Effects of High School Restructuring and Size on Gains in Achievement and Engagement for Early Secondary School Students.

School restructuring continues to be a common approach to improving education. Despite restructuring's continued and growing support, there is little research to support its effectiveness. The theoretical contrast exposed in school restructuring is between bureaucratic and organic organizational forms. A study assessed the effect of restructuring on students during their early high school years. Data were used from the first two waves of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 with a nationally representative sample of 11,794 high school sophomores in 820 secondary schools. Restructuring effects were evaluated on gains in students' engagement and achievement in mathematics, reading, social studies, and science between grades 8 and 10, as well as the social distribution of the gains. Schools were categorized as restructured, moderate, or traditional based on 30 structural practices measures. Restructured high schools and unrestructured schools were contrasted with traditionally reformed schools. High school size was an important structural feature. Results showed that students' achievement and engagement were significantly higher in restructured schools and lower in unrestructured schools. Achievement and engagement gains were also more equitably distributed in restructured schools. Smaller schools also had higher and more equitable engagement and achievement. (Contains 72 references.) (JPT) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U. & DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Mice or Educational Research ano :mprovement ED pATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received horn the person or o,ganizalion onginating it 0 Miner changes have been made to improve reproduchon quality Points of vIM Or opinions stated in this document dO not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy Ell ECTS OF HIGH SCHOOL RESTRUCTURING AND SIZE ON GAINS IN ACHIEVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT FOR EARLY SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS Valerie E. Lee University of Michigan Julia B. Smith University of Rochester Revised April 1, 1994 FINAL DELIVERABLE TO OERI This paper was prepared for the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools, supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (Grant No. R117Q00005-94) and by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the supporthig agencies. We are very grateful for useful suggestions from several people: Steven G. Heeringa, Manager of Sampling, Survey Research Center, I \i" Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, for advice on design weights in stratified samples with longitudinal designs; Anthony Bryk for advice on analyzing data with gain score outcomes; David Cohen, Fred Newmann, Andrew Porter, and Brian Rowan for useful suggestions for revision of a previous draft. We accept full responsibility for any errors in analysis or interpretation which remain.