The
Small Schools Workshop (SSW)
is a resource for public schools and school districts engaged
in restructuring and whole-school improvement. The Workshop brings
experience and expertise in elementary and secondary school redesign,
curricular focus and building professional teams by providing
guidance and professional development to large public schools
that are in the process of restructuring into smaller learning
environments.
For many years,
the Workshop has provided assistance to teachers, parents, and
principals in creating these new, small innovative learning communities.
Large factory model schools have been reorganized and re-cultured
to create successful schools-within-schools. The Workshop has
also supported start-up and charter school efforts from the proposal
and planning stages to a continuum of school improvement.
How Does
the Small Schools Restructuring Process Begin?
There are at least eight basic steps necessary in the process
of creating of small schools. However, the specific tools used
to accomplish each of these steps looks a little different for
each school. Since no two schools or their communities are alike,
small school restructuring is tailored to the individual needs
of each.
Eight
Steps to Creating A Small School
- Assess
the need for change
- Create
a vision of smaller schools
- Select
teams
- Choose
a focus
- Integrate
and align curriculum and instruction
- Build a
professional community
- Get a buy-in
from students and parents
- Develop
assessments that take advantage of personalized learning
How
Can the Small Schools Workshop Assist My School/District?
You
can draw on the services, materials, resources and collective
experiences of the Workshop and its network to fulfill the needs
of your school community toward the creation and support of school
improvement. The support and services offered by the Small Schools
Workshop include:
Designing
small schools, schools-within-schools and other small innovative
learning communities
Communicating
information to and from stakeholders and obtaining buy-in
Collaborating
with stakeholders to develop vision and focus for small schools
Consulting
with district and school leaders to solve the problems of overcrowding,
scheduling, design, and policy
Connecting
to teachers through professional development in areas of leadership,
teaming and collaborative teaching
Constructing,
integrating and aligning curriculum and assessment for small schools
Developing
district and school proposals for grants and other resources
Facilitating
ongoing dialogue on change theory and restructuring
Evaluating
and assessing student and school progress
Small
Schools Feasibility Study
The Small Schools Workshop will do a Feasibility Study for your
school or district to help prepare for the transition to smaller
learning communities. Using the Workshop's framework, our team
will visit your school(s) and make an assessment of school resources,
community attitudes, rationale for change, existing building blocks,
use of technology and other important factors. Based on this assessment,
we will produce a written report to the leadership team including
our recommendations and change strategies for consideration.
The Feasibility
Study is a useful tool for schools and districts applying for
Small Schools grants or those planning systemic school restructuring.
It can also be used to establish some baseline data and as a tool
for evaluation.
For
more information on the Small Schools Feasibility contact the
Small Schools Workshop: (773)384-1030 or by email at ksedey@smallschoolsworkshop.org.
How Do
I Contact the Small Schools Workshop to Work in My School/District?
If you are interested in exploring the possibilities of a partnership
with the Small Schools Workshop or would like more information
on how the Small Schools Workshop can support school restructuring
efforts in your school or district, please contact
the Small Schools Workshop and arrange a consultation to discuss
the needs of your school or school district.
What Additional
Materials Are Available from the Small Schools Workshop?
Videos:
"Big
Schools, Big Problems"
Addresses the shift in perspectives on school size since 1960,
discussing the cost-effectiveness, as well as other benefits of
small schools. Feature stories: Newburgh High School in New York
State - how one small town community fought to keep a local high
school small; Polaris High School in the Chicago suburb of Oak
Lawn, IL - a small school faces closing despite being a recognized
model of success in education; Chicago Vocational High School
- how restructuring into small schools improved the culture and
levels of student achievement at one of the nation's largest urban
high schools. TRT: 18:00
Publications:
"Small
Schools: The Numbers Tell a Story"
A review of the research and current experiences of small schools
by Dr. Michael Klonsky.
"A Simple
Justice: The Challenge of Small Schools"
Edited by William Ayers, school reform activist, Distinguished
Professor and Senior University Scholar, Michael Klonsky, Director
Small Schools Workshop, both at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, and Gabrielle H. Lyon, writer, researcher and activist
in Chicago. At this moment of educational crisis, here is a refreshingly
original and inspiring collection of ideas and information. A
Simple Justice suggests a bold new approach to schools, one which
recognizes the natural intelligence of students, the natural compassion
of teachers, and the possibility of an education founded on a
common commitment to a just society. ---- Howard Zinn, Boston
University
$14.95
For information on ordering any of the above materials, please
contact Kate
Sedey.
