Develops a political economy framework for mapping and interpreting the competing purposes of schooling by examining five paradoxes in national policy debates addressing class size in public elementary schools. The framework highlights answers to the question: What kind of an economic good is education? (education as a service industry, producer…

Statistical evidence showed that university faculty with relatively few students tend to assign higher grades than would be expected otherwise. The significance of this association must be taken into consideration when evaluating student achievement and faculty performance. (Author/RM)