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14 - Small Classes in the Early Grades: One Policy, Multiple Outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Jeremy D. Finn ,
Allison E. Suriani  and
Charles M. Achilles
Edited by
Arthur J. Reynolds ,
Arthur J. Rolnick ,
Michelle M. Englund  and
Judy A. Temple
Arthur J. Reynolds
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Arthur J. Rolnick
Affiliation:
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Michelle M. Englund
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Judy A. Temple
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
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Summary

The idea that small classes are desirable for instruction is not new; indeed, it dates back at least to biblical times (Angrist & Lavy, 1996). In the 20th and 21st centuries, small classes, a distinguishing feature of American private schools and a fundamental component of all remedial programs, have been posited as a way to bolster student achievement in public schools generally.

Tennessee's Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio) is not a “program” in the traditional sense. It was a large-scale experiment to test the effectiveness of this basic principle of school organization – that is, arranging classes in the early grades so they have a relatively small number of students in a classroom with a full-time teacher.

Because of the reported effectiveness of small classes in STAR, the experiment has been followed by class size reduction (CSR) initiatives across the country. According to one recent survey, 33 states had statewide CSR programs for the early grades, of which 13 were mandatory (McCabe, 2006). The number of districts with their own CSR programs is undocumented but probably quite large. President Clinton introduced a nationwide CSR program in 1998, which was discontinued by the Bush administration.

STAR has also been followed by additional research on small classes, by several analyses of CSR costs and benefits, and by some arguments that the research on CSR or the conclusions drawn from the research is faulty. This chapter summarizes these developments.

Type
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Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life
A Human Capital Integration
 , pp. 287 - 308
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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