Summarizes research findings on a Tennessee experiment in small classes for primary grades--Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio)--and on similar projects in other states. Discusses effects on student achievement and classroom discipline, effects of small classes versus larger classes with teacher aide, costs, long-term impacts, and…

Class size in elementary grades has taken on added importance recently. Research on the topic is finally getting some attention. Legislative and administrative actions to reduce deficits are pushing for larger class sizes, in addition to eliminating nonessential curricular activities, such as music, drama, and art. In Florida, various institutions…

Analyzed data from a five-year followup of students in Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project, a four-year large-scale randomized examination of the effects of class size on academic achievement. Results suggest that class-size benefits persist for at least five years and remain large enough to be important to educational…

Reviews Tennessee's Project Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) and puts the results in the context of other nonexperimental evidence about class size. Nonexperimental evidence does not support any achievement gains attributable to class-size reduction, and empirical evidence from STAR has design and implementation flaws that cast doubt on…

This study evaluated the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program in 34 elementary schools in Kentucky's Jefferson County Public Schools. The CSR program is a federal initiative to help elementary schools improve student learning by hiring additional teachers. Qualitative data were collected using unstructured interviews, site observations, and document…

Examines the origins of Tennessee's Project Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) and explores what it was about Tennessee in the mid-1980s that fostered the development of this experimental approach to class size. Highlights the connection between the research world and the political world that resulted in the STAR project. (SLD)

Reviews research into class size effects from a methodological viewpoint, concentrating on various strengths and weaknesses of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies. Discusses population definitions, causation, and generally sets out criteria for valid inferences from such studies. Illustrates with new findings from data in…

Educational research, unfortunately, often focuses on finding statistical differences between overall means or averages. Media reports of research routinely present those differences and little else. This paper discusses the importance of considering the spread of the data in addition to the center and how this is relevant to research focused on…

Reports that the debate over class size in schools has become more heated in recent years. Examines recent research and attempts to answer three questions regarding class size and academic achievement. Concludes that there is a link between the 2, but only in the early years and only with classes smaller than 20 students. (CFR)