These benefits are not limited to small rural schools. They cut across settings. Certainly larger schools can, and do, offer more varied activities than small ones, but the average student in a large school does not take advantage of these opportunities. The research reveals several answers. First, everything is just easier.
Smallness requires participation, which creates engagement.
It s hard to get lost in a small school. And it s hard to hide. People come to know each other and to care for each other. Both parents and students are more involved. Teachers in small schools are more likely to form teaching teams, integrate their subject matter, employ multi-age grouping and cooperative learning.