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If Small Is Not Enough...?: The Characteristics of Successful Small High Schools in Chicago 
This report describes the practices
and characteristics of small high schools with better than expected
freshman-year course performance. These schools were created by the Chicago
High School Redesign Initiative (CHSRI), a partnership between the Chicago
Public Schools (CPS), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and local
foundations. Author W. David Stevens draws on both teacher and principal
interviews and quantitative indicators across a sample of ten CHSRI schools.
The analysis identified three conditions found in schools with
comparatively high student achievement -- strong teacher professional
communities, deep principal leadership, and extensive teacher influence. CHSRI
schools with high achievement also tended to provide a personalized and
supportive environment for their students.
The study highlights that how adults work together in small schools is a crucial factor in raising student achievement. In particular, it suggests that collective work on improving instruction is a key lever for raising achievement. The findings point to the benefits of balancing the direction and initiative provided by principals with teacher voice and leadership. Yet because we know that reducing school size does not automatically lead to such developments, schools will need to intentionally focus on creating these key characteristics.
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