Used Tennessee Project STAR data to examine the impact of the duration of participation in small classes on K-3 students' later school performance. Year in which students started and number of years they participated in small classes were important mediators of benefits gained. Starting early and continuing for at least 3 years were necessary to…

Four years of research in Tennessee involving more than 6,000 students each year demonstrate that smaller classes can provide substantial gains in student achievement, especially in the early grades. Lists 10 information sources about the effects of class size on student learning. (MLF)

Small classes in grades K-3 boost student academic performance in all subjects and in prosocial behavior. Results are both short- and long-term. One study explored the theory that a major cause behind improved academic achievement involves improved student behavior, which increases student engagement in the classroom. Two other studies provide…

In 1984, the North Gibson School Corporation (Princeton, Indiana) began a reduced class size program as part of the PRIME TIME project investigating the effects of smaller classes on pupils' academic achievement, self-concepts, and attitudes toward school. Results showed significant gains for both first- and second-graders. Includes two tables and…

SAGE is a five-year class-size-reduction program being implemented in 80 Wisconsin schools. A longitudinal, evaluative study is being conducted in 30 SAGE schools. Small classes have three effects leading to increased individualization: fewer discipline problems, greater knowledge of students, and more teacher enthusiasm (using directive methods).…

A primary purpose for reducing the student-teacher ratio in the early grades is to make students more successful in their later years. This document contains two separate, but interrelated reports that examined two aspects of the 1989 Class Size Reduction (CSR) Act in Nevada. The Act called for a reduction in student-teacher ratios for selected…

Describes several prominent early grades small-class-size projects and their effects on student achievement: Indiana's Project Prime Time, Tennessee's Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio), Wisconsin's SAGE (Student Achievement Guarantee in Education) Program, and the California class-size-reduction program. Lists several conclusions,…

This paper addresses three questions policymakers may have concerning the results of the Project STAR data. First, when reducing class size, is there a "turning point" at which class size reductions lead to increased gains in student achievement? Second, do small classes help low socioeconomic status "at risk" students more…

The effect of class size reduction on grades and retention was investigated. Class size for second and third graders in a rural school district was reduced from an average of 24 in second grade to an average of 20 students per class and an average of 25 in third grade to an average of 22 per class. The purpose was to investigate whether the…

Discusses Project STAR, a four-year study of class size reduction on student achievement in the early elementary grades. The paper reviews research on class size, puts Project STAR in context, describes its design and introduces several articles noting research implications for policy debate about class size. (SM)

Tennessee's Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio) randomly assigned 7,000 K-3 students to small classes (13-17 pupils), regular classes (22-26 pupils), and regular-with-aide classes. Small classes ameliorate large schools' effects, reduce grade retention and discipline problems, benefit minority students substantially, allow students…

This investigation addressed 3 questions about the long-term effects of early school experiences: (a) Is participation in small classes in the early grades (K-3) related to high school graduation? (b) Is academic achievement in K-3 related to high school graduation? (c) If class size is related to graduation, is the relationship explained by the…

Four initiatives to reduce class size are before the California State Legislature--SB 1414, AB 2449, the Governor's proposal, and AB 2821. Three of them were influenced by the findings reported by Tennessee's Project Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR). Project STAR is a longitudinal demonstration project that since 1985 has examined the…

Researchers on the Lasting Benefits Study (LBS) are tracking students who participated in Tennessee's K-3 Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project (1985-89) as they continue into later grades. Project STAR was a statewide experiment conducted to demonstrate the effects of reduced student/teacher ratios (15:1) on student achievement…

This paper compares the achievement of first and second grade students in reduced size classrooms with the achievement of previous groups taught in larger classrooms in a Mississippi community. It also examines a longitudinal class size effect through the analysis of student achievement for two years. The subjects involved in the study were 371…