School reformers hope that converting comprehensive high schools into collections of small schools will produce results similar to those realized in freestanding small schools. This comparative case study revisits two "conversions" as they complete the grant funding that supported the reform, in order to explore the extent to which changes achieved through the conversion process are sustained. The report focuses on three salient themes--shared decision making, professional community, and personalization--to look at how small school sustainability is affected by the way school and district staff navigate the tensions inherent to the conversion setting. Findings indicate that conversions strive to maintain both small school and comprehensive high school ideals, leaving teachers feeling isolated and frustrated by operating in an "in-between place." (Contains 2 footnotes.)