Education Law

Increasing class size ? is it wise?

As states and educational systems respond to recession-driven funding challenges, Boardbuzz is hearing more and more about the difficult choices school districts have made for the upcoming academic year.  One trend may be toward increasing class size.  The Associated Press reports that “Like a seesaw on the school playground, falling state budgets are pushing class sizes higher.”  

Boardbuzz knows that increasing class size has many consequences for students.  The Center for Public Education published “Class Size and Student Achievement” which identified both short and long term benefits to small class sizes, especially for young children:

• Smaller classes in grades K-3 improve student achievement in reading and math.
• The benefits of small class size can accelerate achievement for minority students and narrow the achievement gap.
• The benefits of small classes in the primary grades are sustained in later grades.
• Teachers are better able to provide individual attention and differentiated instruction when there are fewer students in the class.

Boardbuzz thinks Old Mother Hubbard may be another analogy - will we have so many children in our classrooms that we won’t know what to do?How is your state or school district responding to the recession? 

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on July 27, 2009 (boomark / email).