Research on Class Size

• Gene Glass and Mary Lee Smith (1978)

meta-analysis of class size research:

 – Reduced class size can produce increased

academic achievement

STAR Project

• • Helen Pate-Bain

• • Lamar Alexander (governor)

• • Tennessee Board of Education and a consortium of universities in Tennessee

• • Studied the effects of small class size on primary grades students’ academic achievement

How might smaller class sizes contribute to academic achievement ?

• • Better contact with parents.• • Closer and more personal contacts with

students.• • Greater flexibility in choice of

instructional approaches.• • Better classroom management and

discipline.• • Other reasons?

Nye, Hedges, and Konstantopoulos (2001):

• • effects of class size on the academic achievement of disadvantaged students in the STAR study

• • minority and non-minority economically disadvantaged students

• • math and reading achievement• • benefit to minority students in reading; no

benefit to disadvantaged students overall

Problems with STAR Project

• • Lack of full randomization

• • Attrition

• • Cross-over effects

•  

• • Factors within and outside classrooms and schools

Other class size studies:

• •      Indiana: PRIME

• •      Wisconsin: SAGE

• •      California

• •      Other states

• •      ETS

• •      US Department of Education

Class size research(U.S. Dept. of Ed., 1998)

• Smaller class sizes increase student achievement

• In TN study, students continued to outperform peers after returning to regular size classes in Grade 4

Class size research

• Smaller classes increase instruction time, reduce discipline problems

• Effect size larger when small classes combined with change in instructional methods and classroom procedures

Class size research

• Smaller classes have greatest impact in the early grades

• A national study of 4th and 8th grades found greatest impact of small class size on students in urban schools

Class size research

• Achievement effects increase when students are in class 100+ hours and when assignments carefully controlled

• Professional development needed so teachers take advantage of smaller class sizes