Smaller class sizes in California were viewed as a way to improve K-3 education, especially in the area of literacy. The urgency to act prompted state leaders to adopt class-size reduction (CSR) without knowing for sure that it would work and without establishing a formal procedure for evaluating the program. This report looks at past research on…

A study assessed whether means for student evaluations of instruction tended to be lower in research methods classes than in other communication classes. Questionnaires were sent to 126 communication departments listed in the 1993 Speech Communication Association Directory and which were thought likely to require undergraduate research methods…

Selected findings are presented from a survey designed to measure the needs, plans, and perceptions of teachers (N=1,000) in U.S. public schools. Faced with the responsibility for managing their school's budget with limited resources, most teachers would take several other actions before increasing class size or reducing their future salary…

The contingency approach applied to the selection of training methods (based upon five independent variables: cost, training objectives, time, class size, and learning principles) holds considerable promise for adding objectivity to training decisions and assuring the choice of appropriate training techniques. (Author/BP)

This booklet provides a statement of the position of two collaborating associations on education appropriate for kindergarten children. Contents focus on: (1) aspects of children's growth and physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development; (2) ways in which young children learn; and (3) curriculum, including language arts, reading,…

Four studies were conducted to ascertain the long term effects of reducing class size in primary grades. Study One compared the effect of class size reduction on one school system when all students' scores were compared. Study Two was a repeated measures cohort study in which the scores of 193 students who had attended reduced size classes in the…

This study evaluates the impact of the basic core course offerings, as mandated by the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education. In 1981, the Board adopted 19 basic core courses, identifying specific courses in the schools' curriculum that must be offered to all high school students and setting the enrollment guide for the courses. The…

Recent research suggests that small (1:15) classes in the primary grades improve a student's chance to obtain a solid educational foundation. Funding has proved a major hurdle to definitive class size research. Also, many class size studies are inconclusive, since few are longitudinal. Tennessee is weighing its burgeoning welfare and correctional…

Using data on mean achievement of third and sixth graders in individual California schools, coupled with salary data for those students' teachers, this study tested whether teacher salary variables are associated with student achievement, when socioeconomic characteristics are controlled. Differences among schools in the amount of teachers' pay…

Previous research on class size has serious limitations because factors such as the abilities of pupils or the experience and teaching style of teachers were not controlled, and because of inconsistent criteria for large and small classes and for criteria of success. A major two-year study was mounted with four class sizes, random assignment of…

Reports research evaluating validity of the so-called class-size effect on student ratings of college courses and instructors. The data from 981 volunteered undergraduate courses includes mean scores on five dimensions of teaching performance and one overall rating of student learning. (JT)

A study was conducted over four semesters, spring 1976 through fall 1977, at the State University Colleges at Oswego and Cortland, two arts and sciences colleges of the State University of New York. It investigated the relationship of selected demographic variables of college teachers, selected environmental factors, and grades given by faculty…

Registration data for students enrolled in regular credit classes at six Hawaii community colleges during Fall 1980 were examined to measure instructor workload in terms of class size, average semester hours taught, and the average hours in contact with students. Major findings reveal that, during Fall 1980, 19,359 students were enrolled in 2,837…

Data describing campus facility use for instructional and related purposes for one week of activity in Fall 1978 were collected and evaluated at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Four measures of space utilization were used: (1) percent of available time used; (2) percent of available space used; (3) percent of scheduled space utilized; and (4)…