Class size reduction (CSR) has emerged as a very popular, if not highly controversial, policy approach for reducing the achievement gap. This article reports on findings from an implementation study of class size reduction policy in Wisconsin entitled the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE). Drawing on case studies of nine schools,…

Praises United States Secretary of Education William J. Bennett's 1986 report as a readable, provocative document that restores central importance of elementary education. Disagrees with two improvement suggestions: elimination of teaching experience for principals and disregard of class size as an important variable. Sees improved instructional…

The education reform movement has fostered renewed interest in class size. Tennessee and Indiana experiments with smaller class size in primary grades have yielded improved student behavior and achievement scores. Tennessee's new Student-Teacher Achievement Ratio Project (STAR) is a longitudinal study furthering research on small class benefits.…

Reports that the debate over class size in schools has become more heated in recent years. Examines recent research and attempts to answer three questions regarding class size and academic achievement. Concludes that there is a link between the 2, but only in the early years and only with classes smaller than 20 students. (CFR)