| Class Size Matters | |
BENEFITS OF CLASS SIZE
REDUCTION
By Steven W. Simpson, Ph.D.
Many studies have shown that if there is a "magic
bullet" that raises the educational achievement of children,
it is reducing class size, particularly in the early grades. As
Alex Molnar of the University of Wisconsin recently concluded,
"There is no longer any argument about whether or not
reducing class size in the primary grades increases student
achievement. The evidence is quite clear: It does." Why are
smaller classes so effective in helping children learn?
-Reducing class size makes sure that increased expenditures get
to the classroom, where they belong.
-Controlled studies from Tennessee, Milwaukee and elsewhere show
that children who are in smaller classes score significantly
higher in reading and math. The Tennessee class-size research,
called STAR, reveals that children in all socio-economic groups
benefit from being placed in smaller classes.
-Smaller classes especially benefit children from minority and
low-income backgrounds who need more support. Results from
Wisconsin reveal that low-income first graders in small classes
score significantly higher in reading and math than similar
students in larger classes. African-American males made the
largest gains, with test scores 40% above the control
group. In the Tennessee program, a 12% gap between white
and black students in passing a first grade skills test was
reduced to only 1% for those who were in smaller classes.
-The benefits of class size reduction in the early grades last
throughout a student's educational career. The STAR research
shows that students who had been placed in small classes in
grades K-3 continue to outperform others right through high
school, with higher graduation rates, higher grade point
averages, and a greater likelihood to be headed towards college.
In particular, attendance in small classes in the early grades
cuts the gap between black and white students taking college
entrance exams in half.
-As schools move towards higher standards, smaller classes are
increasingly critical. Marc Tucker, the President of the National
Center on Education and the Economy, considered the
"guru" of standards-based education, calls for reducing
the size of classes in grades K-2. Reduced class sizes are also
important as teaching methods increasingly emphasize hands-on and
individualized learning, rather than rote memorization.
-Smaller classes are a very cost-effective strategy to lower the
number of students who have to repeat grades. In the Tennessee
STAR study, 17% of inner-city students who had been placed in
small classes in the early grades were held back through the 9th
grade, compared to 44% of those from similar backgrounds who had
been put in regular sized classes.
-Smaller classes allow teachers to focus more on instruction and
less on classroom discipline. Suspensions in three suburban
Sacramento school district are down 19% since the state of
California lowered class sizes in grades K- 3rd.
-Reduced class size enhances the communication between parents
and teachers. Researchers have noted that parents with children
in smaller classes follow-up with their teachers more frequently,
and on a sustained basis.
-Smaller classes save money, because it prevents many unnecessary
referrals into expensive special education programs. Teachers can
identify children with special learning problems early and give
them effective help in the regular classroom. In the same three
California districts, referrals of students to special education
have dropped 16 percent.
-Class size reduction raises children's educational achievement
levels more than vouchers. In a recent study of the Milwaukee
voucher program, Cecilia Rouse of Princeton University found that
students who remained in public schools but in smaller classes
made "substantially faster gains" in reading compared
to those who used vouchers to transfer to private schools.
-Smaller class sizes in New York City will also keep more
middle class families in the city rather than move to the
suburbs, ensuring that they remain on the city's tax rolls. In
California, smaller classes have caused parents to return to the
public school system, after having earlier sent their children to
private schools.
-Reducing class sizes in New York City will also help recruit
highly qualified teachers to urban settings, rather than suburban
schools where smaller classes are the norm. Smaller classes will
also cause teachers to stay in the profession longer, because
they won't burn out as easily.
It is for these and other reasons that more than 30 states have
moved towards reducing class size. Surveys in states that have
done so reveal that parents, teachers and principals are
overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the results, and convinced that
it was well worth the cost.
Steven W. Simpson, Ph.D. is a practising special education teacher.
Used with permission: Copyright, 2005, Dr. Steven W. Simpson, Simpson Communications.
See also Special Education: The Myth of Least Restrictive Environment here . . .