers, parents, administrators, architects,community leaders, mayorsand other officials. They producedeight major recommendations for“School Design Excellence. Three ofthem were “Create Schools asCenters of Community, “Considernon-traditional options for SchoolFacilities and Classrooms,” and“Foster a small school culture.”(American Architectural Foundation/KnowledgeWorks Foundation) Eachof these approaches is documentedin pages that follow.Since 1989, the Children’s AidSociety has worked with New YorkCity schools to create a few schoolcommunitycenters. The results havebeen very encouraging—increasedstudent achievement, better attendance,and a much closer, morepositive working relationship betweenthe schools and families they serve.This experience led Phillip Coltoff,Executive Director of the Children’sAid Society to write, “It is absolutelypossible to radically transform our20a and 20b: A school in Deventer,Netherlands, is built on the secondstory of shops in a commercial area.21a and 21b: A school in the Dutchcity of Vleuten is built underneath anapartment complex, helping promotecontacts among students, parents,and senior citizens who liveabove the school.21b21

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolsschools into powerful institutions thatoffer children, their families, and entirecommunities true hope for a betterfuture” (Coltoff, p. 7).A thoughtful report from the NorthCarolina Department of PublicInstruction summarizes experiencewith shared facilities: Making schools“true centers of the communityseems to make a lot of sense. Itavoids costly duplication of facilitiesand structures, it allows under usedschools to be used many more hoursper day and year” (North Carolina, p.24).The report concludes, “True communityschools (which also provideother community services), can savelocal taxpayers significant sums ofmoney, reduce depletion of limitednatural resources, and limit sprawl.”The report does not say sharing facilitiesis easy: “When conflicts arise(and they will) each agency must bewilling to work together … to solveconflicts or problems …” (NorthCarolina, p. 24). However, as that report,and the following case studiesshow, conflicts can be overcome.Families and students will benefit.The next section offers brief casestudies of schools carrying out theseprinciples of small school size and/orshared-co-located facilities. The casestudies include both district run publicschools and charter publicschools. We know enough to domuch better. We hope the followingexamples will encourage and assistpeople who want to make a differencefor students and their families.22a22b22a and 22b: Like many excellentsmall schools, Codman reaches out,developing relationships with otherorganizations to help its studentslearn about, for example, nature anddrama.22

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESReferencesAgron, Joe. May 2007. “33rd Annual OfficialConstruction Report,” American School andUniversity, www.asumag.com/Construction/Construction%20Report%202007.pdfAgron, Joe, November 2007 b. Email to theauthor.American Architectural Foundation/KnowledgeWorks Foundation, “Report from theNational Summit on School Design,” at www.edfacilities.org/pubs/nationalsummit.pdfBarker, R. G., and P. V. Gump. 1964. BigSchool, Small School. Stanford, Calif.: StanfordUniversity Press.Barr, Robert D., and William H. Parrett. 1997.How to Create Alternative, Magnet and CharterSchools that Work. Bloomington, Ind: NationalEducation Service.Bickel, Robert and Craig B. Howley. 2000.When It Comes to Schooling … Small Works.Washington, D. C.: Rural School and CommunityTrust Policy Program.Blank, M.J., Melaville, A., & Shah, B.P. (2004).Making the Difference: Research and Practice inCommunity Schools. Washington, DC: Coalitionfor Community Schools.Bowers, Cynthia, “Taft High School Partnershipwith Cincinnati Bell has reversed School’sDownward Trend,” CBS Nightly News, December26, 2006.Borden, Rebecca. 2000. “Museum Schools: ANew Approach to Education.” VirginiaAssociation of Museums, Quarterly NewsMagazine (Summer).Bryk, Anthony S. 1994. Fall, 1994. “Issues inRestructuring Schools.” Commentaries—DifferentPerspectives on the Lee and Smith Study, pgs.6–7. Center on Organization and restructuring ofSchools, School of Education, University ofWisconsin–Madison.Bryk, A .S., and M. E. Driscoll. 1988. “TheSchool as Community: Theoretical Foundations,Contextual Influences, and Consequences forStudents and Teachers.” Madison, Wisc: TheUniversity of Wisconsin, National Center onEffective Secondary Schools.Burke, A. M. May 1987. “Making a Big SchoolSmaller: The School-Within-a-School Arrangementfor Middle Level Schools.”Coltoff, Phillip. October, 1997. Children’s AidSociety, Building a Community School, New York:Author.Cotton, K. 1996. “Affective and Social Benefitsof Small-scale Schooling,” ERIC Digest, Charleston,West Va., Clearinghouse on Rural Education andSmall Schools.Dryfoos, Joy G. 1994. Full Service Schools.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Dryfoos, Joy G. October 2000. “Evaluationof Community Schools: Findings to Date.”Carnegie Corporation. New York.Eckman, John M. & Howley, Craig B. 1997“Sustainable Small Schools.” Charleston, WestVirginia. ERIC Clearinghouse on RuralEducation and Small Schools.Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. “MedinaHigh School” n.d. Celina, Ohio: Author.Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., “TwinsburgHigh School/Fitness Center,” n.d. Celina, Ohio:Author.Fouts, Jeffrey, Baker, Duane, Brown, Carol,and Riley, Shirley, 2006, "Leading theConversion Process: Lessons Learned andRecommendations for Converting to SmallLearning Communities," at http://www.gatesfoundation.org/nr/Downloads/ed/researchevaluation/LeadingtheConversionProcess.pdf.Gamoran, R.A. 1996 “Student achievementin public magnet, public comprehensive andprivate city high schools.” EducationalEvaluation and Policy Analysis, 18 (1), 1–18.Hare, Debra and Heap, James. 2001.Effective Teacher Recruitment and RetentionStrategies in the Midwest: Who Is Making Use ofThem, Oak Brook, Illinois: North CentralRegional Educational Laboratory.Hill, Paul T, and Christensen, Jon, “Safety andOrder in Charter and Traditional Public Schools,”in Lake, Robin, Hopes, Fears and Reality: ABalanced Look at American Charter Schools in2007, Seattle: University of Washington NationalCharter School Research Project, pp. 53-64Institute for Educational Leadership. 1994.Linking Schools with Health and Social Services.Washington, D. C.Joravsky, Ben. August 2000. From Dream toReality, Three Chicago Small Schools. Chicago.Small Schools Coalition.Kemple, James J. and Scott-Clayton, Judith,“Career Academies: Impacts on Labor MarketOutcomes and Educational Attainment,” NewYork: MDRC, March 2004, available at www.mdrc.org/publications/366/overview.htmlKlonsky, Susan, 2002 “The Promise and Politicsof Small Schools,” in Business and ProfessionalPeople for the Public Interest, Architecture forEducation, 3.2-3.6Lawrence, Barbara Kent, Abramson, Paul,Bergsagel, Victoria, Bingler, Steven, Diamond,Barbara, Greene, Thomas J, Hill, Bobbie, Howley,Craig, Stephen, David, and Washor, Elliot, 2005,Dollars and Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools, Cincinnati:Knowledgeworks Foundation.Lee, V. E., & J. B. Smith “Effects of SchoolRestructuring on the Achievement andEngagement of Middle-School Students.”Sociology of Education, 66(3), 164–187.Lee, V. E., J. B. Smith, & R. G. Croninger,“Understanding High School Restructuring Effectson the Equitable Distribution of LearningMathematics and Science.” Madison, Wisc.:University of Wisconsin, Center on Organizationand Restructuring Schools.Maeroff, Gene. 1998, February. Altered Lives.New York: St. Martins Press.Nathan, Joe, January 2006 “Challenge HelpsPromote Creativity,” Rural Minnesota Journal,55-78.Nathan, Joe, “The Cincinnati Example,”(Minneapolis) Star Tribune, October 30, 2007,A-11.North Carolina Department of PublicInstruction. November 2000. “Making CurrentTrends in School Design Feasible,” Raleigh:Division of School Support School Planning.Pittman, R. B. & P. Haughwout. 1987, Winter.“Influence of High School Size on Dropout Rate.”Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 9(4),337–343.Raywid, Mary Anne. January, 1999. “CurrentLiterature on Small Schools.” Charleston, West Va.ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education andSmall Schools.Raywid, Mary Anne. 1996, April. “Taking Stock:The Movement to Create Mini-Schools, Schools-Within-School, and Separate Small Schools.” NewYork. ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education.Smith, G.R., T. B. Gregory, and R. C. Pugh.1981, April. “Meeting students’ needs: Evidenceof the superiority of alternative schools.” Phi DeltaKappan, 62, 561–564.Stiefel, L., P. Latarola, N. Fruchter, and R.Berne. 1998. “The Effects of Size of Student Bodyon School Costs and Performance in New YorkCity High Schools.” New York: Institute forEducation and Social Policy, New York University.Taylor, Matthew D. and Lisa Snell. December2000. “Innovative School Facility Partnerships:Downtown, Airport and Retail Space,” LosAngeles: Reason Public Policy Institute.Tung, Rosann, and Ouimette, Monique,November, 2007 “Strong Results, Hig Demand: AFour Year Study of Boston’s Pilot High Schools",www.ccebos.org/Pilot_School_Exec_Summ_11.07.pdfU. S. Department of Education. April 2000.“Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizens’Guide or Planning and Design,” Washington,D.C.:Author.23

School Case Studies

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsAcademy of thePacific Rim CharterSchoolBoston, MassachusettsImagine an inner city public school,open to all, which uses the bestideas of the Asian and Western educationsystems. Every class startsand ends with students (grades 6through 12) and teachers standingand thanking each other for their efforts.26aKey educational features. Everyday the Academy of the Pacific Rimmiddle school begins with a character-basedadvisory period or an allschoolopening ceremony. Theopening ceremony features studentskits, announcements, and presentationof the “gambatte” award. TheJapanese use this term, which translatesas “persist, keep going,” to endconversations in much the same wayAmericans say “see you later” or“take care.” The award is presentedto a student in recognition of his orher hard work.Students attend school from 7:45a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 190 days per year.(The typical school year in the BostonPublic School system is 180 days.)Each teacher has two prep hours aday, a computer, and a telephonewith a private extension. Each facultymember advises 10 to 12 students.The faculty also sends bi-monthly studentprogress reports home to parents.Students in grades 7 and higherstudy Mandarin.Academy teachers also apply the2626bbest American ideas about active,“hands-on” learning. When eighthgraders study the Constitution, eachstudent researches a person at theConstitutional Convention and reenactsthat person's role, while wearinga costume of the era. Sixth grademath students practice decimals andpercentages as they create restaurantmenus. The curriculum is diverse,incorporating the literature of manycultures. For example, eighth gradersread Shakespeare's Macbeth andMaya Angelou's I Know Why theCaged Bird Sings. Ninth graders readplays such as Othello and books suchas The Autobiography of Malcolm X26cand Anne Frank's Diary of a YoungGirl.The academy serves 375 studentsand in 2007-08 will add a 5th gradeto serve 450 students. Half of the studentsare from low-income familiesand more than 75 percent are “studentsof color”—primarily AfricanAmerican.The faculty is rewarded financiallywhen students make academicprogress. Academy of the Pacific Rimuses the budget and personnel flexibilitythat comes from being a charterschool to develop these incentives,along with its innovative program.But schools don't have to be

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIEScharters to learn from this powerfulprogram.Key architectural features. Theschool’s building, constructed in 1903,originally was a carriage factory.Stairways feature quotations urgingstudents to make the most of theirskills, talents, and energy. The buildinghouses several other businesses.Impact on students. Despite beingopen to a cross section of students,academy students score among thehighest on required statewide tests ofany Boston public school. In fact, thestudents score higher on these teststhan any school except a couple ofBoston public schools at which studentsmust score very well on an entranceexam to be admitted. APR hasgraduated 82 alumni, over 90% ofwhom are currently enrolled in publicand private 4-yr colleges and universities.The school also has an excellentrecord of retaining students, witha far lower mobility rate than mostBoston public schools.For more information. ContactSpencer Blasdale, Director, Academyof the Pacific Rim, 617-361-0050, OneWestinghouse Plaza, Hyde Park, Mass.02136; see www.pacrim.org.26a: Academy of the Pacific Rimshares space with several businessesin a former carriage factory that isover 100 years old. 26b: Studentsstudy martial arts to become morephysically fit and develop strongerself-discipline. 26c: Each teacher hasa desk with computer and phone,reflecting the school’s emphasis ontreating faculty as respected professionals.Amistad AcademyNew Haven, ConnecticutFounded in 1999 in New Haven,CT, Amistad Academy MiddleSchool has been so successfulthat New York City officials offered facilitiesand startup funds to help startsimilar schools in Brooklyn, NY.Amistad has recently replicated itsprogram in both New York andConnecticut, and has been featuredin a PBS documentary about howsome schools are closing theachievement gap between whiteand students of color. The school alsohas been cited in a New York TimesMagazine article about schools thatare closing the achievement gap.Ninety-eight percent of Amistad’sstudents are African American orHispanic, and 100% are chosen byblind lottery. Students entering thefifth grade are, on average, morethan two years behind grade level inreading and math. By the time thesestudents reach 8th grade, they areoutperforming the state average andmany white, affluent suburban schooldistricts. The school enrolls approximately270 students in grades 5-8,and the percentage of students qualifyingfor free or reduced lunch hasranged over time between 71 and 89percent. Amistad was namedConnecticut’s 2006 Title 1Distinguished School after posting thegreatest academic gains of any middleschool in the state. The school hasa substantial waiting list.Amistad is named for a ship thatwas the site of a slave revolt in the1800s, an incident that ended with27a27b27cthe slaves jailed in New Haven but ultimatelyfreed by the U.S. SupremeCourt. Amistad has three “overarchinggoals”:1. Academic Excellence: To acceleratethe learning of students so thatthey achieve academic breakthroughsin the skills that are necessaryfor success in high school, col-27

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolslege and life – especially reading,writing, and math.2. Public Citizenship: To developstudents who take responsibility forthemselves, their school, and theircommunity by living up to theschool’s REACH values (Respect,Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship,and Hard Work).3. Partners in Public SchoolReform: To develop and share an instructionalmodel that consistentlyproduces dramatic growth in studentachievement and to work with othersto further excellence in public education.Amistad has several key features:• Longer day: school begins at 7:30and ends at 5:00 pm• Rigorous standards based curriculum• Disciplined, achievement-orientedschool culture• Students wear uniforms• Intense literacy program• School culture of “sweating thesmall stuff”• Focus on results without excusesor shortcutsstatewide. In math, 73% of Amistad’s8th graders achieved mastery, comparedto 27% district wide and 64%statewide.For further information, pleasesee www.achievementfirst.org, orcontact Amistad Academy at 407James Street, New Haven, CT, 06513;Tel. 203 773-3223Achievement First, a non-profit startedby the leaders of Amistad, hasbeen asked to help create severalother charters based on the Amistadmodel in Connecticut and New York.These replication sites are all withinthe first four years of operation. Thefirst replication of the school, also inNew Haven, is showing similarlyexcellent results. Achievement Firstnow runs five academies in NewHaven, one in Bridgeport, CT, and sixin Brooklyn, NY.28aImpact on students: On theConnecticut Mastery Test (CMT),Amistad’s 8th grade students consistentlyoutperform not only the NewHaven district average, but alsoachieve on par with or in excess ofthe state average. In 2007, for example,the percentage of Amistad 8thgraders at mastery in reading was66% (the district average was 34%;the CT state average was 67%). Inwriting, 78% of Amistad’s 8th gradersachieved mastery, compared to 30%district wide and 64% of students28b28

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESArizona Agribusinessand Equine CenterPhoenix, ArizonaThe Phoenix based ArizonaAgribusiness and Equine ScienceCenter, located adjacent to andon the campus of South MountainCommunity College, continues to winawards for its effectiveness and innovation.The school was recognized by theArizona Department of Education asa “highly performing” school for2006-2007 (the latest year for whichratings are available). The school andits host college won an“Innovator of the Year” award fromthe state’s League for Innovation inthe Community College. The awardcame from the BioscienceCollaborative they created.Students learn science concepts asthey conduct original research in associationwith four residentialPh.D.'s, USDA, and U.C. San Diego'sSupercomputer Human GenomeProject. Students may present theirscientific findings at national symposiaand apply for bio-industry andfederal government internships. In arecent publication by the FlinnScientific Foundation Building theBioscience Pipeline, AAEC was listedas one of the few recognized bioscienceprograms in Arizona schools."It's important, and it's real." That'show one teacher describes experimentshigh school students are doingat the Arizona Agribusiness andEquine Center in Phoenix. This publiccharter high school shares space withSouth Mountain Community College.Part of co-location is sharing facultyand facilities with the college. Theidea is to encourage students to exceland to understand how they canimprove the world. One student stated,“I was challenged with collegelevel expectations and got myAssociate Degree two weeks beforemy high school diploma!” For the firsttime, on May 24, 2007, AAEC had oneof their over-achieving students graduateas Valedictorian of SouthMountain Community College andthen graduate as Valedictorian fromAAEC High School.Key educational features. Recently,some of the center’s students tried toreduce or eliminate the number of insectsattracted to the MadagascarPeriwinkle plant. By injecting bacteriainto the plant's roots, students foundthat after four weeks the plants wouldbe 100 percent free of a commonArizona insect, the whitefly. Thesebacteria, which keep insects away,don't appear to have any detrimentaleffects. Untreated plants were infectedwith the flies after four weeks inthe same growing environment.Who cares? Periwinkle is a beautifullittle plant that grows throughoutArizona. But in addition to beauty, theplant provides chemicals that helptreat leukemia. Keeping insects awayallows the plants to grow stronger.Such important lessons can comefrom working with little plants, growingquietly on a shelf. But studentwork is attracting a good deal of attention.Some of the school’s studentshave earned an Associate of Arts degreefrom the community collegeshortly before they graduated fromhigh school.29

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsThe Center’s faculty includes certifiedpublic school teachers and communitycollege instructors. The schoolspecializes in applied sciences, mathematics,and agricultural fields.Students take classes at the college,participate in internships, and oftengo on field trips to extend their knowledgeand learning. The Center enrollsabout 120 students in grades 9through 12. Its student body is moreracially diverse than the local schooldistrict. The school has opened a secondprogram, which also is locatedon the campus of a community college.Key architectural features. Oneof the school’s buildings is located atthe edge of the college.However, all students use the college'sfacilities, including classrooms,labs, libraries, computers, and fitnesscenter.The college library also serves theneighboring community. AAEC hasopened two other schools, also locatedadjacent to Maricopa CommunityCollege campuses in East Mesa (RedMountain) and in the North Valley(Paradise Valley). The community collegeuses the school's classrooms inthe evening and on Saturdays.Impact on students. The ArizonaDepartment of Education rates AAECSouth Mountain campus as“Highly Performing.” According to theprincipal, students earn an averageof 46 college credits per graduatebefore graduating. A few earn anA.A. degree as they graduate fromhigh school.For further information. Contact:William R. Torres Conley, Principal,Arizona Agribusiness and EquineCenter, South Mountain CommunityCollege, Phoenix, Arizona 85042(602) 323-989030a: The Arizona Agribusiness andEquine center shares space withSouth Mountain Community College.This gives the school’s studentsaccess to college facilities, includinga fitness center and lounge areas.The students also can take coursesfrom college faculty. 30b: Murals andother art on the AAEC and SouthMountain Community College campusreflect themes of the Southwest.29a30a30b30

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESBoston Arts Academyand Fenway HighSchoolBoston, MassachusettsTake an old industrial building directlyacross the street fromFenway Park, Boston's historicbaseball field. Give teachers the opportunityto create new public highschools. The result is a building withtwo popular, distinctive public highschools—the Boston Arts Academyand Fenway High School.Boston Arts AcademyKey Educational Features. BostonArts Academy is a Boston pilot schoolserving about 400 students in grades9 through 12. Students are admittedthrough an artistic process that is academicblind. The school, foundedin 1998, is a unique collaboration betweenthe Boston Public Schools andsix internationally known institutionsspecializing in visual arts, performingarts, and architecture. In addition totaking a college prep, interdisciplinarycurriculum, students major in oneof five arts discipline, adding a minimumof ten hours to their schoolingweekly.All students participate in theSenior Project Grant, a capstone experiencecompleted in a student’ssenior year. Each student creates acommunity-based arts program andwrites a grant proposal to launch theproject. This experience is an opportunityfor students to apply their skillsand passion towards a particularcause and gain experience as independentartists. A school-based grant31a31b31

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolsreview committee, comprised ofcommunity members, reviews theseproposals. Fifteen percent of all proposalswere funded in 2006.Fenway High SchoolKey educational features.Founded in 1983, Fenway is now in its24th year. It is one of the pioneers ofthe small schools movement. Namedone of the first “New American HighSchools” by the U.S. Department ofEducation, it has been designated asan “exemplar” by the Coalition ofEssential Schools. Fenway High Schoolenrolls 300 students (55 percentAfrican American, 20 percentHispanic, 20 percent Caucasian and5 percent Asian) in grades 9 through12.Fenway uses an advisory system,so each student is known well by atleast one faculty member. Each facultymember has about 20 advisees,with whom they meet several times aweek. Many of the students have thesame advisor for 3 to 4 years.Students are grouped into learningfamilies called houses.Fenway requires students to demonstratebusiness skill and knowledgeprior to graduation. About 90 communitymembers come into theschool twice a year to help judge studentprojects and tell the studentshow well they are doing comparedto “real world” expectations. An internshipwith a community agency orbusiness is required for graduation.Fenway collaborates with communityagencies, business, colleges, foundations,and organizations such as theBoston Museum of Science, a chainof pharmacies, and Harvard MedicalSchool to extend learning beyond32the school classroom.Key architectural features. Theschools are located in an old, formerindustrial building near many majorBoston arts organizations. The building’slibrary is shared with bothschools and with the BostonSymphony Teacher Resource Center,thus allowing it to be open longerhours, including every Saturday. Thelibrary is open to 6 p.m. three eveningsa week and every Saturdaymorning.Impact on students. Both schoolsare strong advocates for assessingstudents’ performance in variousways, including classroom-based diagnostics,portfolios, exhibitions, standardizedtests, work internships, integratedprojects, and college acceptance.Surveys of employers showthat Fenway students are very goodon the job and great team players.Eighty-five percent of Fenway’s studentsenrolling at ninth grade failstate and nationally normed standardizedtest. Four years later, 80 to85 percent from Fenway enter college.In 2006, 96% of Boston ArtsAcademy’s graduates went on to2-or 4-year colleges and receivedover $1,400,000 in grants and scholarshipassistance.For further information. Contact ,Head of School, Fenway High School,174 Ipswich Street, Boston Mass. 02215;(617) 635-9911, or fenwayhs.org, ;www.fenway.boston.k12.ma.us.Contact Head of School, Boston ArtsAcademy, 174 Ipswich Street, Boston,Mass. 02215; (617) 635-6470;http:// www.bostonartsacademy.org32a31a and 31b: The two schools arehoused in a building across the streetfrom Boston’s Fenway Field. Studentartwork is featured throughout thebuilding. 32a: Sharing space with theBoston Symphony Teacher ResourceCenter brings students together withcommunity residents.

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESBuffalo King CenterBuffalo, New YorkA a beautiful place with achurch closes in a run down,low-income area of the city. It’s100-foot-high ceiling and stainedglass windows. The church was completedmore than 100 years ago andhas served generations of parishioners,but they have died or moved tothe suburbs. No congregation wantsit. What to do? In Buffalo, New York,the answer is to create a charterschool for elementary students. Theaward-winning King Center is theproduct of creativity and commitment.Key educational features. Onehundred five students in grades Kthrough 4 currently attend the school.The school environment is characterizedas a respectful and responsiblecommunity of learners where highlyqualified teachers work with smallgroups and where no class size exceeds21 students. The school plansto expand to 360 students througheighth grade. Partners in the schoolinclude the Teacher PreparationPrograms at Houghton College andBuffalo State College and the Schoolof Nursing at the Sate University ofNew York at Buffalo.Special attention has been givento the need to improve school readinessskills of students entering kindergartenat the King Center CharterSchool. Since charter school fundingin New York State is available only forstudents at the kindergarten level orhigher, King Center Charter has implementedan early admissions programthat makes it possible to admit3 and 4 year olds and, through thecommunity center, offer the Parent-Child Home Program as a schoolreadiness option for students who areadmitted early. Data gathered overthe past two years show that studentswho participate in the PCHP programscore higher on school readiness skillsevaluations upon entry into kindergartenand continue to score higheron standardized test through 2ndgrade (this is as far as the current testdata goes). Interested individualsand foundations have providedPCHP funding.33a33

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools34a34bKey architectural features. Theschool operates in the sanctuary ofthe former church, which opened inthe 1880s. The pews have been removedto create classrooms.Students can look up and see thehigh ceiling and stained glass windows.An internationally recognizedjury selected the King Center for the“honor award” in the Committee onArchitecture of Education 1999Design Awards and ExemplaryLearning Environment competition.The Yale University Bush Center inChild Development and Social Policydesignated the King Center NewYork’s first “School of the 21stCentury” in recognition of the extensivecollaborative efforts of the programand its efforts to help childrenin all areas of development. Thebuilding was also awarded a SilverCitation in the American School &University Educational InteriorsShowcase.Four classrooms are equipped withwall-mounted video cameras with infraredtracking devices and are connectedto a fiber-optic telecommunicationsnetwork that links the KingCenter with area colleges. Collegefaculty are able to schedule times fortheir classes to observe a “live” lessontaught at the King Center and interactwith the classroom teacher fromthe comforts of their college classroom.This connection to higher educationinstitutions and the willingnessof King Center teachers to put theirwork “on display,” are contributing toefforts to improve the quality ofteacher education programs designedto prepare urban teachers.Development of the King Centerextends beyond the church building34

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESthat houses the school. Over thepast few years the King Center haspurchased 3 vacant buildings and 10vacant lots in close proximity to theschool. A building adjacent to thechurch that was a crack house andhouse of prostitution has been renovatedfor King Center program useand houses the PCHP program, acounseling program and a computerlab to serve the community. Anotherdilapidated house has been razedand a former tavern is currently beingevaluated to determine if it should berenovated or razed. A communityplayground has been constructed ontwo of the lots, community gardenshave been developed, and four lotshave been landscaped to provide agrassy play area for children.Impact on students. Scores on theNew York State 4th grade tests inmath, science, and English languagearts were dismal for the first two yearsbut have shown significant improvementever since. AcademicOutcomes specified in the school’sAccountability Plan call for a minimumof 75 percent of students scoringat a proficient level or higher. Onthe most recent tests 93 percentscored at the proficient level or higherin math, 86 percent in science and60 percent in English language arts.For further information. ContactDr. Claity Massey, Director, KingUrban Life Center, 938 GeneseeStreet, Buffalo, N.Y. 14211; (716)891-7912. www.kingurbanlifecenter.org.33a: The stained glass windows andhigh ceilings add an unusual beautyto the King Center's Interior. 34aand 34b: The King's Center's brightclassrooms sparkle in the more than100-year old building which formerlywas a church.Cesar ChavezAcademy CharterSchoolPueblo, ColoradoBored while teaching at Harvard,Dr. Lawrence Hernandez returnedto his home in Pueblo,CO to start and run an award winningschool. His work with low-incomeminority students has won nationalacclaim.In 2000, Dr. Hernandez and his wifeco-founded the Cesar ChavezCharter Public School, which he hasdirected since the school opened.For the last three years, Cesar Chavezhas earned an “excellent rating,”from the Colorado Department ofEducation, the highest of five availablerankings. The school also wasfeatured in a 2007 U.S. Department ofEducation publication highlightingschools that are closing or have eliminatedachievement gaps betweenstudents of difference races.Key educational features. CesarChavez is a grades K-8 school thatemphasizes a longer day and year,individualized instruction and placesgreat value in music, painting andother arts. The typical day runs from7:30 – 4:30 . Cesar Chavez uses theCore Knowledge Curriculum developedby E.D. Hirsch. It also makes extensiveuse of individual tutoring andcomputer based assistance to helpstudents start at precisely their ownlevel, and move forward. The schoolnotes, “In the spirit of Cesar Chavez,the school will focus on exceptionalScholarship, Leadership and35

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools36a36d36b36cCommunity Involvement. While preparingchildren to meet and exceedColorado's high academic contentstandards, the school will also placea unique emphasis on the history, culture,and native language of Latinos.This focus will be integrated throughoutthe educational experience ofchildren Pre K-8th.”As a requirement for middle schoolgraduation, students develop a portfolio,undertake a "thesis" project and36demonstrate scholarly capacitiesthrough a series of presentations.Unlike some charter publicschools, Cesar Chavez offers an extensivesports program. This includessoccer, volleyball, basketball andwrestling.Several foundations have giventhe school money to help replicate it.Impact on Students. With more than60% of the school’s students comingfrom low-income families, and morethan 70% of the students Hispanic,Cesar Chavez consistently has 20-30%more students scoring proficient oradvanced than other students in thePueblo district or the state average.For example, in 2005-2006: 90% of the3-5th graders at Cesar Chavezscored in the top ranks in reading,compared with 74% in the district and69% in the state. 91% of 3-5th gradersscored in the top rank in writing, comparedto 56% in the district and 54%in the state.93% of the 3-5th graders scored proficientor advanced in math, comparedwith 74% in the district, and68% in the state. The same was trueof 6th-8th graders.For more information, contact Dr.Lawrence Hernandez, Cesar ChavezAcademy Charter School, 2500 West18th Street, Pueblo, CO 81003.Phone: (719)295-1623,www.cesarchavezacademy.org36a, 36b, 36c: Cesar Chavez honorsstudent progress and achievement.36d: President George Bush and Dr.Lawrence Hernandez

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESCity AcademySt. Paul, MinnesotaLocated in what was, and remains,a community recreationcenter, City Academy hasachieved national recognition. CityAcademy is a classic example of thevalue of a school sharing space withanother organization—in this case arecreation center with excellent facilities.City Academy has achieved anenviable record of serving studentswith challenging backgrounds. It alsois the nation's first charter publicschool. Both U.S. Secretary ofEducation Richard Riley andPresident Bill Clinton came to CityAcademy to praise its program, students,and educators.Key educational features. Theprogram is based on competencies—all students must demonstrate certainskills and knowledge in order tograduate. It is heavily individualizedand allows students to move at theirown pace. It also offers rewards andconnections. Students who work hardhave the opportunity to obtain internshipsand apprenticeships withvarious construction trades. Thus, studentslearn important career skills asthey improve their basic academicskills in math and reading.37a37

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsKey architectural features. Formany years, the city of St. Paul hasconstructed and operated recreationcenters in various neighborhoodsaround the city. Typically these facilitiesinclude a field house with a basketballcourt, craft studios or classrooms,and a large field with spacefor football in the fall and hockey inthe winter. Young people generallyuse these recreation centers afterschool, in the evenings, on weekends,and during vacations.The WPA constructed a recreationcenter and located it in a low-incomearea on the city’s East Side in1940. In 1992, the city permitted severaleducators to create a new publicschool for about 100 secondaryschool students in the center. Thecenter’s three-story facility and outsideathletic field had not previouslybeen used during school time. Thefounders proposed to use the facili-38aties from Monday through Friday, duringthe morning and early afternoon(i.e., school time) and agreed to paya modest amount of rent. The cityagreed, figuring this was a win-winsituation.Impact on students. City Academystudents are all either former dropouts or students who had been toldto leave large traditional schools. Inother words, these young people arenot just “at risk,” they have experiencedsignificant problems in theirlives. Never the less, the school hasproduced dramatic improvements inthe students’ skills, knowledge, attitude,and behaviors. For example, forevery year the average student attendsCity Academy, her or his scoreson standardized tests improve twoyears.More than 90 percent of CityAcademy's graduates have continuedtheir education beyond highschool. Some graduates return to talkwith current students, and one CityAcademy graduate joined theschool's faculty.For further information. ContactDirector, City Academy, 958 Jessie St.Paul, Minn. 55101; (651) 298-4624.www.cityacademy.org.37a, 38a, and 38b: City Academy,the nation’s first charter school,shares facilities with a recreationcenter. Serving students with challengingbackgrounds, City Academyhas a highly individualized curriculumthat rewards students who makeprogress in their apprenticeships.38b38

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESClark MontessoriCincinnati, OhioMaria Montessori's philosophyhas inspired many parents andearly childhood educators.However, the Cincinnati PublicSchools has created one of the nation'sfirst Montessori public middleschools, and the nation's first publicMontessori high school, which arehoused together.About 300 students attend the juniorhigh school, and about 250 attendthe high school. Educators sayMontessori philosophy is central tothe schools' vision, philosophy, andoperation. Faculty want students tobe productive, healthy, happy, contributingpeople. Approximately 50percent of the students are AfricanAmerican, and 50% white. The completerange of academic skills is represented.Any student may attendthe schools. However, priority is givento students who've attended aMontessori school. Key elements ofthe schools include.which they study for college entrancetests, write college essays, visita variety of colleges and talk withadmissions counselors. Seniors do careerinternships in two fields that theychoose to help investigate post secondarystudy options. In the spring,intersessions are elective courses. Inthe past, students have, visited civilrights movement historical sites, livedwith Hopi Indians in the southwest,studied flora and fauna of CostaRica, hiked the Atlas Mountains andcamped with a group of Berbers,and gone to Appalachia to study theculture, work on a Habitat project,and hiked sections of theAppalachian Trail.Extensive use of community experts.For example, a psychologisthelped students study challengesteenagers face, and present this researchat a national conference.To help students learn to live in,learn from and contribute to theircommunity, junior high students mustcontribute 36 hours of communityservice per year and high school studentsmust contribute 50 hours/year.Active, hands on learning. The juniorhigh school has a steel drumband has received a great deal ofrecognition, including being asked toplay at the New Orleans Jazz andHeritage Festival, and many events inthe Cincinnati metropolitan area. Theband has produced a "cd" which itsells to raise money.Seniors have a major year longproject of their choice, which theypresent in May. Extensive opportunityfor students to assess their work.Students tell teachers what gradethey would give themselves. Whilefaculty make the final decision, theyhelp students learn to look carefully,honestly and critically at their ownwork.Architectural features: Clark presentlyis in a temporary location whilea new facility is being built.Measures of Effectiveness: TheExtensive use of the outdoors.Twice a year the high school has twoweeklong intersession (2 weeks) thatinvolve intensive study of one subject.In the fall, students are involved inthese immersion courses by gradelevel in order to work with their advisorsand build community with eachother. Freshmen work on study skills,community building, service projectsfor the school and strengths assessments.Sophomores do an “urbanplunge” community service, juniorstake a college prep intersession in39a39

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools40aOhio Department of Education gaveClark Montessori an “effective” designationfor the 2006-2007 schoolyear…the second highest of fiveavailable rankings. Student scores onstandardized tests are well abovethe average in Cincinnati, and nationalaverages. The school also seesthe way students learn to work togetheras a key indicator of success.For example, the final experiencefor 8th graders is a 10 day trip with50 other students. Students study marinebiology, plan budgets, keepjournals and do sketches. Faculty regardthe success of this trip as asign of success.40For further information, seehttp://clark.cps-k12.org or contact:Principal, Clark Montessori, 5425Winton Ridge Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio45232, 513-363-710039a and 40a: Clark Montessori showsthat well designed, hands-on projectshelp improve student achievementand develop a sense of prideamong youngsters. The school’s steeldrum band is very popular and hasproduced a CD that it sells to raisemoney for field trips and other projects.

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESCodman AcademyCharter Public SchoolDorchester,MassachusettsCalled a “blueprint for urban education”by The New York Times,Codman Academy CharterPublic School’s success as a newmodel for high schools has also beenthe subject of prominent - stories inThe Boston Globe and on NationalPublic Radio’s "All Things Considered."Codman takes a holistic approach toserving students, their families andalumni. Located in a low incomeneighborhood where violence is anongoing challenge, admission is bylottery. 100% of the graduatingclasses have been accepted to fouryear colleges. 99% are students ofcolor, and 65% are eligible for thefree/reduced lunch program. 22% ofthe student body has Special Needsas defined by their IndividualEducation Plans. Thirty percent speakone of four languages other thanEnglish at home.A Boston Globe editorial calledthe test scores, school’s graduationrate, and college placement record“outstanding.”Key features of the school are:• Use of Expeditionary Learningdesign from Outward Boundwhich emphasizes leadership,service and character as well asintellectual and physical development.• Strong social justice focus acrosscurriculum including senior socialaction project with research paperand demonstration that thestudent has made positivechange in the community.• Deep community partnerships includingCodman Square HealthCenter, the Huntington TheatreCompany and Boston ModernOrchestra Project which enrichcurriculum and extend classroomto the entire city.• Four-year performance sequencerequired of every studentincluding participation eventssuch as national Poetry Outloudand Shakespeare competitions,writing and producing three originaltheatre pieces and giving aSenior Talk41a41

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools42a42b• Wireless environment with eachjunior and senior assigned his orher own laptop.• Longer day academic classesare 9 am – 4:15 with requiredsports, dance and other physicaleducation offered in the morningand afternoons at 7:15am & 6pm,and an optional supervised studyhall open until 7 pm (which 40%of students use on a daily basis).• Longer school year – requiredclasses on Saturday morningsand two summers of required approvedprograms for all studentssuch as Huntington Theatre/Codman summer Shakespeareproduction.• College advising beginning ingrade 9 with multiple college visitsand completing sample collegeapplications.• Culture of hospitality to visitors includingshaking hands and lookingguest in the eye. The schoolhas hosted delegations fromJapan, Ireland, Germany,England, South Africa, Israel andNorthern Ireland.• Strong ongoing support for alumniwhile in college and participationby alumni in school events,including leading in new graduatesat commencement.• Required four years of math andlaboratory science, with projectsthat are community based includingfocus on diabetes, obesityprevention and energy conservation.• Single sex, multi age advisory system(“crews”), which meet atleast three times week and alsohave rotating chores such as42serving and cleaning up lunch.• Single gender “Talking Circles” forall ninth graders led by socialworkers.• After admission to the school, individualmeeting with parent/guardian to discuss parent andchild’s dream for the child andhow Codman can help supportfamily in achieving that dream.Dissemination including documentationon line at www.codmanacademy.org,and mentorship to candidateswho are interested in startingschools similar to Codman. "FilmSpeak True: ShakespeareCompetition at Codman Academy"narrated by Taye Diggs is availablefor viewing on line at You Tube.Codman’s mission “is to prepare

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESstudents for full participation in theintellectual, economic and civic lifeof our society, by ensuring their fullpreparation and access to furthereducation, the skills and vision to undertakea rewarding career, and themotivation and character needed toengage deeply and productively incommunity life. We view parents andcommunity members as integral partnersin this endeavor.”Impact on Students: Boston Globeeditorial called the school’s graduationrate and statewide test scores“outstanding.” 100% of the 2005, 2006and 2007 students were accepted at4-year colleges and universities.Alumni current enrollment includesBates, Brandeis, Boston College,Bowdoin, Holy Cross, Kentucky State,Mount Holyoke, Marrieta, Regis, NorthCarolina A&T, Northeastern, Trinity,Wentworth, UMass-Amherst, andUtica. Documentary film, “Voices ofCodman Alumni” featuring interviewson college campuses produced bystudents at Harvard Graduate Schoolof Education is available from theschool.For further information, ContactCodman Academy Charter PublicSchool, 637 Washington Street,Dorchester, MA 02124.www.codmanacademy.org41a: 100% of the graduating seniorshave been accepted to four year colleges.42a: Students meet with MassachusettsGovernor Deval Patrick. 42b:Codman student at her internship.Frederick DouglassAcademyHarlem, New York CityFrederick Douglas Academy is locatedon the northern end ofHarlem in New York City.Approximately 90 percent of the studentsgraduate within four years ofentering, compared to a city-wideaverage of about 50 percent. Opento all students, Frederick DouglassAcademy and its founding principalhave been featured on “60 Minutes,”former Congressman John Kasich’stelevision, Heroes, ESPN: Between theLines, and Queer Eye for the StraightGuy.Key educational features.Frederick Douglass Academy enrolls1,450 students in grades 6 through 12.Unlike some “exam high schools” inNew York City, Douglass does not requirestudents to score well on a testto enroll. The school is a monument totough love—students wear uniformsand expectations are high. Theschool’s goal is to “provide a rich,vigorous, and challenging academiccurriculum that will enable our studentsto enter the college of theirchoice.” The school is not just namedfor Frederick Douglass; it embodieshis resolution. The school’s motto—“Without struggle, there is noprogress”—which appears at its frontentrance, comes from one of hisspeeches. Douglass’s picture is featuredthroughout the building.Beginning with the sixth grade, theschool is committed to preparing itsstudents for college. The collegecounseling office is open every dayuntil 4:00 p.m. and from noon to 4:00p.m. two Saturdays per month. Thecollege counselor meets with seniorsweekly to make sure they are followingthrough with the college admissionsprocess. The school’s attitude,as explained by the college counselor,is “We know our children can succeed.We work with them and theirfamilies to make sure it happens.”The school also has tutoring until6pm and is open 6 days a week. OnSaturday, Science labs, math and sciencetutorials, SAT prep classes andsports are offered. Every year atleast 98% of the graduating classgoes to college and this far exceedsthe city average. The key toFrederick Academy’s success is ateam of dedicated teachers who43

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolshonestly believe that students canachieve greatness. Most of theteachers can be found in the schooluntil at least 6 pm.All middle school students receiveone period a day instruction in chess,which has helped increase academicperformance. FDA offers 9Advance Placement courses and studentstake college courses at HunterCollege. FDA students have traveledextensively to countries such asJapan, Italy, France, Mexico,England, Ghana, South Africa,Canada, and through out the UnitedStates.Key architectural features. TheDouglass school building was oncean elementary school. It would winno awards for outside beauty. It is locatedon the northern end ofHarlem, in a low-income area. But inside,the school shines. You don’t seepaper or other debris on the floor,anywhere.Impact on students. The school’sstudents have a much higher passingrate on state Regents Examinationsthan the average New York City publicschool. In addition, more andmore students from FrederickDouglass continue on with their educationafter high school. In June2006, Frederick Douglass had 120graduates—all of them went to college,including Columbia,Dartmouth, Brown, and IthacaCollege. The students received morethan $5 million in scholarship offers.Douglass teachers acknowledge societalproblems. But challenges arenot excuses. They believe, and theschool’s record show, that hard work,creativity, encouragement, and expectationsproduce success.Douglass also has been discussed inseveral other publications, such as,founding principal Lorraine Monroe'sbook, Nothing's Impossible. (NewYork: Public Affairs Books, 1997) andthe Heritage Foundation publication“No Excuses: Lessons From 21 HighPerforming, High Poverty Schools,” aswell as major newspapers in Europe,Asian, and the United States.44a44a44

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESJulia RichmanEducation CenterNew York, New York45aFor further information. ContactDr. Gregory Hodge, Principal,Frederick Douglass Academy, 2581Adam C. Powell, Jr. Blvd., New York,N.Y. 10039; (212) 491-4107; ghodge@schools.nyc.gov; www.FDA1.org .44a, 44b and 45a: The spirit of hardwork, high expectations, and persistencepervades Frederick DouglassAcademy. Douglass’ picture, bust,and quotations are found throughoutthe school. Students are taught toexcel in traditional subjects like Latinas well as to develop entrepreneurialskills through mini-businesses theycreate.People come from all over theworld to see what educatorshave done to the rejuvenatedJulia Richman school building in NewYork City. Opened in 1923, the buildinghosted a school for young womenwho were being trained in clericalwork. Then it was turned into a largecomprehensive school for more than2,000 students. By the mid-1990s, attendanceand graduation rates wereso low the New York City Board ofEducation adopted a plan, proposedby the Coalition of Essential Schools,to close the large failing high schooland create six small schools ofchoice. Today six autonomousschools share the Julia RichmanEducation Complex (JREC) space.Key educational features. Theschools include• Ella Baker Elementary School, whichprovides a child-centered curriculumfor children from pre-kindergartenage through to eighth grade• P226M Junior High, which serves autisticjunior high school students byemphasizing learning through artsand technology• Manhattan International HighSchool for students who have lived inthe United States less than four yearsand are becoming bilingual• Talent Unlimited High School, whichfocuses on the performing arts• Urban Academy, a transfer schoolwhich emphasizes inquiry-basedteaching and learning and uses a45

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolscollege-like curriculum and scheduleto prepare students for higher education;and• Vanguard High School, which helpsstudents become intellectually powerful,creative, and resourceful membersof societyThree of the four high schools usea system of performance-based assessmentto assess students.Research has shown such a systemcontributes significantly to students’academic success. Twenty-eightschools across New York state use thissystem of performance-based assessmentto determine if students are college-ready.Key architectural features. Eachschool has its own space in the buildingand shares some common facilities,such as the library and auditorium.In addition to the schools, severalservices share space in the complex.These include the Mt. Sinai StudentHealth Center, and the Center forInquiry in Teaching and Learning, aprofessional development facility. Thebuilding also houses First Steps, an infanttoddler program serving the childrenof teen parents who attendschool in the building. The facility includesan observation room that isused for child development classesfor students and daycare centerworkers from throughout New YorkCity. The Julia Richman complex currentlyis challenging a college’s proposalto take over the location andtouse the area for its own purposes(See www.jrec.org for an update).Impact on students. Graduationrates at the high schools are significantlybetter than the citywide average.Students at several of theschools participate in service learningand internships. The U.S.Department of Education namedUrban Academy a “New AmericanHigh School,” meaning the school isregarded as a national model. TomVander Ark, formerly of The Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation has calledthe Julia Richman Education Center“the best example of a multiplex inthe country” and it has been featuredin Tom Toch’s book,HighSchools on a Human Scale.For further information. ContactAnn Cook, Julia Richman Complex,317 E. 67th Street, New York, N.Y.10021; (212) 570-5284. Or see www.jrec.org46a46

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES47a46a, 47a and 47b: A large, formerlyfailing school has been replacedwith six small, successful schools, ahealth clinic and a day care center.Each school has its own space withinthe building. Some areas, such as thelibrary and auditorium, are commonspaces used at various times by allthe schools.47b47

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsKIPP AcademyBronx, New YorkEstablished in 1995, the KIPPAcademy Charter School inBronx, New York enrolls approximately250 students, grades 5-8.Eighty-five percent of the studentsare eligible for free and reducedlunch. Fifty-two percent of the studentsare Hispanic/Latin, and 46% areAfrican American.KIPP Academy in the Bronx, likeother KIPP schools, is free, open to allwith no admissions tests. KIPP studentsare in school for approximately 60percent more time that most otherpublic school students. KIPP schoolstypically run from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00p.m. on weekdays, every otherSaturday, and for three weeks in thesummer.KIPP Academy was one of the firsttwo KIPP schools to be established inthe nation--a group of schools thatnow includes more than 50 schools inseventeen states. KIPP Academy’smission is "to prepare students withthe character and academic skillsnecessary for success in high school,college and the competitive worldbeyond.”KIPP Academy, like other KIPPschools, has been featured andpraised on a variety of national televisionprograms, newspaper andmagazine articles. Several foundationshave provided tens of millions ofdollars to help replicate KIPP schools.David Levin, one of the two originalKIPP founders, started KIPP Academy.Mike Feinberg, the other KIPP cofounderhas remained in Houston,where he, like Levin, oversees a groupof KIPP schools.Like other KIPP middle schools,Academy Charter started in 5thgrade and grew to include grades5-8. The KIPP Academy charter sharesspace in a building with a New YorkCity district public school.The 2005-2006 school year markedthe ninth consecutive year that theKIPP Academy has been the highestperforming public middle school inthe entire Bronx in terms of readingscores, math scores, and attendance.Kipp’s 180-piece string or-48a48

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES49b49achestra has performed at the ApolloTheatre, the Grammy Awards, and atCarnegie Hall.Results with Students: Over 91% ofKIPP Academy students are now performingat or above the state averagein math, and, over 77% are doingthe same in reading. For thefourth consecutive year, KIPPAcademy ranks in the top 10% of allNew York City public schools. At thegrade level, 87% of Academy KIPPstudents score proficient or above inmathematics, compared to 22% ofstudents in the New York City districtwhere the school is located, and 56%of students statewide. Eighty-one percentof the KIPP Academy 7th gradersscored proficient or above inEnglish-Language Arts, compared to21% of district students and 56% ofstudents statewide. At the eighthgrade level, 86% of KIPP studentsscore proficient or above in thestate’s mathematics test, comparedto 16% of students in New York CityDistrict 7, in which the school is located,and 54% of 8th graders statewide.61% of KIPP students scored proficientin reading, compared with 16% ofNew York City students and 49% ofstudents in New York State.For more information, ContactQuinton Vance, principal, 718665-3555, gvance@kippny.org,250 East 156th Street, Room 418,Bronx, New York 10451-4722. See alsowww.kipp.org for information on themore than 50 KIPP schools now operatingaround the country.49c49a and 49c: Music and a focus onreading are vital to KIPP success.49b: KIPP co-founder David Levin wasinspired to create KIPP after teachingfifth grade for three years in Houstonin the Teach for America program.49

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsMesa Arts AcademyMesa, ArizonaEducators and the Boys and GirlsClub of the East Valley in a lowincomearea of Mesa, Arizona,have created a unique partnership—a charter public school serving about220 students in grades K through 8 onthe campus of the Boys and GirlsClub. Working together, they’ve createda school that ranks amongArizona's best at improving studentachievement.Key educational features. MesaArts Academy draws its racially diversestudent body from the Mesaarea, with more than half of its studentscoming from low-income, limited-English-speakingfamilies who livenear the school. Several gangs operatein the school's neighborhood andthe school has worked with localcommunity organizations to reducetheir impact.The Arts Academy faculty believesthat active learning—enhanced bydance, drama, music, and visualarts—combined with focused instructionin academics will produce excellentresults. The school’s handbookexplains, “Classes in the arts and multimediaare the heart of our ArtsAcademy. We believe all children aregifted and should be provided theopportunity to explore their talents ina safe environment that encouragespersonal growth.”Student test scores support thesebeliefs—the state ranks the school atthe very top in terms of improving studentachievement. Mesa ArtsAcademy employs a diverse facultyto teach its children. The faculty,which includes certified teachers, artspecialists (including professional artists)and senior citizens who bring expertisein music, dance, painting and50a50

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES50a and 51a: Young artists at workwith their teachers.8th grade who did not. More recently,in 2006, all 8th graderspassed both the math and writingsections of AIMS. In addition, the resultsfrom AIMS showed an increasein scores among 6th graders, whoearned 267 percent points, wellabove the state total average, in allthree subjects—reading, writing,and math. This includes studentswith special needs whose scores oftenare excluded from overallschool reports.For further information. ContactSue Douglas, Director, Mesa ArtsAcademy, 221 W. 6th Avenue, Mesa,Ariz. 85210; (480) 844-3965.www.clubzona.com/maa/.51aother fields, works along with the staffof the Mesa Boys and Girls Club. In2006, 4th-8th grade students workedwith local artists and staged a professionalmusical production at the newlyopened Mesa Art Center. Eachyear, a number of students receiveawards for their artwork at theArizona State Fair.Students are asked to participate invarious community service activities.This includes older students tutoringyounger students to build strongerskills and a greater sense of community.Key architectural features. MesaArts Academy students use the Boysand Girls Club’s classrooms and facilities,which include two gyms, computerlab, and art room, pre-school,and meeting rooms. The school alsohas erected several buildings behindthe Mesa Boys and Girls Club to provideadditional classroom space.Impact on students. In the 2004school-year, Mesa Academy 8thgraders scored highest passing rateon the high stakes AIMS test of all districtor charter schools in Arizona. In2005, all students in grades 5 through8 passed the math section of AIMS,with the exception of one student in51

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsMinnesotaNew Country SchoolHenderson, MinnesotaThe Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation has given MinnesotaNew Country School (MNCS)more than $7 million to help othercommunities replicate the school. Arecent U.S. Department of Educationreport ranked MNCS as one of thenation’s top 10 high schools in closingachievement gaps between low incomeand more affluent students.These are two more signs of confidencein a unique school that is attractingnational attention. MNCSserves about 120 students, grades7-12. Students come from rural communitiesapproximately 50-80 milessouthwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Teachers in the school have organizedthemselves as a worker's coopunder Minnesota's Charter SchoolLegislation. MNCS literally is ownedby the people who work there. AllMNCS students are required to put togethera three, five and 20-year plan.This helps students decide what theyare planning to explore in terms ofcareer, post-secondary educationand adult life. All students are stronglyencouraged to take at least onePSEO course prior to graduation.Approximately 75% of students dothis. MNCS has, in some cases, developeda contract between itself anda post-secondary institution, whenthe student’s test score are not highenough for admission for PSEO, butMNCS staff believes that the studentcan be successful.One result of this is that more thanhalf of MNCS students enter aMinnesota Public College orUniversity on graduation, and lessthan 15% of them take a remedialcourse (This puts MNCS in the top 10%of all Minnesota public schools, interms of small percentages of graduatesin public universities who took remedialcourses.)Minnesota New Country studentsmust demonstrate various skills andknowledge in order to graduate.However, the school's program is totallyindividualized. The school yearstarts in August with a family/student/advisor conference to plan out thestudent's program. The student's programis developed during this conference.Students are expected tomake public presentations threetimes a year, describing some of thethings they are learning.The school has no required courses,no grades and no bells. MNCS hasapproximately one computer foreach student. Students each have52a52

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIEStheir own workspace, which includesa desk, computer and personal storagespace, which can be decoratedwith pictures of the students' friends,family and other items of personal interest.Students' programs consist of independentand small group study, internshipsand apprenticeships. Someof the students have become so sophisticatedwith computers that localor area businesses have hired themto develop and maintain the businesses'web sites.The head of the GatesFoundation's Education Program hascalled this school "one of the mostexciting high schools in the country,"because it carries out so much ofemerging research about school size,thoughtful use of technology, andappropriate programs for secondarystudents.Minnesota New Country Schoolbegan in 1994. For the first four years,the school operated from three storefronts on Main Street of LeSueur,Minnesota (known to some as "theValley of the Jolly Green Giant"). In1998 the school moved several milesto its new home in Henderson,Minnesota.MNCS faculty, parents and studentshelped design the new building.It is primarily a large, open spacewith several rooms along the sides, tohouse small groups of people whoneed a quiet space for meeting. Inthe center of the large open mainroom is a stage, behind which standsa large silo. The silo represents the architecturalheritage common tomany of the school's students. MNCShas helped establish the EdVisionsCoop (www.edvisions.coop). Thisgroup has helped establish a numberof other schools using the MNCSmodel.IMPACT ON Students. MNCS studentshave shown consistent improvementon standardized tests required by thestate of Minnesota. These includereading, writing and math tests thatstudents must take to graduate fromhigh school. MNCS students rankabove state averages on these tests.53a53bThe school also has developed waysto measure writing, Self confidenceand public speaking skills. Their studentsalso have shown improvementon these measures. Finally, MNCSranks in the top 10 percent of morethan 300 Minnesota high schools, interms of the low percentage of itsgraduates attending Minnesota publiccolleges and universities who takeremedial courses.52a, 53a, and 53b: Each MNCS studenthas a desk and a computer aswell as the opportunity to participatein a variety of hands-on projects.Students make presentationsthree times a year to share whatthey have learned.For further information, seewww.newcountryschool.com, or call507-248-3353, or write MNCS, PO Box488, Henderson, Minnesota 56044.53

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsNorthfieldCommunity ResourceCenterNorthfield, Minnesota"It's a dream come true." That'show the Northfield, MinnesotaSenior Citizens Center director,describes the Northfield's CommunityResource Center. Opened in fall,2000, the building represents a cooperativeeffort among five majorgroups, including the local school district,to create a $5.5 million buildingwhich provides services, and opportunitiesfor everyone from infants tosenior citizens. By working together,the groups created far more thanany of them could have done bythemselves.Program Description: Discussionsabout a new home for NorthfieldSenior Citizens started about fourteenyears ago. Over the last severalyears, a variety ofgroups joined the seniors to plan thecenter. The five major partners in theCenter are• the City of Northfield (which isthe managing partner)• Northfield Public Schools (whichoperates early childhood programsin the building)• Northfield Senior Citizens, Inc.,which operates a vast array ofservices in its wing• Three Rivers Community ActionCenter, which operate a HeadStart Center in the building, anda Child Care program servingchildren ranging in age from 6months to five years• Northfield Community ActionCenter, which operates a ClothesCloset, Food Shelf and familycounseling programs in the building.The Executive Director of ThreeRivers Community Action, says "Ofall the public private partnerships I'vebeen involved in, this has been themost fun." He pointed out that theplanning group overcamemanyobstacles, including some residentswho wondered if folks of differentages could get along in the samebuilding. Now that the building isopen, the answer appears to beclearly, "Yes!"The former Northfield Superintendentwho is now Executive Director ofthe Minnesota Association of SchoolAdministrators says: "This processof working together, deciding our organizationscould help each other,is almost as important as the finalproduct. Everyone gains when peoplework together like this."A famous sign just outside of townused to read "Welcome to Northfield:Home of Cows, Colleges andContentment." It's time to addanother "c" to that sign: cooperation.Northfield shows us how it can bedone.Architectural features: The buildinghas two stories and four wings. Itcovers more than 58,000 square feet.The Center covers about five acres. Ithas 84 rooms including a swimmingpool, exercise room, cafeteria andeight conference/meeting54a54

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES55alocated there. The district also usesthe community center for its EarlyChildhood, GED and adult basic education/Englishas a second languageclasses. The Youth Wing is alsoused four days a week for Head Startclasses.55brooms. The four wings are designatedHuman Services, Youth Services,Human Services and Senior.Originally the school district operateda small secondary alternative55cschool and some early childhoodprograms in its section of the building.The alternative school has beenmoved. Currently the district'sCommunity Services Division isFor further information,www.ci.northfield.mn.us/parksandrec/ncrc,write to NorthfieldCommunity Resource Center, 1651Jefferson Parkway, Northfield,Minnesota 55057.55

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsPerham AreaCommunity Center(PACC)Perham, MinnesotaThe Perham Area CommunityCenter (PACC) was in part, a resultof failed referendum for newschool district buildings in the late1980’s. Perham is a town of about2,700 people in NorthwesternMinnesota. The building is located immediatelynext to the town’s secondaryschool. PACC is a 66,000 squarefoot building with several multi-purposespaces.Before PACC was built, physical fitnessfacilities in the town’s secondaryschool were more than forty-fiveyears old, and almost certainly notworth the expense of expanding andimproving. Several community leadersanalyzed the failed referendumvote and concluded that the publicdid not want to pay for a new gym54a, 55a, 55b, and 55c: Five majororganizations, including Northfield’scity government and school district,joined forces to create a state-ofthe-artfacility serving the entirecommunity. Sharing space allowsstudents to learn from, as well as tohelp, senior citizens and infants.and swimming pool.At the same time, several localbusinesses felt that the town, andtheir businesses, would be more attractiveif there were an up to dateexercise and physical fitness center.The city, local businesses and theschool district joined to create PACC.These include• Two racquet ball/walley-ballcourts (similar, but not identical tovolleyball)• A roller-skating rink• A swimming pool used by families,students and the broadercommunity• State of the art physical fitness facilitywith a variety of weightsand aerobic exercise equipment• Whirlpool, kids pool, wadingpool, large swimming pool andsauna• Dance studio• Walking/running track• Several large gymsPerham High School’s PhysicalEducation classes use the facility,which can simultaneously meetschool and community needs. For examplesome community memberscome in over a lunch hour, to playbasketball, volleyball or some othersport.The building is open from early inthe morning until late at night - onweekdays, for example, from 6 AM to9 PM, and many hours on Saturdayand Sunday. Many community membersuse the facility, along with thestudents.Impact on students: The high schoolathletic director notes that “It wasclear that we could not put up a terrificfacility like this by ourselves.When the city and school districtcame together, it made this projectpossible. I can’t imagine a better outcome.It’s worked out even betterthan I imagined.”Perham has a higher percentageof its graduates attending Minnesotapublic colleges and universities thanthe state average (57% - 49%) anda small percentage of its graduateswho enter Minnesota public collegesand universities taking remedialcourses (34% in Perham versus 36%statewide). Almost 1/3 (29% ofPerham’s students are eligible forfree/reduced lunch, compared tothe state average of 17%. 98% ofPerham’s students graduate fromhigh school in 2004, 100% of themgraduated in 2005, and 99% graduatedin 2006. It is not appropriate tomake a direct tie between PACC andthe high school’s above record.However, it is possible to say thatPACC represents a creative, collaborativecommunity that helps make thehigh school more effective, and helpsmake students feel considerate supportand encouragement.For more information. ContactKevin Nelson, Manager, pacc@eot.com, 218-346-7222, www.346pacc.com =56

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES57a, 57b, 57c: By working togetherthe Perham School district, citygovernment and local businesseswere able to construct a communitycenter that is far better equipped, andopen many more hours, than any ofthe organizations could operate bythemselves.57a57c57b57d57

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsPerspectivesCharter SchoolChicago, IllinoisLocated just south of Chicago'sdowntown business area,Perspectives Charter School isone of the city's most effective publichigh schools, open to all kinds ofstudents. The school serves 150 students,grades 6 through 12. Cofoundedby veteran Chicago teachers,the school uses its small size, highexpectations, and extensive communityinvolvement to produce excellentresults.Key educational features. Morethan 70 percent of the students arefrom low-income families. The schoolbegins each fall with individual conferencesto set individual studentgoals and help the school's facultylearn more about the students andtheir families. The five guiding principlesare:• a disciplined life,• celebrating differences,• parent involvement,• relevant and rigorous curriculum,• and field studies and communityengagement.Perspectives help students makeconnections between the classroomand community. Students constantlyread about people who have madea difference in the world and learnhow they can do the same. In additionto classes, students are expectedto participate in internships, apprenticeships,and community serviceprojects that involve work with the58dozens of nearby Chicago business,community, and advocacy groups.Each year the faculty goes on a twodayretreat and is paid to work theentire month of August.Key architectural features. Afterseveral years of success in an old, formerfurniture warehouse, Perspectivesmoved to a new, beautiful buildingjust south of “the Loop” in Chicago.The location gives Perspectives studentsready access to the extraordinaryrange of internship and apprenticeshipopportunities available in adowntown area like Chicago’s. InAugust, 2007, because of its demonstratedsuccess, Perspectives openeda second campus in Chicago. Thecampus currently houses 270 7th and9th grade students. Plans call for thissecond campus to eventually housethree small secondary schools, with atotal campus enrollment of approximately1500.58aImpact on students. Over 90 percentof all Perspectives seniors havegraduated, and 100 percent of allgraduates have been accepted to atleast one two- or four- year collegeor university. Perspectives have an 89percent graduation rate since 2001,according to the Illinois State Boardof Education. In 2005, Perspectivesranked second among non-selectiveChicago Public Schools in graduatingfreshmen within five years. Accordingto National Student Clearinghousedata, 58 percent of the class of 2004and 55 percent of the class of 2005are still enrolled in college.This year Perspectives studentscontinued to outscore the district onthe ISAT, with 67.8 percent ofPerspectives middle school studentsmeeting or exceeding state standards.The state assessment data isbacked by strong indicators ofgrowth according to the Stanford

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES59a59b58a, 59a, 69b, and 59c: Perspectives’small size, high expectations, andindividualized program produceexcellent results. Student work isfeatured throughout the building.Located near "the Loop," Chicago’sfamed downtown area, Perspectivesstudents are able to combineclassroom work with communityexploration projects, internships, andmentorships.59cFor further information. ContactPerspectives Charter School, 1930 S.Archer Avenue , Chicago, Ill. 60616 ;(312)224-7400. www.perspectivescs.orgDiagnostic, administered to allgrades in fall and spring. Studentsgrew an average of 17 months inmath in high school, and 23 monthsin middle school. In reading, studentsshowed 17 months worth of gains.59

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsSchool ofEnvironmentalStudies "The ZooSchool"Apple Valley, MinnesotaThe School of EnvironmentalStudies, a public school ofchoice, serves about 400 highschool students. It's located ongrounds of the Minnesota Zoo inApple Valley, a Minneapolis-St. Paulsuburb. Opened in 1995, the schoolhas been named a "New AmericanHigh School" by the U.S. Departmentof Education because of its innovativeprograms, and its success.Key Features: The "Zoo School" enrollsapproximately 400 juniors and seniors.The school is open to all kinds ofstudents, and enrolls a cross sectionof the suburban district. It is a schoolof choice. The vast majority of its studentssay they select the schoolbecause they want to attend a small,more individualized school, not becausethey plan a career in environmentalscience. Many students reportthat they attend the school becausethey are "looking for a sense of community,and a feeling of connectednesswith other students.Students take part in many interdisciplinarycourses, and many studentsparticipate in internships and apprenticeships,as well as community service.Many students travel around thecountry to study environmental issues"on site.”Other important features: Sharingspace with the Zoo permits researchwith animals, opportunities to helpplan exhibits, discussions with zoo officials,and many other opportunities.The Zoo also has loaned the schoolmany artifacts from its collection.Each student has a "personal workstation" including a desk and chair,which students decorate with picturesof friends, and often informationabout their hobbies or interests.Student work is assessed by communityprofessionals, including businesspeople,scientists and politicians,as well as teachers. Students oftencreate material that they place onthe school’s website as part of learningto share information with others.SES is divided into four “academichouses, of approximately 100students each. There are two housesfor juniors, and two for seniors. As theschool explains, “During house-timethe subjects of Language Arts(English and communications), environmentalscience, and social studiesare applied to the study of complexissues related to the environment.”Architectural Features. The buildingwas constructed for the district onthe campus of the Minnesota Zoo.The architect used the same per studentfigures as the district had usedon other, 2000 student high schools.This means that building constructioncosts are the same, per pupil, as othermuch larger high schools in the60b60a60c60

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESdistrict. The school combines largeand small spaces, which are designedto be flexible, so they can beused as the school needs. In cooperationwith the city, school district anda local electrical company, theschool is constructing a tower to helpgenerate electricity from wind andsolar sources.Impact on Students. Students at theschool have compiled an excellentrecord, with high percentages goingto college, good test scores, andfew discipline problems. "Zoo School"students' records compare wellwith those of students who graduatefrom other schools in the district.For further information, www.district196.org/SES/or contact: DanBodette, Principal, Minnesota Schoolof Environmental Studies, 12155Johnny Cake Road, Apple Valley, Mn.55124 952 431-8750,60a, 60b, and 60c: Located on thecampus of Minnesota’s state zoo, theSchool for Environmental Scienceprovides many opportunities for studentsto develop strong academicskills and an in-depth understandingof zoo animals.The MET SchoolProvidence, RIThe Met is founded on the beliefthat students must be actively engagedin their education. Withhelp from the Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation, MET founders, visionaryand veteran educators Dennis Littkyand Elliot Washor have expanded theschool from its original campus of 4small schools in Providence, RhodeIsland, to more than 50 secondaryschools in 20 states.The Met's original campus inProvidence includes four smallschools that share a fitness center, aperformance space, a culinary kitchen,health center, and a state-of-thearttechnology center. At the core ofthe curriculum is the Learningthrough Interests program, whichhelps students find opportunities tolearn in real-world settings throughmeaningful projects. The Met pairsstudents with adult community mentorswho share their career interestsand passions. Two days a week,students intern at these worksites andtake on projects that benefit that organization.Back at school, studentswork with their advisors to build andreinforce the skills and knowledgeneeded to complete those projects.Met internships are designed to allowstudents to apply their academicknowledge and meet their learninggoals, rather than train them for specificjobs. The Met has a database of2,000 internship sites. Since 1996, Metstudents have worked with more than1,000 adults in the community. Morethan 800 adults have participated inThe Met's Learning Through Interestsprogram.Popular LTI sites include: AudubonSociety, Brown University, Channel 10News, L&A Architecture, Music One,New England Tech, New EnglandAquarium, Office of the AttorneyGeneral, Providence Mayor's Office,Providence Film Commission,Providence Public Schools, RhodeIsland Hospital, Trinity RepertoryCompany, Vincent D. Morgera LawFirm, YMCA, and Youth In Action.Starting in 9th grade, students areorganized into advisories, groups of61a61

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsDesign, Sarah Lawrence College,Tufts University and University ofChicago.62aFor further information, pleasesee: www.themetschool.org,401.752.3400, Met Center, 362 DexterStreet, Providence RI 02907Rodrick Echols, CommunicationsCoordinator, The Met, 325 PublicStreet, Providence (Justice 214)Office Phone (401) 752-3499Or Dennis Littky, dlittky@bigpicture.org15 individuals in the same grade leveland led by an advisor (or teacher),who stays with them for all four yearsof high school. The advisor, unlike atraditional teacher, guides each student'slearning in every academicarea and helps the group develop astrong sense of trust and teamwork.Most Met students take at leastone course at a local college (suchas Brown University, Rhode IslandSchool of Design, ProvidenceCollege, Rhode Island College, andthe Community College of RhodeIsland). Advisories organize frequentcollege visits during junior and senioryears. In 12th grade, students are requiredto complete three to five collegeapplications along with a collegeportfolio.The Met has a College TransitionTeam that develops relationships withcolleges and assists in student placementbut also supports students asthey transition to college or otherpost-secondary opportunities. Thisteam helps students navigate the systemof higher education - whether it'shelping them find the academic supportthey may need in college,62running workshops for students aboutfinancial aid and scholarship opportunities,or hosting reunions for alumniand their families.Impact on students: The Met hasconsistently ranked among RhodeIsland's top high schools for attendance,graduation rates, parent involvement,and school climate.Since graduating its first class in 2000,the Met has maintained a 98% collegeacceptance rate. The schoolreports that over 80% of 2007 graduatesare enrolled in college. A recentMET survey found that approximately74% of Met alumni who enrolled incollege are either still there or havegraduated. Most Met students arefirst-generation college-goers.Students have been accepted tocolleges around the country, including:Brown University, HampshireCollege, Howard University, Collegeof the Holy Cross, Mount HolyokeCollege, New York University, TheNew School, Northeastern University,Oberlin College, Parsons School ofDesign, Providence College, ReedCollege, Rhode Island School of62b62c61a, 62a,b and c The Met focuses onan individualized plan for each studentthat helps students explore thecommunity and career possibilities.This program helps most of The Met’sstudents enter and succeed in someform of post-secondary education.

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIESVaughn NextCentury LearningCenterSan Fernando, CaliforniaVaughn Next Century LearningCenter represents the kind ofdramatic improvementsAmericans hope their schools canaccomplish. In a Los Angeles neighborhoodknown for its high poverty,crime and violence, educators, familiesand community groups workedtogether to produce major improvementsin students' knowledge, skillsand behavior. The school has beennamed a California DistinguishedSchool and won a National BlueRibbon award from the U.S.Department of Education.63aKey Academic Features. When itconverted to charter status in 1993,Vaughn was a Los Angeles district elementaryschool with very lowachievement. Since then, the schoolhas shown steady, significant improvementin academic achievement.It also has expanded from anelementary school of about 1100 studentsto a campus of schools servingmore than 2,300 students, pre-K-14thgrade. One hundred percent of thestudents are eligible for free or reducedlunch, and about 80 percentare from families where English is notspoken at home. More than 90 percentof the students are Hispanic andmore than 60 percent of the facultyare Hispanic.The school converted to charterstatus in 1993, and uses its flexibility in63bmany ways. Vaughn has reducedclass size, extended the school yearto 200 instructional days, and paysteachers more than the typical LAschool offers, along with incentivesfor improved student performance.Vaughn employs several peoplewho help families resolve challengesthey face, and help families understandhow they can help their childrenachieve.63

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsKey Architectural Features.Vaughn has the single story bungalowarchitecture common to urbansouthern California public schools.After it converted to charter status,the school reached out to a numberof organizations and was able to addseveral state-of-the-art and environmentally-friendlynew buildings to thecampus. A medical clinic, constructedand operated by the countyhealth service, serves Vaughn studentsand their families. Another is anew library and classroom building,constructed in collaboration with alocal university that uses classroomsafter school and on weekends forcollege courses. Some of the newclassrooms sit on land where just afew years ago, "crack houses," stood,where drug dealers and users met.Currently, the charter school operates4 campuses (a primary center,an elementary school, a middleschool and a high school), all locatedwithin a 3-block radius. The highschool (with concurrent communitycollege studies) focuses on internationalstudies and world languages.All high school studies take MandarinChinese as a 4-year language coursewith oversee travel opportunities.Impact on Students. In 2006,Vaughnreceived a "10", the highest rating, onthe statewide rating system. Since1999, students' overall performanceon the California AcademicPerformance Index, has increased bymore than 260 points. A study conductedby a federally funded schoolimprovement organization, West Ed,for the Los Angeles School Boardfound that over a five year period,Vaughn students made significantgains in reading, writing and math.The study noted that Vaughn also improvedits rank in all subject areas.The school also has reduced mobilityamong its students.For further information, contactYvonne Chan, Principal, Vaughn NextCentury Learning Center, 1330Vaughn Street, San Fernando,California 91340, 818 896-7461.63a and 63b: Vaughn shares spacewith a medical clinic and highereducation institution. Sharing spaceallows the school to better serve studentsand their families.Withrow UniversityHigh SchoolCincinnati, OhioIn a speech at the National SchoolBoards Association annual conferenceseveral years ago, MelindaGates singled out Withrow Universityas one of the finest high schools inthe nation.Withrow enrolls more than 700 students.More than 90% are African-American, and about half are low income.Yet the Ohio StateDepartment of Education rates theschool “Excellent,” the top of 5 ratingsin Ohio. (Excellent, Effective,Continuous Improvement, AcademicWatch, Academic Emergency.)Withrow also has strong attendanceand graduation rates, withmore than 80% of students entering9th grade graduating four years later.Before graduating, students must do60 hours of community service, andcomplete a resume. “We want studentsready for life,” explainedPrincipal Sharon Johnson. “Strongskills are important. So are the rightattitudes about helping and workingwith others.”Withrow is one of two strong smallschools within a larger building, createdwith help from a Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation grant tothe Cincinnati Public Schools.Founding principal Sharon Johnsonpoints to several key elements ashelping explain the school’s success.1. The goal of the school is clear –help each student be well prepared64

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES3. The school sets explicit goals for improvementeach year.65a4. The school separates young menand young women in academicclasses (Language Arts, SocialStudies, Math and Science).5. All students wear uniforms.65bfor a college or university when she/he graduates.2. Withrow has a summer “bridge”program with Xavier, a local university.Students take courses there, partlyto improve skills and partly to gainthe feeling they ‘belong’ on somepost-secondary campus after graduation.6. The principal works hard to attractthe teachers she believes sharethe school’s attitude of no excuses.7. The school shares space with a socialservice agency, FamiliesForward.This agency helps resolve issues andchallenges facing students and theirfamilies.8. Results of state tests are posted inthe building, and discussedregularly with students, faculty andfamilies.Results with Students: The OhioDepartment of Education rating ofexcellence is based in part on strongattendance and outstanding testscores. For 2005-2006,91% of Withrow’s 10th grade students65c65

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schoolspassed Ohio’s reading test, comparedto 82% in Cincinnati and 78.4%in comparable Ohio districts.95% of Withrow 10th graders passedOhio’s writing test ( 82% in the districtand 79% in comparable districts).84% of Withrow 10th graders passedmath, (76% in Cincinnati and 66% insimilar districts).74% of Withrow sophomores passedscience, (57% in district and 47% incomparable districts).83% of Withrow sophomores passedsocial studies (71.4% in district and61% in comparable districts).For further information, ContactSharon Johnson, Withrow UniversityHigh School, 2520 Madison Road,Cincinnati, Ohio 45208, 513-363-9200,or see http://withrowuniversityhs.cpsk12.org/65 a, b and c. Withrow Universityemphasizes quality in everything studentsdo - academics, music andsports.YESPrepHouston, TexasYES" stands for "youth engaged inservice." Students also are requiredto provide communityservice one Saturday per month. Thecommunity service projects are designedto help students learn thatthey can make a real difference andthat part of their lives should be devotedto "giving back."The school features a longer day,mandatory Saturday classes andthree-week summer school in July. Itstheme is "Whatever it takes!"Eighty percent of the approximately700 students at the originalYESPrep campus, YESPrep -Southeast, are from low-income families,and ninety-five percent are eitherHispanic or African American.Eighty-five percent of YESPrep studentsare first-generation collegebound. Most students enter theschool at least one year behind inmath and English.Founded in 1998, YESPrep is acharter, open to all students, wth noadmissions tests. The school requireseach student to take at least one college-levelclass in order to graduate.The school also requires eachstudent to apply to, and be acceptedby, at least one four-year collegeor university. The campuses have fouralumni who have graduated fromcollege and returned to YESPrep asinstructors . . . . two from Stanford,one from Columbia, and one fromthe University of Houston.YES students have been acceptedat 216 colleges and universitiesaround the country Including Yale,Georgetown, Brown, Columbia,University of Pennsylvania, Stanford,Rice and University of Texas at Austin.Collectively, YES students haveearned over $17.5 million in scholarships& financial aid. Seventy-eightpercent of YES alumni have graduatedor are still enrolled in a four-year66a66

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON SMALL SCHOOLS AND SHARED FACILITIES67athrough college," Barbic said of hisstaff. Barbic and many other YES staffhave been involved in the "Teach forAmerica" program.For more information, contactYES - Southeast (the original YES Prepschool described above) is at 353Crenshaw Road, 713 910-2510. www.yesprep.org67bcollege (compared to the nationalretention average of 50% for all ethnicgroups and 22% for low-incomestudents).In 1995, YES Prep founder ChrisBarbic earned Houston IndependentSchool District's Outstanding YoungEducator, an award given to the district'sbest teacher under the age of29. "These are mission-driven folkswho believe in what we're trying todo in getting low-income kids66a: YES Prep students must participateat least once a month in acommunity service project. 67a &67b: YES Prep has succeeded in preparingthe vast majority of its innercity, low income students for college.Some of them have returned to teachin the school.67

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful SchoolsResourcesNational Clearinghouse for EducationalFacilities (NCEF). NCEF is the U.S. Departmentof Education's information center for peoplewho plan, design, build, operate, and maintainK–12 schools. It maintains an informationhotline and hosts a Web site with thousands ofon-line resources on school facilities.http://www.ncef.orgCenter for School Change. Hubert H.Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University ofMinnesota. The Center conducts research andpublishes information about creating smaller,personalized learning environments, includinginformation on the Gates Smaller High SchoolLearning Communities Project and theMinnesota Charter School Resource Project.http://www.centerforschoolchange.orgAmerican Institute of Architects Committeeon Architecture for Education (AIA/CAE). TheAIA's professional interest group on issues relatedto pre-kindergarten through university leveleducational facilities. http: aia.org/cae_defaultCenter for Collaborative Education. Based inBoston, CCE helped create and grow BostonPilot Schools, which are small district publicschools with focus, accountability and autonomy.Now also working in Los Angeles.www.ccebos.orgCenter for Educational Innovation-PublicEducation Association. The Center has morethan twenty years of experience in convertinglarge school buildings into small schools. It publishesinformation and conducts workshops onconverting schools. http://cei-pea.orgCoalition for Community Schools. TheCoalition works toward improving educationand helping students learn and grow. It offers arange of supports and opportunities for children,youth, families, and communities.http://www.communityschools.orgCouncil of Educational Facility Planners,International (CEFPI). The Council is an internationalprofessional association whose members—individuals,institutions, and corporations—areactively involved in planning, designing,building and equipping schools and colleges.http://www.cefpi.orgProgramme on Educational Building (PEB).Based in Paris, PEB operates within theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment to promote the international exchangeof ideas, research, and experience inthe field of educational facilities.www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_35961311_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlNational Alliance for Public Charter School.The National Alliance provides extensive informationabout the more than 4000 charter publicschools serving more than 1 million students.www.publiccharters.orgSmall Schools Workshop. A group of organizers,educators and researchers based inChicago. The Workshop collaborates withteachers, principals, and parents to createnew, small, innovative learning communities inpublic schools. Its Web site includes an archiveof articles, numerous links, a bookshelf, projectlistings, a calendar, and a directory of smallschools. http://www.smallschoolsworkshop.orgU.S. Charter Schools. An information clearinghouseand on-line community developed byWestEd in partnership with the U.S. Departmentof Education and the California State UniversityInstitute for Education Reform. Its Web site providesstate and school profiles, and informationresources. http://www.uscharterschools.orgPhoto CreditsThe authors are grateful to the following individualsand organizations for providing thephotographs for this report. In all cases, a photoillustration has been created based on the originalphotograph provided by those listed below.Fanning/Howey Associates, photos 16a, 19a-b.Michael Greenlar, Buffalo King photo 33a. CharlesMassey, photos 34a-b. Tiffany Green, photo 52a.Minnesota New Country School Students, photos 53a-b.Zeke Montanez, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center,photos 17a, 63a-b. Joe Nathan, Center for SchoolChange, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota,photos, 7a, 10b, 26a-c, 30a-b, 31a-b, 32a, 34a-b, 37a,38a-b, 39a, 40a, 46a, 47a-b, 50a, 51a, 53c, 60a-c, 62a.Northfield Community Resource Center, photos 54a,55a-c. Mark Real, Children’s Defense Fund of Ohio,photos 6a, 10a, 13a, 14a, 41a, 42a-b, 43a, 44a, 45a.Diana Shulla-Cose, Perspectives Charter School, photos59a, DesignShare.com photo 58a, 59b. SarahWoodhead, AIA, photos 20a-b, 21a-b. KIPP New York forphotos. Neville Elder, photo 28a. Kevin Kelley, photos27a-b, 28b. Harold Shapiro, photo 27c. Staff fromCodman Academy, photo 41a. Cesar ChavezAcademy, photos 9a, 36a-d. KIPP New York, photos 5a,25a, 48a, 49a-c. Perham Community Center, photos56a, 57a-d. The MET, photos 11b-d, 61a, 62a-c. WithrowUniversity, photos 65a-c. YES Prep, photos Cover, 11a,66a, 67a-b. Photo montages are based on images usedand credited elsewhere in the report.About the authorsJoe Nathan directs the Center for SchoolChange at the University of Minnesota’sHumphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Parents,professional groups and students have givenhim awards for his work as a public schoolteacher and administrator. The NationalGovernors’ Association hired him to coordinatea project on what state governors should do toimprove public schools. Twenty-one state legislaturesand eight Congressional Committeeshave invited him to testify about various aspectsof school improvement. He has written threebooks and edited another. Various publications,including USA Today and the Wall StreetJournal have published guest columns hewrote. For many years, Nathan wrote a weeklycolumn published by the St. Paul, Rochester,Duluth and Hibbing daily newspapers. Morethan 20 Minnesota newspapers regularly carrya weekly column he writes. Married for morethan 30 years to a St. Paul Public Schools teacher,he has been PTA president at the publicschools their children attended, and served onthe Minnesota PTA Board. B.A. from CarletonCollege, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University ofMinnesota.Sheena Thao is an outreach and researchspecialist at the Center for School Change. Sheis a 2006 graduate of Carleton College with aBA in Psychology and Educational Studies. As abi-lingual Hmong woman, Thao has written articlesfor various publications, spoke to variousgroups and translated material about differenteducation opportunities from English to Hmong.Her work at the Center for School Change includesincreasing minority family knowledge of,and student participation in, various collegepreparation and college level programs forhigh school students (including Minnesota’s PostSecondary Enrollment Options program, inwhich she participated as a high school student).68