Practice 4: Personalized Environments

Over the past few decades, large schools have become a way of life across the United States and the number continues to increase. Wasley (2002) shares research that suggests that these large schools lessen the educational quality for disadvantaged students and indicates that small schools and small classes increase the success for students. Allen (2002) describes successful strategies for establishing smaller, more personalized connections for students within the context of a large high school by establishing "home bases" for a small group of 15 students, developing project-based learning strategies, communicating the vision of treating each child with nurturing and caring; developing small academies for special interest curricula within the school, and renovating the school creating clusters for these academies.

"Smallness is a prerequisite for the climate and culture that we need to develop the habits of heart and mind essential to a democracy," states Meier (1996) founder of Central Park East Secondary School in Harlem. She advocates seven reasons for smallness of schools: governance through a small involved group; respect based on knowing each other; simplicity of organizational structures; safety with reduced anonymity; parental involvement through really knowing their child and building relationships with their parents; accountability through creating a responsible community; and a sense of belonging with adults with whom they have a relationship.