While there are hundreds of studies reported for general education, few researchers have focused on the impact of class size on the academic achievement of students with special needs. Despite escalating special education costs and increasing student needs, policies governing special education remain inconsistent. We examine the effect of class…

As school curricula undergo changes in both content and pedagogy, pressure is placed on teacher preparation programs and undergraduate mathematics departments to model learning environments in mathematics appropriate for education students. Yet the reality of many post-secondary mathematics courses includes traditional style classes containing a…

Former Baltimore cop and teacher Ed Burns isn't a masochist. The writer-producer for "The Wire," a critically applauded HBO series about life and death on the streets of Baltimore, is just feverishly trying to save public schools. He thinks American education is hopelessly screwed up, but that it's also the country's only hope. So it…

This report provides a summary of research on the effects of class size on pupil achievement and the classroom environment, and on teacher and public opinion concerning the importance of class size to quality education. Examples of the budgetary impact and policy implications involved with changing class size are provided. Although the research…

To solicit students' views on teaching and learning in large classes, surveys were distributed to 143 students enrolled in an upper division general education and major course in communication theory in the fall of 1993. The survey consisted of 17 questions, 10 of which were closed-ended questions concerning demographics. The remaining seven were…

Many argue that infusions of money have not helped to improve schools and that the American system of public education has failed. This paper describes the problems and puzzles posed by existing data and research on public school spending over time, with a focus on instructional spending. It compares 1990 current account spending to 1960 spending,…

A 4-year longitudinal experiment conducted in Tennessee examined class-size effects on student achievement in kindergarten through grade 3. The Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project included more than 7,000 students per year in 79 schools in 42 school systems. Class size categories were: small class (13-17 students), regular class…

Given the failure of previous research to find consistent effects of class size on students' achievement, this study examined whether teachers in British elementary schools changed their behavior in ways conducive to learning when they worked with classes significantly smaller than average. Seven pairs of elementary school teachers judged as…

A project conducted in Tennessee from 1984 through 1989, Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (Project STAR), serves as a context for a discussion of educational research. The decisions required in major research projects and the problems in carrying out research are seldom discussed in conferences that present research results as completed efforts.…

Between 1985 and 1989, the Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project studied the effect of class size on student achievement in Tennessee schools. The study examined: (1) small classes of 13 to 17 students per teacher; (2) regular classes of 22 to 25 students per teacher; and (3) regular classes with a teacher's aide. The sample included…

This document presents the formal response to the Chicago (Illinois) Board of Education's annual review of desegregation efforts for 1988-89, which addresses strategies to relieve overcrowding. The Commission found that the document is substantial and detailed in nearly all respects, overcrowded schools should stop permitting students who are…

This study investigated whether classroom quality is related to child progress in meeting developmental milestones. The study used the "Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs: Research Version," a developmental checklist administered by teachers in a Head Start program. Findings indicated that pre-assessment and child age…

This paper reviews the research on the effects of class size on educational quality in higher education, and discusses the characteristics of the students and kinds of course organization that facilitate effective large-class teaching. It notes that while early research found that class size mattered, newer studies have shown that factors other…

This paper reviews selected research of the past decade concerning the optimal size of elementary and secondary schools in the United States. By quoting from primary sources, it seeks to present the character, substance, and trend of the school size debate; to identify principal researchers and findings; and to serve as a resource document. Small…

A study of the cost of distance education institutes in India with different size classes involved nine institutions. The sample included 47 percent of total enrollment in distance education institutions in India. The study was restricted to recurring costs and examined the shares of different components of costs and the sources of funding. It…