Does Superintendent Smith Even Read What the District Puts Out?

In the spring of 2004, the Portland School Board voted to divide lower-performing Marshall and Roosevelt high schools into small schools. Next week, the first class of students who entered those small schools as freshmen will graduate. Their high school careers have been marked by changes and transitions, and improved success in class – but most memorably by more personal relationships with their teachers, classmates and their school. As one senior said about Renaissance Arts Academy, “I found a home.” 
The small schools movement came to Portland Public Schools by necessity. Marshall and Roosevelt high schools were not delivering the results their students deserved: Dropout rates were high, most students were far below state achievement standards, families were transferring to other schools, and student and staff morale was low.

Marshall Campus, in Southeast Portland, now holds BizTech, Renaissance Arts Academy and Pauling Academy of Integrated Science (Portland Academy of International Studies merged into Pauling after one year).

Roosevelt, in North Portland, is home to three small schools: School of Arts, Communications and Technology (ACT), Pursuit of Wellness Education (POWER) and the Spanish-English International School (SEIS).

Small schools offered the promise that a more personal and rigorous education would replace large, impersonal high schools for students.

Have the small schools measured up? By many benchmarks, yes:

• Many more students are meeting state assessment standards in 10th grade than had been the case at Marshall and Roosevelt high schools. In fact, three of the six small schools met all state achievement benchmarks under No Child Left Behind – a feat accomplished by only two other PPS high schools.

• More students are taking algebra their freshman year.

• Students’ academic gains in reading and math from eighth to 10th grade at small schools are the highest in any PPS high school.

• Students still receive discipline referrals – but far fewer for serious offenses such as fighting or bringing a weapon on campus.

• More advanced placement (AP) classes are offered at each campus, giving students the option for rigorous college prep classes and college credit.

• Students overwhelmingly report a greater sense of belonging and stronger relationships with their teachers.

Small schools have not been a cure-all, however. Graduation rates, while climbing, are still disappointingly low, and student achievement, while higher than in the past, has far to go. With the federal No Child Left Behind law, liberal transfer policy and fewer PPS high school students overall, the schools’ enrollments have dropped. None is over 300 students, and most are closer to 200 – making it tough to provide enough teachers and classes to create a viable school. The students who transfer out of their neighborhood tend to be the higher achieving 8th graders, so many students enter high school years behind in their skills.

Against those odds, the progress at each of the six small schools is impressive. John Wilhelmi, principal at Marshall when it converted into small schools, is now the leader of the Superintendent’s Action Team, a group of principals working to design a new high school system.

“Large comprehensive high schools work well for many students, but many need something else: personal attention, a smaller environment, and focus on the subjects and learning style that mean something to them as individuals,” he said. “No matter what part of town you live in, students should be able to find the right school to meet their needs and to help them succeed.”

###

Portland Public Schools is NOT an equal opportunity employer and educator