School Size Choices: Comparing Small and Large School Strengths

Janet Fairman discusses the thorny issue of school quality, suggesting that small schools have certain strengths compared to larger schools. Data from her study of small high schools in Maine, as well as research literature, suggest that compared to large schools, small schools allow for greater personal attention to students, have greater flexibility in scheduling, programming and instructional decisions, and often have stronger school-community connections that support student achievement and serve important community needs. Using quantitative measures of quality, Fairman notes that school size alone explains very little of the variation in 11th grade Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) scores, while on other measures there are only small differences based on school size. She suggests that as school systems are redesigned for greater cost efficiency, we should be mindful of the strengths of both small and large high schools and make these strengths part of all high schools, no matter their size

Public Preschool Programs in Maine: Program Design Capacity and Expansion Challenges

This study provides an update on the characteristics of public preschool programs in Maine as well as the progress and challenges in expansion of programs

Public Preschool Programs in Maine: Program Design Capacity and Expansion Challenges

This study provides an update on the characteristics of public preschool programs in Maine as well as the progress and challenges in expansion of programs

Assessing and Supporting Students\u27 Social and Emotional Needs in Maine Schools

The purpose of this study was to better understand K-12 students’ social and emotional needs and areas of greatest challenge currently for schools and educators, as well as the strategies used by the Maine Department of Education and schools to support students and educators in this area, and areas where schools feel they need more support

School District Reorganization in Maine: Lessons Learned for Policy and Process

In 2007, Maine’s legislature enacted a law mandating school district consolidation with the goal of reducing the state’s 290 districts to approximately 80. Five years later the success of this policy is open to debate. Janet Fairman and Christine Donis-Keller examine what worked and what didn’t work in this effort to consolidate school districts and provide a list of “lessons learned,” with clear implications for the design and implementation of state educational policy