Critical Small Schools

Critical Small Schools: Beyond Privatization in New York City Urban Educational Reform features themost current empirical research about the successes and challenges of the small schools movement and theimplications of such for urban public educational policy. Situated in a climate of hierarchical reform, manyof the principles of the original small schools movement-which are rooted in community participation, innovative pedagogies and assessment, and equity and social justice-have become obscured by aneducational agenda that emphasizes top-down mandates and standards-based reform. With the increasedpopularity and the rapid proliferation of small schools, the emphasis on 'size only' has resulted in abifurcation of the small schools movement; on one end are the small schools which have embraced thedemocratic, participatory, and self-governing nature of the original movement, while on the other end areschools that have simply reduced their size without rethinking school structures and practices.This book distinguishes the small schools featured and researched in this volume from schools that are simply small and labels them "critical smallschools." By documenting the practices that take place in various critical small schools in New York City, we show how these schools have narrowedthe achievement gap and increased graduation and college acceptance rates. Although smallness is an essential feature in the design of these schools, itis certainly not the only one and this volume illuminates the other elements that contribute to these schools' successes and shortcomings.Critical Small Schools also challenges the recent emphasis on charter schools as a panacea for urban educational reform. By featuring research aboutthe inner workings of public schools, this volume challenges this new direction that steers successful school development away from public education.Moreover, as every site is fraught with some tension, Critical Small Schools not only offers glimpses into intellectually vibrant and democraticlearning communities, but also acknowledges that these concepts are not static and necessitate continual reflection and renewal. At this pivotalmoment in educational reform, this volume provides keen insight into the challenges and possibilities ofthe small schools movement and is indispensable for anyone interested in comprehensive public schoolreform.