"Reconnecting Youth" is an elective, credit-bearing course for students at risk of dropping out of school due to frequent absenteeism, low grades, or a history of dropping out. The curriculum focuses on building self-esteem, decision making, personal control, and interpersonal communication skills. The What Works Clearninghouse (WWC)…

Although the use of clickers and peer discussion is becoming common in large-lecture undergraduate biology courses, their use is limited in small-enrollment seminar-style courses. To investigate whether facilitating peer discussion with clickers would add value to a small-enrollment seminar-style course, we evaluated their usefulness in an…

This Information Capsule examines the background and history in addition to research findings pertaining to class size reduction (CSR). This Capsule concludes that although educational researchers have not definitively agreed upon the effectiveness of CSR, given its almost universal public appeal, there is little doubt it is here to stay in some…

In Project STAR, 11,571 students in Tennessee and their teachers were randomly assigned to different classrooms within their schools from kindergarten to third grade. This paper evaluates the long-term impacts of STAR using administrative records. We obtain five results. First, kindergarten test scores are highly correlated with outcomes such as…

Despite long-term and ongoing efforts to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students, low-income students continue to perform at considerably lower levels than their higher-income peers in reading and mathematics. Research has shown that students' skills and knowledge often deteriorate during the summer months, with…

In 2002, voters in Florida approved a constitutional amendment limiting class sizes in public schools to 18 students in the elementary grades, 22 students in middle grades, and 25 in high school grades. Analyzing statewide achievement data for school districts from 2004-2006 and for schools in 2007, this study purports to find that "mandated…

The Federal government will spend $1.2 billion in 1999-2000 on the Clinton administration's Class Size Reduction Initiative. Research on K-3 class-size reduction experiments (such as Tennessee's Project STAR) show positive achievement gains, particularly for minority and inner-city students. However, better teaching and learning must be a program…

California was, and remains, the largest "experiment" in class-size reduction (CSR) in the country's history. Its sweeping program to reduce the state's classes in kindergarten through the third grade covered nearly 2 million students and dropped the average class size from almost twenty-nine students per class, and often a great many…

This report, intended for local and state policy makers and practitioners, summarizes the findings and implications of class-size reduction (CSR) in California. The report's findings provide a comprehensive picture of California's CSR initiative during its first 2 years, covering such topics as implementation, resources, teacher qualifications,…

Both educational vouchers and class size reduction are high-profile proposals for improving education. While the body of research on vouchers is small and unconvincing, the research on smaller classes is abundant and compelling. Researchers have been able to compare the impact of both of these policy alternatives on student performance. Their…

This final report on the California Class Size Reduction (CSR) initiative summarizes findings from three earlier reports dating back to 1997. Chapter 1 recaps the history of California's CSR initiative and includes a discussion of what state leaders' expectations were when CSR was passed. The chapter also describes research on class-size reduction…

Describes Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project, a study of class size, and summarizes its findings with regard to academic achievement and behavior. Positive findings from STAR are providing impetus for class-size-reduction policies. Discusses some criticisms of STAR research and findings. (SLD)

Evaluated Wisconsin's Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program of class-size reduction through a quasi-experimental, comparative-change design. Results for 1996-97 and 1997-98 are consistent with the positive effects shown for Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio program (STAR). (SLD)

Although class-size reductions cannot guarantee better student performance, the Tennessee and Wisconsin experiences, along with other studies, suggest that successful programs share key characteristics: concentration in the primary schooling years, classes with not more than 20 students, greater benefits for urban minority students, and alignment…

This article is condensed from the topical kit, "NEA Focus: Class Size--A Critical Factor in Quality Education." It cites research on the effects of class size on classroom environment, pupil attitudes, and teacher morale. It also discusses the politics of class size and the advantages of small classes. (SJL)