Overall, the pattern of findings drawn from existing research leads to the following three conclusions:
1. A consensus of research indicates that class size reduction in the early grades leads to higher student achievement. Researchers are more cautious about the question of the positive effects of class size reduction in 4th through 12th grades. The significant effects of class size reduction on student achievement appear when class size is reduced to a point somewhere between 15 and 20 students, and continue to increase as class size approaches the situation of a 1-to-1 tutorial.
2. The research data from the relevant studies indicate that if class size is reduced from substantially more than 20 students per class to below 20 students, the related increase in student achievement moves the average student from the 50th percentile up to somewhere above the 60th percentile. For disadvantaged and minority students the effects are somewhat larger.
3. Students, teachers, and parents all report positive effects from the impact of class size reductions on the quality of classroom activity.
Archived: Reducing Class Size: What Do We Know?, Revised Full Text
I undestand what you are saying and once again I am letting personal experiences get in the way of liberal studies and common sense. Now that I'm through being snarky, I was raised in a school system where class size was not even thought of, let alone mandatory. BTW, my town size at the time was approximately 60,000. To clarify, I do not think class size is an overall answer but I do believe that different school districts have class size problems that would be better solved at that level rather than the state level.Andy, I think you have too much faith in the schoolboard to keep classrooms at a reasonable size. I think external pressures and politics would have class size ballooning without regard to students sooner rather then later.
I undestand what you are saying and once again I am letting personal experiences get in the way of liberal studies and common sense. Now that I'm through being snarky, I was raised in a school system where class size was not even thought of, let alone mandatory. BTW, my town size at the time was approximately 60,000. To clarify, I do not think class size is an overall answer but I do believe that different school districts have class size problems that would be better solved at that level rather than the state level.
most issues, for that matter, could be better resolved at the local level, depending on the needs of the community. but there is such a push to increase education standards for all children that we end up with a one size fits all, very standardized kind of system. testing being the foundation. limited class size is even more important when you must treat/teach all children the same (when all children are not the same).
I would LOVE to see independent school boards, run by hired (not elected) leaders, providing excellence in leadership (some progressive cities actually do this). Studies are not "liberal" or political - they are critical and they help improve education delivery, and help us to continually move towards excellence. Unfortunately, politics (not research) get in the way of progress much of the time.
I would say that research needs to be conducted (asap) on the effectiveness and outcomes of THE TEST! What does it really measure? Is the curriculum too narrow due to teaching a test? Are children learning or are they learning to take a test?
I would really like for my children to know how to make change....:roll: Yes, they may score perfectly well on a math test, but if making change for a $20, or speaking face to face and having conversation with people is not learned, then my children aren't going to be very intelligent as children or as grown ups. (was that was a run on sentence)