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Research on Class Size

Research on Class Size. Gene Glass and Mary Lee Smith (1978) meta-analysis of class size research: Reduced class size can produce increased academic achievement. STAR Project. • Helen Pate-Bain • Lamar Alexander (governor)

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Research on Class Size

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  1. Research on Class Size • Gene Glass and Mary Lee Smith (1978) meta-analysis of class size research: • Reduced class size can produce increased academic achievement

  2. STAR Project • • Helen Pate-Bain • • Lamar Alexander (governor) • • Tennessee Board of Education and a consortium of universities in Tennessee • • Studied the effects of small class size on primary grades students’ academic achievement

  3. How might smaller class sizes contribute to academic achievement ? • • Better contact with parents. • • Closer and more personal contacts with students. • • Greater flexibility in choice of instructional approaches. • • Better classroom management and discipline. • • Other reasons?

  4. Nye, Hedges, and Konstantopoulos (2001): • • effects of class size on the academic achievement of disadvantaged students in the STAR study • • minority and non-minority economically disadvantagedstudents • • math and reading achievement • • benefit to minority students in reading; no benefit to disadvantaged students overall

  5. Problems with STAR Project • • Lack of full randomization • • Attrition • • Cross-over effects • • Factors within and outside classrooms and schools

  6. Other class size studies: • •      Indiana: PRIME • •      Wisconsin: SAGE • •      California • •      Other states • •      ETS • •      US Department of Education

  7. Class size research(U.S. Dept. of Ed., 1998) • Smaller class sizes increase student achievement • In TN study, students continued to outperform peers after returning to regular size classes in Grade 4

  8. Class size research • Smaller classes increase instruction time, reduce discipline problems • Effect size larger when small classes combined with change in instructional methods and classroom procedures

  9. Class size research • Smaller classes have greatest impact in the early grades • A national study of 4th and 8th grades found greatest impact of small class size on students in urban schools

  10. Class size research • Achievement effects increase when students are in class 100+ hours and when assignments carefully controlled • Professional development needed so teachers take advantage of smaller class sizes

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