Describes two plans that use pupil weighting as part of a program to give teachers relief from oversized classes. (IRT)

Discusses increasing class size due to increased pressure on school budgets. Reviews class size in other countries. Presents the disadvantages of crowded and small classes and the difficulties of supervision in large science classes. (ASK)

Research indicates that it is strategic to have the smaller class sizes in the primary grades. Students who had smaller classes in the K-3 continuum continue to have better achievement than those students in regular size classes. (MLF)

Exchange panel of 100 was surveyed on impact of day care center size. Comments of 20 members are reported here. A total of 53 percent of the panel indicated that center size has a significant impact on the quality of care children receive. A list of the nation's largest child care facilities as of January 1, 1990, is included. (DR)

Analyzes pupil-specific public school data from the 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study. Applies instrumental-variable econometric methods to account for nonrandom allocation of students to different class sizes and the endogenous class-size variable. Improved data and statistical techniques indicate returns to investing in smaller classes…

Responses from 379 of 944 students in introductory management courses included 312 in large (150 and over) and 72 in small (more than 39) classes. Large classes negatively affected teacher behavior and student performance. Past performance did not influence student motivation. Affective response to large classes influenced student satisfaction.…

Offers tips on how to improve instructional techniques for classes with greater than 200 students. (ZWH)

Clearly, class-size reduction has become a public-relations issue that educational leaders can use as an opportunity to communicate and gain support for all school reforms. Implications for principals include keeping the school community informed, involving teachers, knowing relevant research, and using creative class-size reduction methods.…

Shares some surprising results from a business communication program's recent experiment in using a large lecture format to teach an upper-division business communication course: approximately 90-95% of the students liked the large lecture format, and the quality of their communication deliverables was as good as that produced by students who took…

The Federal government will spend $1.2 billion in 1999-2000 on the Clinton administration's Class Size Reduction Initiative. Research on K-3 class-size reduction experiments (such as Tennessee's Project STAR) show positive achievement gains, particularly for minority and inner-city students. However, better teaching and learning must be a program…

A common criticism of merit-pay plans is that they fail to systematically target rewards to the most effective teachers. This study presents new evidence on this issue by evaluating data from Tennessee's Career Ladder Evaluation System and the Project STAR class-size experiment. Because the students and teachers participating in the experiment…

When California set out nearly 10 years ago to reduce class sizes in the early grades, educators nationwide looked West with awe and envy at the ambitious move to ease the task of teaching millions of the state's youngest students. In this article, the author examines the effects of California's class-size reduction program. State Superintendent…

This paper addresses four questions: What are the effects of reducing class size? How important are these effects? How can we explain these effects? and How can we improve the outcomes when class sizes are reduced? A major aim is to provide directions for resolving the paradox as to "Why reducing class size has not led to major improvements in…

Much of the economic education literature suggests that the principles of economics class size does not significantly affect student performance. However, study methods have varied in terms of the aggregation level (student or class), the measure of performance (TUCE or course letter grade), and the class size measure (e.g., students who completed…

Develops a political economy framework for mapping and interpreting the competing purposes of schooling by examining five paradoxes in national policy debates addressing class size in public elementary schools. The framework highlights answers to the question: What kind of an economic good is education? (education as a service industry, producer…