Florida Department of Eduation

Ensuring Quality and Unleashing

Improved Performance

E Q U A L E D U C A T I O N A L O P P O R T U N I T Y P R O G R A M

The EQUIP series provides summaries of current data and research to enhance the decision making and planning process

as Florida’s educational institutions conduct comprehensive self-assessments to identify measurable methods and strate-

gies to ensure access to high quality instruction.

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#6

MAY 02

Impact of Small Schools on Risky Behavior

.

Students who attend small schools are less likely to engage in risky behavior such as drug

use, violence or early sexual activity, largely because they feel better connected to their

teachers and one another, according to a recent study. The study, reported in

The Untapped

Power of Schools to Improve the Health of Teens

, was conducted by Robert Blum, Director,

University of Minnesota Center for Adolescent Health and Development . The results, drawn

from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a federally funded survey of

72,000 junior high and high school students, found that when the number of students in a

school increases beyond 1,200, the students become more isolated which contributes to

unhealthy activities.

Although prior studies have linked manageable school size to increased academic

achievement, researchers called this the first study that points to school size as a factor in

student health and behavior. The study isolated a number of factors that contribute to

school connectedness.

Other key findings of the study include:

•

School size is the only structural characteristic associated with school

connectedness

•

Health and education are interdependent

•

Student attitudes are a major factor in school achievement

•

Grades might be affected by the way a school is organized and run

•

School connectedness is lower in schools with harsher discipline policies

•

The narrow focus on accountability and standardized test scores forces

administrators to make cultivating positive student attitudes less of a priority

•

Teachers who foster strong relationships with students and make them feel like

valuable contributors are important in determining how students feel about school

•

Teachers who did the best job of encouraging a welcoming environment weren’t

necessarily the most experienced, nor did they necessarily hold advanced degrees

•

What matters is the environment that students enter when they walk in the door

The monograph and journal article can be viewed at

http://www.allaboutkinds.umn.edu