Many studies have shown the benefits of smaller class sizes--including random experiments like the Student Teacher Achievement Ratio Project conducted in 79 elementary schools in Tennessee, which assigned children to either small or regular-size classes, as well as large-scale analyses of small and large classrooms that have occurred naturally.…

Defends positive results of small classes in Tennessee's Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project reported in his March 2002 "Kappan" article. (PKP)

Criticizes Jeremy Finn's March 2002 "Kappan" article, "Small Classes in American Schools: Research, Practice, and Politics," reporting positive results for small classes in Tennessee's Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project. (PKP)

The goal of No Child Left Behind appears admirable: by 2014 every child in the nation will test to proficiency in core math and literacy skills. However, as we investigate what schools need to reach these goals, we expose what teachers have long experienced one arduous day at a time: our school system is based on a 19th-century factory model that…

In the past, educators reduced class size to obtain significant increases in academic achievement. However, research comparing small and large classes found very little or no significant difference in students' academic achievement. Presently, the National Center for Education projects an increase in teaching jobs and a slight improvement in the…

Many local education authorities in the United Kingdom have adopted the approach of staffing schools (i.e., determining the number of teachers to be allocated to schools) according to their curriculum needs--curriculum based staffing (CBS). Examined are the methods being used to implement CBS and implications of the CBS system. (RM)

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…

Over the last 30 years there has been a massive expansion of the British higher education system. The removal of supply constraints on the provision of higher education, accompanied by a broadening of the constituency of higher education has allowed a larger pool of ability to benefit from schooling at tertiary level. (Author)

Research supports several factors related to student success. Darling-Hammond (2000) indicated that the quality of teachers, as measured by whether the teachers were fully certified and had a major in their teaching field, was related to student performance. Measures of teacher preparation and certification were the strongest predictors of student…

The report of the National Council of Teachers of English Task Force on Study of Class Size and Workload in Secondary English Instruction takes the position that class size should be studied by itself and also in conjunction with other variables. It also identifies subject matter and instructional design as types of variables combining with class…

The British government's budgeting for education and science in 1985 and 1986 seem at first sight to promise improved student teacher ratios, according to this article, but the conditions that must be met make such improvements highly unlikely. (PGD)

The National Association of Elementary School Principals has developed standards designed to help schools and school districts meet their obligations to parents of young children. Four of the group's recommendations are offered. (DG)

This testimonial presents evidence that reduced class size (CSR) has positive effects on student learning in grades K-3. Student achievement is improved in the areas of academics, behavior and discipline, citizenship and participation in and outside school, and development into competent and productive adults. The paper emphasizes that class size…

This document reviews the issue of class size reduction, analyzes the evidence from research on the relationship between class size and educational improvement, and cites findings supporting the view that the costs of class size reduction outweigh the benefits and that reducing class size to improve student achievement is inconsistent with the…

Based on the premise that the challenges of incorporating the necessarily high standards to be literate in today's world require future citizens and the educational community to reconsider the number of students assigned to teachers of English language arts, this National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) position paper outlines what students…