Question

Do small high schools make a difference?

Why are we asking?
By the early 2000s, a national movement emerged to replace large, failing urban high schools with small schools. These smaller schools would allow for stronger, more personal relationships between students and adults, increase student engagement, and better position teachers to identify and respond to students’ academic and social needs. MDRC’s groundbreaking study of New York City’s system-wide small schools initiative provides rigorous evidence that these schools are markedly improve graduation prospects, particularly for disadvantaged students.

Working Toward a Solution

Brief

Sustained Positive Effects on Graduation Rates Produced by New York City’s Small Public High Schools of Choice

A rigorous study that takes advantage of lottery-like features in New York City’s high school admissions process demonstrates that new small public high schools that are open to students of all academic backgrounds have substantial impacts on rates of graduation with Regents diplomas for every disadvantaged subgroup of students that was examined.

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Report

Transforming the High School Experience

Taking advantage of lottery-like features in New York City’s high school admissions process, this study provides rigorous evidence that new small public high schools are narrowing the educational attainment gap and markedly improve graduation prospects, particularly for disadvantaged students.

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Webinar

Webinar: The Implications of New Findings on NYC’s Small High Schools Initiative

In early April, the Alliance for Excellent Education and MDRC cohosted a webinar, “Scaling and Sustaining Positive Effects of the New York Small High Schools Initiative,” which is now available for free download.

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