Catholic schools have faced enrollment challenges for at least two decades. The staggering numbers of Catholic school closures should compel all stakeholders to reflect on the traditional model of Catholic schools and consider what alternative models could more effectively carry out the mission of the Church. Alternative school models, such as…

Catholic schools have faced enrollment challenges for at least two decades. The staggering numbers of Catholic school closures should compel all stakeholders to reflect on the traditional model of Catholic schools and consider what alternative models could more effectively carry out the mission of the Church. Alternative school models, such as…

Catholic schools have faced enrollment challenges for at least two decades. The staggering numbers of Catholic school closures should compel all stakeholders to reflect on the traditional model of Catholic schools and consider what alternative models could more effectively carry out the mission of the Church. Alternative school models, such as…

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the entire U.S. education system, with many educators experiencing high levels of stress and burnout as they navigate the increased challenges. This study focused on the burnout experienced by heads of microschools, which are small, community-based schools that typically serve fewer than…

The purpose of this study is to address teacher retention within a small independent school. Nationally teacher turnover is at a critical level, and few schools are exempt from this crisis. As in many small independent schools, resources are limited. Any changes need to be impactful and sustainable, and exploration of the reasons behind the…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in the educational system, placing a substantial burden on teachers. Since the onset of the pandemic, ample quantitative research has been conducted, documenting increased rates of anxiety, stress, and burnout among teachers. However, these rates do not provide an explanation for why teachers…

We evaluate the impacts of small high schools on youth risky behaviors and mental health in New York City, using a two-sample-instrumental-variable approach to address endogenous school enrollment. We find heterogeneous effects. School size, overall, has little effect. Among "students" most likely to attend small schools opened…

Seismic shifts are shaking the landscape of K-12 education. Public school districts across the US have lost over a million students since 2020. Meanwhile, novel educational models--such as microschools and hybrid homeschooling--have more than doubled their enrollments. This paper explores what's driving families to seek these new learning…

This paper reports on the perspectives and operational practices of teachers implementing interdisciplinary units in five International Baccalaureate schools in Norway and Denmark with fewer than 100 students in their Middle Years Programme. The results help explain why interdisciplinary practice in secondary schools is relatively rare. The…

Small rural schools have often been characterised as being at the heart of their communities. However, there is no clarity on what that means nor on the perceived meaning of 'community' within this context. The findings of the Small School Rural Community Study focused on the relationship between small rural schools and the communities they serve…

The goal of this study was to solve the problem of teachers leaving the profession early, which has led to the lack of educators in classrooms across the country, impacting various stakeholders, including students, school districts, and fellow educators. Depending on where the school district is located and the students the schools serve, teacher…

Although school districts have prepared and planned for school crises for many years in response to the Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting tragedies, the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges for school districts when dealing with educating students amid a pandemic. This qualitative phenomenological study examined…

Previous studies suggest that small rural schools experience a range of challenges relating to their size, financial difficulties and geographical isolation, as well as potential opportunities relating to their position within their communities. In Northern Ireland, these schools are situated within the comparatively rare context of a religiously…

Teaching is a profession with an extremely high level of turnover, especially among new teachers (See et al., 2020). Research supports that there is a correlation between job satisfaction and teachers choosing to stay or leave (Lane et al., 2019; Shibiti, 2020a). This qualitative case study sought to understand the experiences of teachers and…

School district leaders are responsible for creating strategic plans for their districts which include three-year, five-year, and ten-year plans. Prior to 1989, school district leaders anticipated student growth or decline by assessing the housing market and mobility trends in the district. In 1989, the Nebraska legislature passed a law allowing…