The Size Advantage

Graduation Class size and success at UNL

There has been a lot of research regarding school size in relationship to student academic success. In the fall of 2003, the Omaha World Herald published results of a study of freshman success at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Freshman success was measured in terms of the percentage of freshmen that were on academic probation. The study evaluated how size of their graduating high school class impacted chances of success. The results showed that students who graduate from high schools with graduating classes of between 50 and 99 students enjoy the highest rate of success. That's just the size of graduating classes here at Lincoln Lutheran

"The teachers really care about the kids.
--a parent

Some specifics about Lincoln schools

The chart below shows how Lincoln area schools compare in performance at UNL (the data is from the 9/21/03 Omaha World Herald):

Other advantages of smaller schools

Relationships

• Students experience an increased sense of community with smaller numbers in classes (we have a student/teacher ratio of 14 to 1).
  
• There is an opportunity to build strong relationships between faculty, staff, students, and parents. People know each other, care about each other, and have frequent opportunities to interact in academic, spiritual and social environments.
  
• The risk of being “lost in the crowd” is reduced. In a large school it is easy for students to become an anonymous face in a classroom or hallway.

Academics

• Students are encouraged to build a strong work ethic and organizational skills. College professors frequently comment that students from small schools really apply themselves in classes.
  
• Challenging academic programs enable future academic and work-world success.
  
• Smaller student to teacher ratios (14 to 1 at Lincoln Lutheran) create a more manageable classroom environment.

Activities

• Students are offered an opportunity for involvement in a wide variety of activities. Instead of having to choose one primary extra-curricular or co-curricular activity, students can be involved in multiple activities throughout the school year.
  
• Studies have shown that students involved in extra- and/or co-curricular activities exhibit more positive attitudes toward school.
  
• This higher level of involvement reinforces the development of good organizational skills.

"I really love this school, and wish everyone understood how much it means to me. I love it enough to drive over an hour every day just to come here."
--a former student