During summer vacation, many students lose knowledge and skills. By the end of summer, students perform, on average, one month behind where they left off in the spring. Participation in summer learning programs should mitigate learning loss and could even produce achievement gains. Indeed, educators and policymakers increasingly promote summer…

Recent research suggests that small (1:15) classes in the primary grades improve a student's chance to obtain a solid educational foundation. Funding has proved a major hurdle to definitive class size research. Also, many class size studies are inconclusive, since few are longitudinal. Tennessee is weighing its burgeoning welfare and correctional…