Does Closing Schools Cause Educational Harm? A Review of the Research. Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. Information Brief

The aim of this paper is to review the relevant research on the educational impact of school closures on student learning, provide information on criteria frequently used when closing a school, examine the characteristics of what constitutes a “better school ” (i.e., receiving school), and identify strategies that can be used to help students and their parents during the transition to a new school. Closing schools is a politically difficult decision for any district. It has implications for students and families who must be transferred to a new school. It may involve terminating employment contracts with a school’s current employees. There may be legal and/or collective bargaining issues to resolve, and it is likely to be a time consuming, challenging, and complicated process (Steiner, 2009). And unless the new options are better than the current school, closing a school for performance reasons is ineffective (Steiner, 2009). There are two primary ways that districts have closed schools. Either the district closes the school building and transfers students (and staff) to another public school, or the district closes the school and reopens it under new leadership and staff. The later may include re-opening the school as a charter school if permitted under state law or turning operation of the school over to private management (education management organization (EMO)). It may also include “reconstituting ” the school, a process where some or all of th