The existing knowledge of the school environment is reviewed in this book, with a focus on its impact on educational effectiveness and student achievement. Chapter 1 examines how the composition of educational groups affect learning; chapter 2 focuses on the learning climate and cultures--the norms and values that characterize learning…

These recommendations concerning the integration of students with and without disabilities in public schools begin with an operational definition of integration and a list of general parameters guiding successful integration. Recommendations are then offered in several areas, including: (1) training, which should be systematic, comprehensive,…

An attempt was made at Mountain Empire Community College to develop and implement an impartial and equitable method of faculty evaluation. As part of this process, an instrument was developed to provide both a quantitative and qualitative student rating of faculty. The instrument contains 10 questions covering the syllabus/course outline,…

In 1986, the Tennessee legislature authorized the Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project. At the end of the school year, interviews were held with teachers from kindergarten through third-grade levels on their perceptions of teaching either in a small class, in a regular class with a full-time aide, or in a regular class. The following…

Data from teacher education programs in 77 public universities are analyzed in terms of the relationshp between their resources (e.g., faculty, secretaries, administrators, graduate assistants, operating and capital outlay funds) and their productivity. The data is broken down by academic year, summer sesssion, and 12-month appointments. Data also…

This study examined three questions: (1) Are district-wide reductions in teacher-pupil ratios related to gains in reading and mathematics achievement for students in grades 4, 8, and 11? (2) Are district-wide reductions in teacher-pupil ratios related to decreases in the percentage of students who leave school between grades 8 and 12 without…

Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk," curriculum leaders have been under increased pressure to make more prudent, informed decisions about allocating district resources that will directly or indirectly lead to increased student achievement. The decision-making process should include a thorough investigation of the best and most…

New York City has implemented all-day kindergarten programs, reduced the size of primary grade classes, and proposed that the public schools provide pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds by 1989. In the process of program implementation, much has been learned about large-scale efforts aimed at young children. It is known that simply realigning…

After a brief introduction identifying current issues and trends in research on class size, this brochure reviews five recent studies bearing on the relationship of class size to educational effectiveness. Part 1 is a review of two interrelated and highly controversial "meta-analyses" or statistical integrations of research findings on…

This project report describes major features of the 2-year Student-Teacher Ratio Project, including objectives, personnel, activities, findings, and resulting products. The project's purpose was to conduct an analysis of the efficacy of current practices in student-teacher ratios for providing special education services to mildly handicapped…

The inadequate financing of public school facilities under the maximum class size requirements in Texas public education raises issues of quality and equity. In six chapters, this thesis attempts to examine the costs of facilities needs and to evaluate the options available to state and to local school districts. Chapter 1 states the problem and…

In an effort to determine if achievement gains of low-achieving Chapter 1 students could be bettered, the Austin Independent School District implemented Chapter 1 Schoolwide Projects (SWP) in two schools to reduce class size to 15 pupils per teacher. SWP teachers functioned as regular classroom teachers with students of mixed achievement. Chapter…

This research brief reviews selected 1986 publications concerning the effects of class size on student achievement, attitudes, and behavior. The following points are made: (1) smaller classes in the lower grades have a positive effect on student learning attitudes and behavior; (2) minority, disadvantaged, and low-achieving students perform better…

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…

The term distance education is commonly used to describe courses in which nearly all the interaction between the teacher and student takes place electronically. Electronic communication may take the form of audio, video, e-mail, chat, teleconferencing, and, increasingly, the Internet. Distance education courses range from short term training…