Consolidation of Schools and Districts: What the Research Says and What It Means

Autor/inn/en	Howley, Craig; Johnson, Jerry; Petrie, Jennifer
Institution	University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center
Titel	Consolidation of Schools and Districts: What the Research Says and What It Means
Quelle	(2011), (28 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Consolidated Schools; Efficiency; Educational Finance; Educational Improvement; Public Schools; Educational Research; School District Size; School Size; Rural Schools; Experience; Economics; Urban Schools + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Consolidated school; Mittelpunktschule; Zentralschule; Effectiveness; Effektivität; Wirkungsgrad; Bildungsfonds; Teaching improvement; Unterrichtsentwicklung; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; Bildungsforschung; Pädagogische Forschung; School district; School districts; Size; Schuleinzugsbereich; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Erfahrung; Volkswirtschaftslehre; Urban area; Urban areas; Stadtregion; Stadt
Abstract	Arguments for consolidation, which merges schools or districts and centralizes their management, rest primarily on two presumed benefits: (1) fiscal efficiency and (2) higher educational quality. The extent of consolidation varies across states due to their considerable differences in history, geography, population density, and politics. Because economic crises often provoke calls for consolidation as a means of increasing government efficiency, the contemporary interest in consolidation is not surprising. However, the review of research evidence detailed in this brief suggests that a century of consolidation has already produced most of the efficiencies obtainable. Indeed, in the largest jurisdictions, efficiencies have likely been exceeded--that is, some consolidation has produced diseconomies of scale that reduce efficiency. In such cases, deconsolidation is more likely to yield benefits than consolidation. Moreover, contemporary research does not support claims about the widespread benefits of consolidation. The assumptions behind such claims are most often dangerous oversimplifications. For example, policymakers may believe "We'll save money if we reduce the number of superintendents by consolidating districts;" however, larger districts need--and usually hire--more mid-level administrators. Research also suggests that impoverished regions in particular often benefit from smaller schools and districts, and they can suffer irreversible damage if consolidation occurs. For these reasons, decisions to deconsolidate or consolidate districts are best made on a case-by-case basis. While state-level consolidation proposals may serve a public relations purpose in times of crisis, they are unlikely to be a reliable way to obtain substantive fiscal or educational improvement. As is evident in the above summary, findings based on available research suggest that decision makers should approach consolidation cautiously. Specifically, the authors recommend that policymakers: (1) Closely question claims about presumed benefits of consolidation in their state; (2) Avoid statewide mandates for consolidation and steer clear of minimum sizes for schools and districts; (3) Consider other measures to improve fiscal efficiency or educational services; and (4) Investigate "deconsolidation" as a means of improving fiscal efficiency and improving learning outcomes. (Contains 3 figures and 78 notes. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10