Reducing class size is an important step in promoting effective learning, but reducing a class from 35 to 15 students alone will not produce the desired results if faculty do not alter their teaching styles. Students must be empowered through teaching techniques that utilize writing, recitation, reaction papers, case studies, peer group pressure,…

The management of course registration by Wirral Education Authority in England is discussed, along with the relationship of course size and student retention. After providing background information on the control of course size, standards set by Wirral are specified. Data on initial registrations and attendance levels as measured three or four…

While the desirability of small classes seems an article of faith among educators, a review of the research indicates that class size in itself has rarely shown a substantial effect on educational achievement. The research itself has been flawed by the impossibility of determining or measuring all the variables that changes in class size can…

ADMINISTRATORS ARE ADVISED TO BRING TOGETHER VOLUNTARY AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN WELFARE, HEALTH, HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT AS PARTICIPANTS IN DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM. AFTER ASSEMBLING ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON THE POVERTY PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD DEVELOP A SET OF PROPOSALS TO ATTACK THE CAUSES OF POVERTY, CHOOSE A SPECIFIC…

The Cluster program, funded under Title I of the 1965 Elementary Secondary Education Act, is designed to be a school within a school in which the students receive the benefits of small class size, psychological support, and curricular innovation. The program this year was expanded to include both ninth and tenth year students. The two clusters of…

The Cluster Program at Benjamin Franklin High School, funded under Title I of the 1965 Elementary Secondary Education Act, is designed to be a school within a school in which 249 ninth grade students attend classes in two separate clusters. Each cluster is formulated such that all students receive instruction from five teachers in classes whose…

This report documents the extraordinary crisis facing Florida's public schools and provides evidence that Amendment 9--a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce class sizes--is a cost-effective and invaluable first step to rebuilding its troubled public schools. The report also sets the record straight about the long-term benefits of investing…

This paper explains that 6 million U.S. middle and high school students are in serious danger of being left behind as the nation begins to implement the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act legislation. While great attention has been paid to increasing early childhood education opportunities and ensuring that every child can read by third grade, little…

"Smaller is better" is often the mantra of school leaders with regard to class size, while the benefits of smaller schools are ignored. Benefits of small classes seem obvious--teachers with fewer students could devote more time to each student. Conducted in 1985-89, Tennessee's Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) found that…

Like other parents who phoned her at work, a dedicated associate commissioner of education grew increasingly frustrated with a system that failed to challenge her children. She enrolled them in a private alternative school that stressed community and viewed education as a privilege demanding great student effort. (MLH)

Successful Ventura County schools know the best recipe for high achievement: fully credentialed, highly qualified, and motivated teachers; highly involved and well-educated parents; and adequate funding for smaller classes, professional development, and regular and alternative programs and facilities, topped off with excellent leadership. (MLH)

The effects of class size on academic achievement have been studied for decades. Although the results of small-scale, randomized experiments and large-scale, econometric studies point to positive effects of small classes, some scholars see the evidence as ambiguous. Recent analyses from a 4-year, large-scale, randomized experiment on the effects…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education": U.S. Could Net $45 Billion Annually if One Year's Worth…

There is a strong relationship between students' socioeconomic status and their levels of academic achievement. Although educators should be held accountable for improving the performance of all students, including those living in poverty, schools alone can't eliminate the negative factors associated with poverty that lead to a large achievement…

This analysis outlines the generally inconclusive nature of class size research. In the area of achievement as it relates to class size, the research is demonstrated to be especially inconclusive. In addition to analyzing the problems and weaknesses of class size research, this paper summarizes the effects of class size on the educational process…