Compares the results of five major studies of the factors that are generally believed to influence students' achievement. The intent was to determine what knowledge does work in the process of learning. After evaluating eight factors that are supposed to determine learning, an examination of some of the causes for differing attitudes towards those…

Provides a critical and detailed evaluation of Jeannie Oakes book "Keeping Track." The thesis of the book is that educational inequities are caused by tracking. The author of this review does not agree with that thesis, pointing out that grouping of gifted students for instruction in advanced curriculum produces positive student gains.…

Interviews Bob Slavin, a research director at Johns Hopkins Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools. Explains Success for All, an early intervention strategy to ensure that students reach third grade with adequate skills. Critical of Madeline Hunter's mastery learning model, Slavin urges practitioners to demand research-based trials…

Some of the special challenges associated with evaluation and grading in the large class are discussed. Suggestions for evaluation methods include seeking clarity, reducing the stress of test administration, giving feedback, guarding against errors in record keeping, and returning exams efficiently and with respect. (MLW)

A microcomputer-based instruction delivery system for elementary schools is recommended as a way to reduce class size at little increased cost, to increase contact time with students, to reduce idle time, and to develop information on individual student progress and problems. (Author/MT)

Analysis of survey instruments completed by 447 special education teachers found no significant correlations between the amount of daily student load and any of six aspects of burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. (CL)

This report details the impact of Class Size Reduction (CSR) on six school districts in California. The schools were chosen because they were typical of the changing demographics that affect almost all the state's districts. Data were gathered from interviews with administrators and teachers in the Spring of 1997. Results show that some of the…

This document is a historical report of enrollment-related data spanning fall 1992 to fall 1996 for the University of Hawaii Community Colleges. The system consists of seven campuses: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kapilolani, Kauai, Leeward, Maui, and Windward. The report is presented in two parts, with data being presented in graphs and tables. The first…

The effect of class size reduction on grades and retention was investigated. Class size for second and third graders in a rural school district was reduced from an average of 24 in second grade to an average of 20 students per class and an average of 25 in third grade to an average of 22 per class. The purpose was to investigate whether the…

Using the international database of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), this study estimated the effect of class size on student performance in 18 countries, combining school fixed effects and instrumental variables to identify random class-size variation between 2 adjacent grades within individual schools. Conventional…

Class-size reduction (CSR) has been a complex and contentious issue for the last quarter century. Although the small-class concept was adopted because it appealed to common sense, research over time has revealed a mix of confounding variables, instead of a definitive conclusion. Some CSR efforts, such as Tennessee's Project STAR and Wisconsin's…

This policy brief examines the benefits and the challenges that accompany class-size reduction (CSR). It suggests that when designing CSR programs, states should carefully assess specific circumstances in their schools as they adopt or modify CSR efforts to avoid the unintended consequences that some programs have experienced. Some of the…

This issue brief provides an update on state regulations on caseload/class size in special education. The regulations from 27 states were reviewed and characteristics of state regulations are explained. Findings indicate that no two states have the same regulations on class size/caseload for special education. The size of the regulation varies…

This book contains a collection of essays involving new research on class-size reduction. Six chapters include: (1) "Reducing Class Size in Public Schools: Cost-Benefit Issues and Implications" (John F. Witte); (2) "Making Policy Choices: Is Class-Size Reduction the Best Alternative?" (Doug Harris and David N. Plank); (3) "Smaller Classes, Lower…

This report by the U.S. Department of Education highlights the benefits of the Class-Size Reduction program that was passed by Congress in 1998. Prior to this federal program, more than 85 percent of students were in classes with over 18 children. However, 1 year after its inception, the program enabled 1.7 million young children to learn in…