Big Isn't Always Bad: School District Size, Poverty, and Standards-Based Reform.

This paper reports results of the first systematic analysis of the progress of standards-based reform in U.S. school districts. Using data from a recent national survey of school districts (n=2,700) and a companion national survey of schools (n=1,177), it is found that not only do districts appear to play an important role, bigger districts appear to be particularly successful in promoting reform. Those who see reform as an exclusively state-school process may miss key ingredients for success. It is also a mistake to assume that large districts are not responsive. The benefits of larger size, however, appear to be moderated in high-poverty districts. An appendix contains questions on progress from the district and school surveys. (Contains 4 tables, 5 figures, and 31 references.) (Author/SLD)