Pre K - 12 & PSRP Public Education Issues Platform
The Issue Educators and parents have long believed smaller classes are better. Better for several reasons but primarily better for student achievement. The question is, does lowering class size make a positive difference in achievement, particularly with children from low-income families? The bottom line in a number of studies shows that educators and parents are right. Lowering class size substantially improves student achievement and is especially effective for low achieving and low-income students. A long-standing Tennessee project remains the standard of class size research. The project looked at the results of assigning randomly selected students to small classes (13-17 students) in grades K-3 and regular classes (22-25 students). Four years of data revealed that students in small classes significantly outperformed the other students in both math and reading at all grade levels. In Wisconsin, it was found that low-income minority students gained the most from smaller classes. Researcher Harold Wenglinsky, of the Educational Testing Service, analyzed school district spending patterns and math achievement of fourth and eighth graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. His study found that increased teacher-student ratios raised achievement at both grades. Fourth graders in smaller-than-average classes, for example, were about half a year ahead of the counterparts in larger-than-average classes. An unexpected residual effect has been reported in various reports. Smaller class size generated a renewed confidence in public schools by parents who were sending their children to private schools. Action Steps To help raise student achievement, state leaders should:
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