Gates Emerging sMall (GEM) Schools Project

Large high schools in two urban districts and one suburban district will be converted to smaller schools of choice under a project funded by the Gates Foundation.

Under this project , districts in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in West Clermont and Cincinnati, Ohio will convert large high schools into small, excellent public schools of choice. Despite extensive research documenting the positive impact of small schools, many districts have built large high school buildings that are unlikely to be abandoned. This project aims to produce several models of how large high school buildings can be converted to small, more personalized schools.

Helpful Resources

Small Schools Workshop. A group of organizers, educators and researchers based in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Workshop collaborates with teachers, principals, and parents to create new, small, innovative learning communities in public schools. Its Web site includes an archive of articles, numerous links, a bookshelf, project listings, a calendar, and a directory of small schools. http://www.smallschoolsworkshop.org

STAND UP. STAND UP is a community-based response to America's education crisis, and a national campaign to:

• Give parents the tools they need to get their kids the education they deserve.
• Mobilize all Americans to engage in the solution and demand policies that help all students succeed.
• Ensure students receive the support they need to graduate from high school ready for college, work, and citizenship. http://www.standup.org