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…

Describes Project STAR, the Tennessee class-size study, from the research design through study findings. Data collection for STAR students will continue through 1999, but early findings suggest that small class size in the early years of school continues to have beneficial impacts through the high school years. (SLD)

Low achievement and high dropout rates among poor and minority students continue to plague U.S. society. While much attention over the past quarter century has focused on reforming the schools these students attend, little or no progress has been made in actually closing the achievement gaps or reducing the number of dropouts. Why? Aren't…

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…