This policy brief is one in a series which examines selected topics related to Wisconsin's educator workforce. The goal of this brief is to present a descriptive profile of Wisconsin's teacher labor force over the past 20 years in terms of key attributes such as overall numbers of teachers, what they teach, and where they teach, and selected…

Of all the rules that the U.S. Department of Education will have to formulate for the Every Student Succeeds Act, the proposed regulations to monitor that states and districts spend comparable amounts for schools eligible and not eligible to use Title I funds are attracting the most attention. Currently, districts can show comparability based on…

"Wisconsin Public Schools at a Glance" provides in a single page document statistical information on the following topics: (1) Schools & Districts (2018-19); (2) Staff (2016-17); (3) School Funding; (4) Students (2017-18); and (4) Attendance (2016-17). [For "Wisconsin Public Schools at a Glance" covering 2012-2015, see…

Although policymakers generally appreciate the value of crafting policies that are responsive to teacher and principal voice, doing so in a systematic way is challenging. Educator voices in the room when policies are made are often those of teachers and principals closest to policymakers. In 2019, to broaden the range of educator voices available…

Reform of public schooling has been at the forefront of the national debate over education for more than 25 years. One prominent reform initiative, school chartering, was selected for the study that examined whether a selected school district allocated comparable resources for charter and non-charter schools. The study used the Odden et al.…

The cost-effectiveness of class size reduction (CSR) was compared with the cost-effectiveness of rapid formative assessment, a promising alternative for raising student achievement. Drawing upon existing meta-analyses of the effects of student-teacher ratio, evaluations of CSR in Tennessee, California, and Wisconsin, and RAND cost estimates, CSR…

Class size is one of the most researched and heavily debated topics in American public education. Currently, at least 25 states have initiated class size reduction (CSR) programs. In the past twenty years, several major studies have been conducted which indicate that smaller class sizes produce an increase in student achievement as well as greater…

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).…

Evaluated Wisconsin's Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program of class-size reduction through a quasi-experimental, comparative-change design. Results for 1996-97 and 1997-98 are consistent with the positive effects shown for Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio program (STAR). (SLD)

Although class-size reductions cannot guarantee better student performance, the Tennessee and Wisconsin experiences, along with other studies, suggest that successful programs share key characteristics: concentration in the primary schooling years, classes with not more than 20 students, greater benefits for urban minority students, and alignment…

From a cost-benefit viewpoint, investing school revenues in small K-3 classes has great potential for improving productivity. Statewide class reduction initiatives in Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin have positively influenced student achievement, behavior, citizenship, and development. Districts cannot afford to ignore this mounting…

Most education research has confirmed that small classes yield benefits. Research also has revealed nuances about how and when small classes will work best, where an investment will result in maximum return, and exactly how many students a "small" class should have. The details of these findings can help policymakers strike a practical…

Facts about elementary and secondary education in Wisconsin are presented. Section A provides a cross reference that associates Wisconsin locations and schools with their public school districts. Section B contains tables of summary nonfiscal data composed of detailed information reported by school districts and private schools. Information is…

The Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program is a statewide effort in Wisconsin to increase the academic achievement of children living in poverty by reducing the student-teacher ratio in kindergarten through grade 3 to 15:1. This report is the second of five annual evaluation reports. During the 1997-1998 school year, the SAGE…

The Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program is a statewide effort in Wisconsin to increase the academic achievement of children living in poverty by eventually reducing the student-teacher ratio in kindergarten through grade 3 to 15:1. During 1995-1996, the Sage program was implemented in 30 schools in 21 school districts. Over…