Best Consolidation Resources
This post is regularly updated to include new information related to consolidation and small schools. Check back often for additional materials and resources.
Small schools and small school districts frequently find themselves subject to consolidation attempts. Yet, research indicates that students perform better in smaller schools and districts, that smaller schools and districts are just as cost-effective as larger schools and districts in rural areas, and that schools and districts are essential parts of rural infrastructure and make important contributions to the economy and well-being of rural communities. There are also a number of alternatives to consolidation that make good sense educationally and fiscally.
If your schools or district is threatened with consolidation, there are a number of information resources available to help your community. Here is a partial listing to get you started:
NEW: Slow Motion: Traveling by School Bus in Consolidated Districts in West Virginia. This report from the Rural Trust finds that students who attend school in counties with consolidated high schools spend 43% more time on the bus than students who attend smaller, community-based high schools. Bus riders in consolidated counties lose 49 minutes a day compared to students in their own schools who have other forms of transportation. Students in consolidated schools were much less likely to participate in extracurricular activities. Such participation is closely linked to stronger academic engagement, higher grade point averages, and greater likelihood of graduating.
Consolidation Fight-Back Toolkit. This set of materials produced by the Rural Trust includes research references, information about alternatives to consolidation, and links to other resources.
The Hobbit Effect: Why Small Works in Education. This report from the Rural School and Community Trust examines 10 research-based attributes of small schools that are proven to have a positive effect on students and their learning.
"How to Know if Your School or District is Threated with Consolidation and What to Do About It." This article was compiled by rural education advocates and community residents who have years of experience strengthening small rural schools and protecting them from consolidation. There's lots of practical advice and useful strategy. The article first appeared in the July 2005 Rural Policy Matters.
Anything But Research-Based: State Initiatives to Consolidate Schools and Districts. This article presents a brief history of consolidation and summarizes common state policy initiatives that force or encourage the consolidation of rural schools and districts. Policy initiatives presented in 2006 in selected states are reviewed.
The Power and the Promise. This policy brief from the Rural Trust provides practical information and examples of two-way interactive television as a way for small schools to expand curriculum, retain the advantages of small-scale schooling, and keep the personal touch of a teach in low-demand and hard-to-staff classes. Easy to understand for technical novices and plenty of useful information for school personnel who have advanced technology skills.
Rural School Consolidation Report: History, Research Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations, National Rural Education Association. This report from the NREA includes just what it says in the time and is a useful summary of many of the issues related to school and distriction consolidation in rural places.