A three-hour block of uninterrupted time each morning for the teaching of core subjects has allowed this elementary school to reduce class size, increase the time teachers spend with individual students, increase time on task, increase parent and teacher expectations of students, and improve student/teacher relationships. (DCS)

How one professor successfully handled a class of 100 students at Arizona State University is described. The large lecture group was broken down into random groups of eight or ten students who kept the instructor informed of their learning progress by submitting reports in the form of reading reports, diaries, observations, behavior experiments,…

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 report describes the current state of U.S. physical education (PE) to help determine the mandate and availability of PE programs by state; PE teacher qualifications; curricular standards; class size; and accountability for student achievement. Information comes from surveys of PE directors/consultants in all 50 states and the District of…

The California Legislature and Governor created the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program as part of the 1996-97 Budget Act. The goal of the program is to increase student achievement by reducing average class sizes from 28.6 students to no more than 20 students in up to 3 grades. The 1997-98 governor's budget proposes expansion of the CSR program to…

Confusion over the concepts of class size and pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) creates a conundrum for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. An examination of how these two concepts are different is presented in this paper. A review of the literature suggests that class-size reduction makes a positive overall difference in student achievement,…

This paper examines the costs of rural schooling in South Australia from the internal allocations of resources in four country and four metropolitan schools. Case studies considered only secondary education and the differences between how metropolitan and country schools allocate resources to students; subjects; and activities such as…

These papers examine research on the impact of class size on student achievement. After an "Introduction," (Richard Rothstein), Part 1, "Understanding the Magnitude and Effect of Class Size on Student Achievement" (Alan B. Krueger), presents a reanalysis of Hanushek's 1997 literature review, criticizing Hanushek's vote-counting…

Prime Time is a funding mechanism that allows Indiana school corporations to hire instructional assistants for K-3 classrooms with large enrollments. The goal is the establishment of a favorable student-teacher ratio. In the first evaluation of this program, researchers conducted a stratified random cluster survey of 680 K-3 teachers from across…

This paper outlines ways other than drills that students can practice reading methods. Flash cards, software programs, essay projects, and synonym hunts are examples of enjoyable ways for students to practice. In a more formal method of introducing words, a teacher writes words on the board and discusses them before assigning a story with the new…

Researchers have long investigated whether smaller classes improve student achievement. Their conclusions suggest that class size reduction (CSR) can result in greater in-depth coverage of subject matter by teachers, enhanced learning and stronger engagement by students, more personalized teacher-student relationships, and safer schools with fewer…

An evaluation was conducted of the implementation of the Federal Class Size Reduction (FCSR) Program in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), California. The evaluation included assessment of the extent to which eighth grade language arts and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes have been reduced to a 20:1 student-teacher ratio…

This report examines how class size and course motivation are related to evaluation results, its purpose being to provide a comparison of rating differences on the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES). ICES offers faculty a computer-based catalog of over 1,000 survey items. The article is based on a study that sought to extend the ICES…

The practice of reforming failing schools through school reconstitution is one of the latest challenges for school system directors of evaluation and accountability. Failing schools are typically identified in terms of student test performance. However, evaluating the impact of reconstitution in terms of test score gains may not be an appropriate…

The report details the results of an annual survey conducted to determine the reasons that students at Kansas' Johnson County Community College (JCCC) drop classes. The overall JCCC attrition rate for classes starting on or before the 20th day of the fall 1999 semester was 12%. During the fall semester, students dropped 4,846 classes. The Science,…