Purpose: In this project, the researchers proposed to use a longitudinal data set to assess the impact of school size on student achievement. Previous studies found that small schools were associated in some settings had improved student outcomes, especially among disadvantaged youth. Although this prior research attempted to isolate the impact of smaller schools, they could not completely disentangle the impact of small schools from other confounding factors correlated with school size such as community factors, Catholic school effects, and smaller classes. The researchers in this study hoped to determine if the relationship between school size and achievement documented in earlier studies was the result of the small schools or because of other confounding factors.

Project Activities: The researchers proposed to use a longitudinal data set from all public high schools in a large urban center in Illinois to assess the impact of student achievement on the recent introduction of 16 small schools since 2001. They aimed to investigate impacts on disadvantaged groups, such as particular racial and ethnic groups, special education students, and students previously enrolled in failing schools.

Structured Abstract

THE FOLLOWING CONTENT DESCRIBES THE PROJECT AT THE TIME OF FUNDING

Setting: The schools are located in Illinois.

Sample: Participants will be all students attending 16 small public high schools opened since 2001 and all regular public schools in this large urban center. Almost half the students in this urban area are African American, with another 38 percent Hispanic (any race), 3 percent Asian, and the remainder European American. Most students are disadvantaged, with 85 percent coming from low-income families, and dropout rates are high.

Intervention: The researchers will use a longitudinal data set to assess the impact of school size on student achievement following the recent introduction of 16 small schools into this large urban area since 2001. They will separately investigate impacts on disadvantaged groups, such as particular racial and ethnic groups, special education students, and students previously enrolled in failing schools.

Research Design and Methods: The researchers will extensively document what types of students select into these small schools versus the regular schools. Then they will use propensity score matching and an instrumental variables approach, two approaches that have been used to isolate causality in the absence of randomized trials, in order to document the impact on student achievement of small schools in this urban center.

Control Condition: Students in the control condition will attend regular public schools.

Key Measures: The researchers will investigate student outcomes, including performance on the ACT exam and other standardized tests, performance on district-wide tests in math and English, dropout status, course credits attained, and absences. They will also collect self-reported information on student disciplinary actions and attitudes toward school.

Data Analytic Strategy: The researchers will use propensity score matching and an instrumental variables approach to attempt to isolate which factors are related to achievement scores of students' attending smaller high schools.

Related IES Projects: Follow-Up to the Study of the Efficacy of North Carolina's Early College High School Model (R305A110085), Impact of Early College High School (ECHS) Model on Postsecondary Performance and Completion (R305A140361), Early College High Schools at Scale: Probing Impacts and Generalizability with a Quasi-Experiment Benchmarked Against an RCT (R305A150477), The Evaluation of Career and College Promise (R305H190036)

Products and Publications

ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.

Select Publications:

Journal articles

Barrow, L., Schanzenbach, D.W., and Claessens, A. (2015). The Impact of Chicago's Small High School Initiative. Journal of Urban Economics, 87: 100–113.

Clark, D., and See, E. (2011). The Impact of Tougher Education Standards: Evidence From Florida. Economics of Education Review, 30 (6): 1123–1135.

** This project was submitted to and funded under Middle and High School Reform in FY 2006.