Benefits of Small Classes

The potential impact of mandatory Kindergarten on overcrowding and class size; and how it triggers the need for an accelerated capital plan

Speaker Quinn’s push for mandatory Kindergarten in NYC, now being considered in the NYS Legislature,  is likely to send thousands of new children into a schools system that is already struggling with Kindergarten waiting lists, overcrowding, and increasing class sizes. Our analysis here and below suggests what the impact may be, and proposes that the […]

May 24, 2012 in Benefits of Small Classes, Reports & Memos, Uncategorized by

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Class size reduction vs. Race to the Top: Research, support, and benefits

Last week at the Save Our Schools  conference,  Robin Hiller of Voices for Education  and I presented a workshop on class size reduction vs. Race to the Top. The room at American University was standing room only.  I learned that Robin became involved in class size issue when her daughter was in a class of […]

August 4, 2011 in Benefits of Small Classes, Presentations, Uncategorized by

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Small Classes in American Schools: Research, Practice, and Politics

Jeremy D. Finn, “Small Classes in American Schools: Research, Practice, and Politics,” Phi Beta Kappan, March 2002. A summary of the research by one of the premier STAR investigators.

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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Incredible Shrinking Class Size

Jan O’Neill and Deborah Mercier, “Incredible Shrinking Class Size,” National Staff Development Council, 2003 . Describes how one school in Wisconsin reduced class size without additional funding.

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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How Class Size Makes a Difference

SERVE, “How Class Size Makes a Difference,” 2002. One of the best and most readable summaries of the research, prepared by the Regional Educational Laboratory for the Southeast, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. and “A Parent’s Guide to Class-Size Reduction,” 2003. A useful introduction, including suggestions on actions parents can take to encourage […]

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide

Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education, “Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide,” Dec. 2003. Class size reduction is identified as one of only four education reforms proven to increase learning.

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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Small Classes in the Early Grades, Academic Achievement, and Graduating From High School

Jeremy D. Finn et.al., “Small Classes in the Early Grades, Academic Achievement, and Graduating From High School,” Journal of Educational Psychology, 2005. http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/edu972214.pdf Summary at http://www.apa.org/releases/smallclasses.html

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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California Class Size Reduction Reform: New Findings from the NAEP

Fatih Unlu, “California Class Size Reduction Reform: New Findings from the NAEP,” Princeton Univ., Nov. 2005; Study showing large gains from smaller classes in California.

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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Optimal Context Size in Elementary Schools: Disentangling the Effects of Class Size and School Size

Douglas D. Ready and Valerie E. Lee, “Optimal Context Size in Elementary Schools: Disentangling the Effects of Class Size and School Size,” Brookings Papers on Education Policy,- 2006/2007, pp. 99-135. Study finds that class size rather than school size makes a positive difference, and suggests that”if children remained in the same elementary school for five […]

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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The Wisdom of Class-Size Reduction

Elizabeth Graue, et.al. “The Wisdom of Class-Size Reduction,” American Educational Research Journal, September 2007, Vol. 44, No. 3. “SAGE in particular, and CSR in general, allows teachers the space to create meaningful learning opportunities for students. Giving teachers support to develop new strategies for teaching smaller groups makes it more likely.”

April 12, 2011 in Research and Links by

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