PS276 Chapter 6: THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS
Document Summary
Larger schools can offer more varied curriculum however student performance improves when schools are made less bureaucratic and more intimate. Students achive more when they attend schools w cohesive sense of community. Student engagement weaker in larger schools, esp when # of students in grade exceeds 400. Rates of student victimization more likely in schools where student-teacher ratio is higher. Many large schools broken down into shools within schools, resulting in more positive social environment but some schools within one school may vary considerably in education quality. Large schools offer more extracurriculars however there is less participatio than in small schools. Students in small schools more likely to be placed in positions of leadership and responsibility. More inequality in students" educational experiences in larger schools. In small schools its more likely all students are exposed to same curriculum. Ideal size of a high school is between 600-900 kids. Small classes benefit elementary scgool children but not adolescents.
