This is a practice-based research that suggests students who receive individualized and focused instruction perform better in class. The ‘schools-within-a-school’ model establishes a smaller educational unit within the school that has its separate educational program, budget, and staff and students. This model can be called a mode of downsizing where large schools are divided into sub-units or sub-schools to deliver a personalized learning environment that contributes to improved student achievement and a sense of overall well-being.
Once, several schools were built based on the assumption that “bigger is better.” However, subsequent research suggested how ‘schools-within-schools’ can better support and help develop student potential through a uniquely collaborative, child-centered teaching and learning environment. As a result, educators have been increasingly looking to implement the model.
A school-within-a-school is an autonomous and separate entity that’s officially authorized by the superintendent and/or board of education. Such a school must discuss the use of common spaces, such as the auditorium, gym, playground, etc., with a host school. Additionally, it must defer to the building principal on building operation and safety issues. However, rather than being responsible to the building principal, schools-within-schools report to a district official.
Large schools have executed diverse programs to downsize and create smaller schools-within-schools. Some of these smaller schools are structured around themes, such as media and arts, business, science and technology, and international studies, among others, that let students choose one depending on their interests. Mini-schools, house plans, charters, clusters, and learning communities are other approaches to building schools-within-schools. Each of these approaches varies from the others on a range of factors, including the level of autonomy it’ll receive to manage its own education program and how separate the sub-unit will be from the larger institution. Different models of schools-within-schools also vary in their organizational structure and practice and the programs they plan to implement. For instance, some schools-within-schools may simply assemble students while maintaining an administrative and symbolic identification with the larger school.
Since the schools-within-schools model replicates a small school more closely than other types of downsizing, it’s most likely to generate the positive effects of small-scale educational organization. Such schools are also found to have the greatest levels of autonomy and distinctiveness. However, for this model to become successful, complete commitment to implementing the program fully is essential, along with facilitating complete administrative separation of the sub-school to form a separate identity. Staff and student support are equally important to reap several benefits of this model.
