In 1984, the North Gibson School Corporation (Princeton, Indiana) began a reduced class size program as part of the PRIME TIME project investigating the effects of smaller classes on pupils' academic achievement, self-concepts, and attitudes toward school. Results showed significant gains for both first- and second-graders. Includes two tables and…

This paper uses an earnings function to model how class size affects the grade students earn. It tests the model using an ordinal logit with and without fixed effects on 363,023 undergraduate observations. It finds that class size negatively affects grades. Average grade point average declines as class size increases, precipitously up to class…

Competing explanations of class size reduction effects on student academic achievement were tested using student, teacher, and school data collected from nearly 700 classrooms in over 70 schools during the first 3 years of implementation of California's (K-3) Class Size Reduction Program. Five major hypotheses were tested: (1) overall impact of…

Landmark studies in the late 1970s and 1980s, including Tennessee's Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio), raised the nation's awareness that reduced class size does have a positive impact on students' academic achievement. This report provides a sketch of class-size reduction's history in a prefatory overview. Chapter 1 describes…

This report reviews research that compares large schools to small schools in such areas as academic performance, class size benefits, operational problems, and student social development. A list of small school benefits for students, families, teachers, and the institution is included. The research indicates that as more schools-within-schools…

Conclusive research has shown the benefits of small class size (1:15), especially for primary grades. Large-scale projects in Indiana and Tennessee and numerous smaller studies found that youngsters in small classes obtain higher test scores, participate more eagerly, demonstrate improved behavior, and retain these benefits in later schooling…

Distressed by their students' reading failure rate, teachers at two Georgia schools developed a parallel block-scheduling plan that allows for whole-class instruction, direct-instruction miniclasses, and enrichment labs for all students. Success depends on matching creative, resourceful teachers to the enrichment lab positions. Over the past two…

Using university cost data and student data from 176 members of university economics classes, this study finds that substantial monetary savings are realized by offering large classes, although their students have a 38% decreased probability of enrolling in future economics classes. Money savings may translate into enrollment losses. (SLD)

Serious interest in reducing class size often begins with a key question: What available evidence would support the higher implementation costs? This article discusses positive results of a longitudinal statewide study in Tennessee (Project STAR) and uses findings to specify four guidelines for practitioners and policy makers. Evaluation plans…

Summarizes research findings on a Tennessee experiment in small classes for primary grades--Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio)--and on similar projects in other states. Discusses effects on student achievement and classroom discipline, effects of small classes versus larger classes with teacher aide, costs, long-term impacts, and…

Storybook reading in child care classrooms typically occurs in one large group, a context that does not provide opportunities for each child to talk about the book. Two-year-old children, in particular, need individual support to facilitate their language participation, and they want to touch the book and be close to the teacher. The purpose of…

California was, and remains, the largest "experiment" in class-size reduction (CSR) in the country's history. Its sweeping program to reduce the state's classes in kindergarten through the third grade covered nearly 2 million students and dropped the average class size from almost twenty-nine students per class, and often a great many…

Professors often expect students to have the skills that are necessary to participate in discussions. Students, on the other hand, have been trained to glean information from the lecture format; their prior experiences in discussions are likely to be limited to personal opinions on topics such as stem-cell research or evolution. Sudden changes in…

Using rich longitudinal data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K), we find that children who attended preschool enter public schools with higher levels of academic skills than their peers who experienced other types of child care (effect size of 0.14). This study considers the circumstances under which the…

Mt Diablo High School began a six-phase dropout prevention program in 1986. It involves a summer transition program for freshmen, training for freshman teachers, ongoing follow up, reduction in class size, ninth grade performance review, and the creation of a ninth grade opportunity class for second semester freshmen students. (MD)