| In comparison to large high schools, small schools have shown to produce more positive outcomes on most social and academic indicators, particularly in schools serving low-income urban students. While promising, it is equally important to understand how and why small school settings produce such outcomes. This study comparatively examines the structural and cultural processes in two small school settings by examining students' experiences. The student experience is often silenced or ignored in most school reform endeavors, yet it is students who are ultimately held accountable, especially in domains of high-stakes reform (i.e., testing). Twenty low, middle and high achieving students were interviewed and observed in a small school setting and a small learning community within a large school. The findings indicate that school size interacted with four major dimensions of school culture to facilitate the emergence of student personalization. The data demonstrated that student-adult relationships, quality of adults, academic culture and school mission were all significant dimensions of school culture. Specifically, the data revealed that school size matters, only to the extent that small schools commit to a host of core practices and values including: creating a culture that emphasizes caring, respectful and personal relationships; ensuring that school adults are committed, creative and competent; promoting an culture that is academically rigorous and supportive; and communicating and providing students with opportunities to transform and reflect on the school mission. The findings also suggest that school culture influenced student dispositions and aspirations after high school in unique ways. These findings draw a link between school size, school culture and student personalization. Moreover, the author posits that while personalization was an important concept to unravel, its use deemphasizes the role of the school in its production. Rather, the author proposes the concept of recognition, a term that has more practical, theoretical and empirical significance. This study contributes to education research, policy and practice by unearthing the processes in small schools that function or fail to function to produce healthy experiences for students. |
