Increasing class size is one of the key variables that policy makers can use to control spending on education. But the consensus among many education researchers is that smaller classes are effective in improving student achievement. This view has led to a policy of class size reductions in a number of US states, the UK, and the Netherlands. This…

This article examines the impact of class size on literacy skills and on literacy interest in beginning readers from zones with specific educational needs in France. The data came from an experiment involving first graders in which teachers and pupils were randomly assigned to the different class types (small classes of 10-12 pupils vs. regular…