Identifying an appropriate class size is an important decision public schools face as they weigh balancing their budget with the impact class size may have on student achievement. This study examined perceptions of South Dakota kindergarten through third-grade teachers, elementary principals, and superintendents concerning optimal class size and…

The new institutionalism predicts that professionalism is a key element of organizations' ability to be seen as legitimate. Emphasizing the professionalism and formal credentials of its members lends legitimacy to the organization, protecting it from scrutiny. What happens when this norm of professionalism is absent? How do schools legitimate…

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,…

A contextual approach to understanding class size reduction includes attention to both educational inputs and processes. Based on our study of a class size reduction program in Wisconsin we explore the following question: How do class size reduction and classroom quality interact to produce learning opportunities in early elementary classrooms? To…

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…

Clearly, class-size reduction has become a public-relations issue that educational leaders can use as an opportunity to communicate and gain support for all school reforms. Implications for principals include keeping the school community informed, involving teachers, knowing relevant research, and using creative class-size reduction methods.…

Before a St. Louis (Missouri) school could raise student achievement, its principal had to break through several "false ceilings" to create a new standard of student performance. To achieve this goal, the principal refrained from underestimating her "at-risk" students, provided enrichment instead of remediation programs,…