Teaching the large introductory science course is a challenge, but when the objective is seen not as covering the field but uncovering part of it to illustrate principles common to the whole, the facts are no longer the end result but tools with which the disciplines can be further explored. (Author/MSE)

A study concerned with attitudes and achievement in a speech communication course is reported. Of three methods of instruction, the small class-individual instructor technique prompted more favorable student attitudes than did the 40- or 80-student lecture treatments. (Editor/LBH)

This paper asserts that California's system of education funding is rife with waste. A state commission found that the system was "convoluted--driving up administrative costs, diverting attention from educational concerns, and depriving the public of readily accessible, comparative information." The paper suggests that the California…

This report examines trends in enrollment, degrees awarded, and other selected data from Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) accountability reports published between 1996 and 2001. Were data were available, comparisons were made for Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the State University System of Florida (SUS). Information…

Although great interest surrounds class size as a policy instrument, inferences on its effects are controversial. Recent work highlights a particular way to consider the endogeneity issues that affect this variable: class size is often correlated with enrollment, which in turn may be related to socioeconomic status (SES). This paper shows why such…

This booklet recommends cooperatively re-examining U.S. public education and recognizing that though there are disagreements in the ongoing education debate, everyone's goals are the same (to provide all children with a quality education and to prepare them for participation in public life). After noting that schools are not living up to American…

A short overview of an experimental evaluation of lower teacher-pupil ratios is presented in this report. The research under review is the Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project. This longitudinal project was conducted in Tennessee and was designed to prove to state legislators the efficacy of smaller class sizes. For STAR, evaluation…

In 1989, the Nevada Legislature enacted the Class-Size Reduction (CSR) Act. The measure was designed to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in the public schools, particularly in the earliest grades. The program was scheduled to proceed in several phases. The first step reduced the student-teacher ratio in selected kindergartens and first grade classes…

This report focuses on three crucial questions about resources in California's K-12 schools: how resources (i.e., class size, curriculum, and teachers' education, credentials, and experiences) vary among schools; whether schools serving relatively disadvantaged populations tend to receive fewer resources; and whether existing inequalities in…

This report is designed to help Pennsylvania policymakers compare two current school reform ideas that are intended to improve student achievement: private school vouchers and class size reduction. It begins with a brief history of educational vouchers, then reviews the achievement effects of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Cleveland, Ohio,…

This study evaluated the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program in 34 elementary schools in Kentucky's Jefferson County Public Schools. The CSR program is a federal initiative to help elementary schools improve student learning by hiring additional teachers. Qualitative data were collected using unstructured interviews, site observations, and document…

The Educational Priorities Panel carried out a study of the first year of the class size reduction program for grades K-3 in the New York City public schools by visiting five schools throughout the city and interviewing the principal and at least two teachers involved in implementing the program at each school. In all, 17 interviews were…

Educational research has provided evidence about the effectiveness of small classes. Overall, research suggests that teachers in small classes find more time for individualized instruction, and that they find more opportunities for enrichment and curriculum changes. Most of the changes seem to have occurred because easing the constraints of a…

With regard to administration, three types of schools for mentally defective children are represented in this report: State institutions, private institutions, and city day schools. This bulletin covers the following topics: (1) Types of schools represented; (2) Number of schools reporting; (3) Instructors; (4) Assistants; (5) Enrollment in…

The need to explore the extent to which student evaluation of teachers is subject to instructor manipulation is suggested. Comment is made concerning possible impact on teacher ratings of sections sizes, scheduling of classes during odd hours, the type of material taught, and whether or not the course is required. (SM)