The trend toward smaller schools has presented a dilemma, however, for many districts that cannot afford to abandon buildings intended for much larger student populations. Educators who want to downsize large schools are often forced to develop a number of creative solutions. House Plans, which assign students to groups, or houses within a larger school. Students attend classes with their housemates and are taught by teachers assigned to their particular house. The house is generally governed by the larger school, however, and does not develop its own programs or curriculum.
Houses usually participate in the extracurricular programs of the larger school.
Mini-Schools Plans, which are similar to house plans in that they operate within a larger school structure, but which generally establish their own curriculum and instruction, and maintain programs different from those of the larger school. Mini-schools have their own students and teachers, although they are usually dependent upon the larger school for their budget and support staff. Although they often use common space, there is generally no further connection with other programs operating in the same building. The steps provide additional insight into the problems and challenges of creating and maintaining small schools by posing a series of questions educators should ask themselves when considering restructuring larger schools into smaller units. Creating a Vision of Smaller Schools.