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Curriculum:
The
Value of Small Schools in Missouri
National research shows that:
1) There is no reliable relationship between school size
and curriculum breadth and quality
2)
Where available, the expanded
curriculum in larger schools does not always mean an expanded opportunity for
student learning
3)
Access to advanced
courses and comprehensive curriculums can be just as high in small schools,
especially given the availability of distance learning technologies
Missouri-specific
research
The
Missouri School Improvement Program:
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Maintains resource,
process, and performance standards, such that all schools must meet the same
minimum requirements, for example MO high schools must offer a minimum of 40.5
units of credit that include the state high school graduation requirements.
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Allows districts to meet
any course requirement by providing opportunities for all students to attend a
high school and/or area vocational school in a neighboring district or by
participating in other approved delivery systems (i.e., correspondence courses,
satellite classes, interactive television).
Analysis
of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows that:
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Data does not currently
allow for an assessment of curriculum breadth or quality in Missouri, however,
the average Missouri high school offers 91 units of credit, 50 credits in
excess of the required minimum.
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The average number of courses
offered in large urban and suburban high schools (121 units) exceeds that
offered in high schools in large and small cities (113 units) and in rural
areas (76 units). This is largely a
function of the size of school and the number of faculty employed.[1]
Status
of Two-Way Interactive Television (I-TV) Networks in Missouri[2]:
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Nearly half of
Missouri’s school districts (45%)
have two-way I-TV capabilities
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The districts who have
I-TV capabilities are not limited to any one size or location--47% of large urban and suburban
districts have I-TV, as do 42% of
districts of small/large towns and 46%
of districts in rural areas. Likewise, 45% of districts under 600 enrollment
have I-TV capabilities.
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Not all districts with
I-TV capabilities are organized into consortiums, but for those who do, the
potential for broadening their student course offerings is substantial.
Example: In 2003-04
three rural Missouri I-TV consortiums offered a collaborative schedule
of high school classes via I-TV including: Anatomy/Physiology, Business
Economics, College Prep. English, Criminal Justice, French I, French II,
Geometry, German I, German II, Physics, Sociology, Spanish I, and Spanish
II. Dual credit classes in which the
consortium schools participated included: D/C Algebra, D/C Business Enterprise,
D/C Chemistry, D/C Composition I, D/C Composition II, D/C Criminal Justice, D/C
Geography, D/C German I, D/C German II, D/C Government, D/C Psychology, D/C
Public Speaking, D/C Sociology, D/C Spanish I, D/C Spanish II, D/C Statistics,
D/C U.S. History I, and D/C U.S. History II.
Through the joint consortiums’ I-TV class schedule, students across the three consortiums had access to 31
additional classes--22 high school credits and 54 hours of college credit
beyond those hours offered traditionally in their local high schools.
Implications
of data:
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The curricular offerings
of small and rural schools can be significantly enhanced in both academically
and economically cost-efficient ways through appropriate distance learning technologies.
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The one-time capital
cost of providing state-of-the-art I-TV equipment to those 160 rural districts
without I-TV equipment is estimated at $4.9 million, before national E-Rate discounts are applied. It’s a small cost for big capabilities!
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Through two-way I-TV
small schools can retain all of the advantages of small size while
cost-effectively expanding curricular opportunities for their students.