"There is a growing appreciation by governments at all levels – both domestically and internationally –of the importance of locating the capacity to plan and integrate services as close as possible to the individuals and communities that the services are intended to benefit." Val Odegard, Re-visioning Inner City and CommunityLINK Resources: Summary Report, VSB, January 2014

Research & Articles

Class Size Research, Policies and Impacts
Uneven Student Population Distributions in Vancouver   
Space Restrictions and Impacts on Student Learning and Social Emotional Health
Poverty Within VSB Schools
Comparison of Other Provinces with Respect to Area Standards and Core Educational Spaces
Ontario:BC:
  • The EY report recommended closing schools and amalgamating student populations into new "right sized facilities".  These new "right sized" facilities must conform to the rigorous area standard restrictions -introduced by the Liberal government in 2008 - limiting the amount of square footage each student is entitled to. This is calculated on a nominal student capacity of only 25, whereas provincial class maximums are 30.  On average, since the new area standards came into effect, replacement schools are 65% of the original school size.  Ministry of Education, Area Standards.
Impact of Closures and Consolidations on Vulnerable Students 
Choice Legislation History in BC and the Impact on Communities
  • Gerald Fallon and Jerald Paquette, "Introducing a market element into the funding mechanism of Public Education in BC: A Critical Policy Analysis of the School Amendment Act, 2002," McGill Journal of Education 44.2 (2009)
  • Gerald Fallon and Jerald Paquette, "Devolution, Choice and Accountability in the Provision of Public Education in BC: A Critical Analysis of the School Amendment Act of 2002.", Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy 75.6 (2008)
Enrolment Patterns in BC and Metro Vancouver - Perspectives on Declining Enrolment and Closure
The consequence of high-density conditions that involve either too many children or too little space are: excess levels of stimulation; stress and arousal; a drain on resource available; considerable interference; reductions in desired privacy levels; and loss of control". C. Kenneth Tanner, University of Georgia "Minimum Class Size and Number of Students per Class", 2009
The consequence of high-density conditions that involve either too many children or too little space are: excess levels of stimulation; stress and arousal; a drain on resource available; considerable interference; reductions in desired privacy levels; and loss of control." C. Kenneth Tanner, University of Georgia "Minimum Class Size and Number of Students per Class", 2009
Research and Policy Recommendations for Smaller School Populations
Poverty and Education in Vancouver
Impact of School Closures, Capacity Rationalization and Rightsizing on Student Access, Academic Achievement and Social Emotional Welfare. 
Benefits of Arts Education 
School Size and Its Impact on Vulnerable Populations
  •  John R. Slate and Craig H. Jones show that one criteria or policy applied to all schools for a perceived economy of scale was ill conceived and that size impacts different schools in different ways and one optimal school size does not exist.  The most important factor is the socio-economic status of the community and the impacts of larger students populations (not even smaller spaces!) are very negative for students in areas of lower socio economic ability. Effects of School Size: A Review of the Literature with recommendations.   
  • According to Tanner's formula for minimum class size standards, 20 students and 1 teacher require 95.70 square meters. Compare this to the 75 square meters for 30 students and 1 teacher. C. Kenneth Tanner, University of Georgia "Minimum Class Size and Number of Students per Class", 2009. 
  •  Researchers at the University of Georgia found a direct relationship between schools operating at or near maximum capacity and behavioral disruptions.   
  • The Oregon Department of Education Office of Curriculum Instruction and Field Services, This document summarizes the findings of 15 years of research which shows that reducing school size (student population) create a greater sense of belonging and decrease apathy and feelings of alienation and anonymity in students, teachers, parents and the larger community creating communities rather than bureaucracies. They recommend that Secondary schools have a student population no higher than 600 and Elementary schools should not exceed 400. "Keeping Kids Connected: How schools and teachers can help all students feel good about school....and why that matters," May 2000.  
  • Mark Schneider, "Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes?" National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, November 2002.  "There is a definite consensus about the positive effects of small school size, and the effects seem to be the strongest with students from lower socio- economic groups." 

There are numerous other studies that show that smaller schools help mitigate the impact of poverty on student outcomes, whilst larger schools exacerbate the challenges of socio economic disadvantages.
  • See "Are Smaller Schools Better Schools?" Education World: Connecting educators to what works, 2000; 
  • Wasley, P.A., Fine, M., Gladden, M., Holland, N.E., King, S.P., Mosak, E., and Powell, L.C., "Small Schools: Great strides a study of new small schools in Chicago", (New York, NY: The Bank Street College of Education, 2000) and
  • Howley, Craig B,; Bickel, Robert, "When It Comes to Schooling…Small Works: School Size, Poverty, and Student Achievement", (Rural School and Community Trust, Randolph, VT, 2000).
Other Useful Documents:
Yet three years later, Chicago residents are still reeling from the devastating closures—a policy decision that has not only failed to bring about notable academic gains, but has also destabilized communities, crippled small businesses, and weakened local property values. With the city struggling to sell or repurpose most of the closed schools, dozens of large buildings remain vacant, becoming targets of crime and vandalism throughout poor neighborhoods. “These schools went from being community anchors into actual dangerous spaces,” says Pauline Lipman, an education policy professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. School Closings and Turnarounds Do Not Benefit Students, Chicago Teachers Union.
PAN is the Parent Advocacy Network for Public Education. We are a grassroots collective of parents across Vancouver who share a commitment to public education.
​To contact a representative of PAN, email parentadvocacynetwork@gmail.com
Copyright © 2016