Other Resources

Blog Invites Your Thoughts on Class Size

Los Angeles PBS television station KCET has launched a discussion of class size on the Life & Times Blog on its Web site. "40 Students in a Class?" is the article that opens the discussion. The posting focuses on the class size problem in the Los Angeles Unified School District, but the blog invites discussion from interested readers anywhere in the country.

From the ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management has assembled a special set of resources on issues of high interest to educators, including class size at ERIC Digest: Capitalizing on Small Class Size (April 2000).

ECS Offers 'Portal' to Class Size Studies, Initiatives

The Education Commission of the States' Class Size Issue Page serves as a portal to information on class-size reduction, including summaries of the latest research findings; details about federal, state and school district initiatives; and links to several organizations that are closely monitoring the implementation and impact of class size reduction efforts nationwide.

Smaller Class Size Raises Achievement, Study Finds

Wisconsin's SAGE (Student Achievement Guarantee in Education) class-size reduction program is a proven success in helping needy children in early grades.

A 2003 study by the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University  (Word, 35 pgs) compared the academic achievement of low-income K-3 students in schools that participated in the SAGE program to that of students in non-SAGE comparison schools located in SAGE districts.

The study concluded that the SAGE program:

• Increased student achievement.
• Upheld gains through 3rd grade.
• Was most beneficial to African-American students.
• Narrowed the achievement gap between African-American and white students.
• Compensated for poor attendance.

The study was conducted by Phil Smith, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Alex Molnar, Arizona State University; and John Zahorik, UW-Milwaukee. From 1971 to 2001, Molnar was on the faculty of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he directed the Center for Education Research, Analysis, and Innovation (CERAI) and the Center for the Analysis of Commercialism in Education (CACE).

The SAGE program was designed to increase the academic achievement of low-income children in grades K-3 by reducing class size, reforming the curriculum, providing professional development for teachers, and opening schools to morning and evening activities.

SAGE was created in 1995, based on the work of a special task force appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to study the condition of urban education in Wisconsin. It is administered through a program of five-year grants designed to promote academic achievement. SAGE schools get state aid equal to $2,000 for each low-income child in the grades served by the program. Schools participating in the SAGE program are required to:

• Reduce class size to 15 pupils.
• Keep the school open every day for extended hours and collaborate with the community in educational, recreational and social service activities.
• Provide a rigorous academic curriculum designed to improve academic achievement.
• Improve professional development programs and staff evaluation practices.

SAGE was also evaluated continuously from 1996 to 2001 by the Department of Public Instruction and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Education. Those evaluations also found the program to be successful.

To learn more, see the Wisconsin Education Association Council's comprehensive resources on SAGE and class size reduction.

What the Research Says

Five Rules for Reducing Class Size

A report from the American Educational Research Association confirms that smaller classes can produce lasting gains, particularly for minority and low-income students. "Class Size: Counting Students Can Count" synthesizes research on class size and concludes that the greatest impact is seen in the early grades. For maximum effect, class size reduction efforts should meet five conditions:

• Start in kindergarten or first grade; early intervention is key.
• The ideal number of students in a class is 13 to 17.
• If resources are scarce, target at-risk students first.
• To maintain intensity, students should experience small classes all day, every day.
• Small classes should last at least two years, and three to four years for the longest-lasting benefits.

It's Not Just About the Numbers:
Smaller Classes Need Supportive Policies

SERVE examined statewide class size reduction initiatives in Tennessee, Wisconsin and California, as well as efforts in two North Carolina school districts. Reducing class size works best when schools can support efforts with the right funding, accountability, and staffing policies. SERVE offers a number of publications outlining research and recommendations for implementing class size reduction efforts for policy makers, parents, teachers and administrators.

Smaller Class Size Improves Achievement, Voucher Plans Don't

In January 1998, the Keystone Research Center published a comprehensive review of research on two high-profile ideas for raising educational achievement: lowering class size in the early grades and instituting private school vouchers. Alex Molnar’s "Smaller Class Sizes and Educational Vouchers: A Research Update" (1999) emphasizes results since early 1998. There is no cost to download the 50-page study as a PDF here, but free registration is required to gain access to the publication.

Wisconsin Class Size Program Produces Positive Results

Wisconsin's Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program increases the achievement of low-income students in grades K-3, according to a 2003 study by the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University.

The SAGE program, now in nearly 600 schools, reduces the student-teacher ratio to 15:1 in K-3 classrooms. The September 2003 study from Arizona State University concludes that the SAGE program:

• Increases student achievement.
• Upholds gains through 3rd grade.
• Is most beneficial to African-American students.
• Narrows the achievement gap between African-American and white students.
• Compensates for poor attendance.

Smaller Classes Produce Long-term Gains in Student Achievement

Widely regarded as the "gold standard" of class size research, Tennessee’s Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project concluded that smaller classes yield educationally and statistically significant gains in student achievement. Project STAR was a four-year longitudinal study that followed students from kindergarten through grade 3, starting in 1985-86 with kindergarten and ending in 1988-89 with third grade.

The Star Follow-up Studies in 1996-97 ( PDF, 74k, 26 pages) revealed that high school students placed in classes of 13 to 17 children from kindergarten through third grade outperformed students in standard classes of 22 to 25. The students in the initial study now are entering adulthood, and the follow-up study results point to a possible lifetime of benefits from small class sizes.

U.S. Dept. of Education Class Size Report

In its first year, the federal class-size reduction program helped nearly two-thirds of the nation's elementary schools hire an estimated 29,000 new teachers, according to The Class-Size Reduction Program—Boosting Student Achievement in Schools Across the Nation: A First-Year Report , a report released by then-Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley.

NEA Resources

Former NEA Presidents Lead Class Size Measurement Effort

It's difficult to track national progress in reducing class sizes because no state-by-state "actual" class size information exists. Two former NEA presidents, Helen Pate-Bain and Helen Wise, are working to convince states to collect class size data consistently. See how you can help.

In an "Interview with Helen Pate-Bain and Helen Wise – Proof Positive: Class Size Matters" (October 2000), NEA Today covers the rollout of the Reduce Class Size Now Web site.

Wisconsin Affiliate Offers Resources on SAGE

Wisconsin's Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program is the topic of Wisconsin Education Association Council's comprehensive resources on SAGE and class size reduction. According to a 2003 study of SAGE, the program increases achievement for low-income students.

Gathering Accurate Data Is the First Step
in Reducing Class Size

It's difficult to track national progress in reducing class sizes because no state-by-state "actual" class size information exists. Educators know that smaller class sizes mean higher quality education, but how do you convince politicians of this all-important truth? The first step is gathering accurate data.

Beginning in the fall of 2003, NEA began requesting class size information from state departments of education. To collect, store and disseminate "actual" class size data — not just misleading pupil-teacher ratios — states may need new computer software, training and other resources. A starting point for such a new effort would be for state boards of education and legislatures to enact measures authorizing the collection of actual class size data.

What Can You Do To Ensure that This Happens?

1. Your help is needed 

Please write, e-mail, call or talk to your local and state school board representatives and legislators to let them know how important it is to develop a systematic way to capture actual class size data throughout each state.

2. Encourage legislators to draft legislation for accurate data collection

Legislation might read:

Whereas study of the effects of class size on student achievement is important to determining the value of efforts to reduce class size, and

Whereas class size data are collected randomly and, most often, recorded as student-teacher ratios rather than actual class sizes, and

Whereas accurate and consistent class size data are essential to determine nationally the importance of small classes, now

Therefore, the state department of education of ______________ shall collect class size data annually using the form below and report such information to the Legislature no later than December 1 of each year. This statute shall be in full force and effect upon publication.

The Class Size Data Collection Form

Given the strong support of parents and teachers — and the demonstrated effectiveness of smaller classes — Americans should urge their elected representatives at all levels to support continued class size reduction. It's education reform that works.

This Class Size Data Collection Form ( MS Word, 10 pp.) is designed to provide state departments of education with a standard approach to collecting and reporting "actual" class size data.

For more information, contact Helen Pate-Bain (251/540-7012, hpbain@gultel.com) or Helen Wise (814/422-8207, how1@psu.edu). Or visit the Reduce Class Size Now Web site.

AERA Study: Smaller Classes Lead to Student Gains

Smaller class sizes can produce lasting gains, particularly for minority and low-income students, says a report from the American Educational Research Association (AERA). 

"Class Size: Counting Students Can Count" ( PDF, 4 pp.), in AERA's Fall 2003 Research Points, synthesizes current research on class size and confirms the link between smaller classes and improved student achievement. The report describes ways to pay for class size reduction efforts in strained financial times.

The greatest impact on student performance is seen by reducing class sizes early, in the first two years of school, the report says.

For minority students and students in inner-city schools, smaller classes can reduce the achievement gap and lead to fewer students dropping out or being held back, fewer disciplinary actions, and more students taking college entrance exams.

For maximum effect, the report says, class size reduction efforts should meet five conditions:

• Start in kindergarten or first grade; early intervention is key.
• The ideal number of students in a class is 13 to 17.
• If resources are scarce, target at-risk students first.
• To maintain intensity, students should experience small classes all day, every day.
• Small classes should last at least two years, and three to four years for the longest-lasting benefits.