Class Size Reduction Law

Overcrowded schools are one of the many reasons why America is falling backwards. With high birth rates and continuous immigration flow the classroom has become overcrowded. The best way a student can learn is if the attention is not so divided. With large classrooms having over 30 students, it makes it almost impossible for a teacher to attend to each student equally. “Slavin (1989) reviewed those studies that lasted a minimum of 1 year and had 20 students or fewer. He concluded that substantial reductions in class size have a small positive effect on students” (Synopsis of Class Size Literature). Classrooms should be small enough for a teacher to perform well without divided attention. In smaller classrooms, students are recognized for their contribution and participation. Students can respect the work of their peers individually and learn from them and help maintain order. They have more time to be collaborative, work creatively, think critically and draw their own predictions. In “Every Classroom Teacher’s Dream”, Patricia Handley states that “Teachers have more opportunity for personalized assessment with students, such as individual conferencing. With a small class, teacher can maximize best teaching practices, heightening students’ academic achievement” (6). There is ample evidence on how a small classroom can improve so much.

Smaller class sizes are a pivotal reason as to why parents should send their children to private school. Private schools have smaller class sizes, which allow for more individualized instruction on various subject matters, and they improve student-teacher relationships. For instance, “Small classes allow teachers to give students more individual attention and lighten the teacher’s workload, and therefore are generally considered desirable” (Choy 14). Subsequently, by having a smaller class size, a student

hesis Statement: Research suggest that smaller class sizes are better because as the class size is reduced academic achievement increased, the academic achievement gap decreases, students receive higher wages later in life, and students receive more one-on-one time with the teacher. ____________________________________________________________________________ Naomi Dillon. Class size and student achievement: Research review. Center for Public Education.                         http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Organizing-a-school/Class-size-and-student-achievement-At-a-glance/Class-size-and-student-achievement-Research-review.html     This article found 19 different studies to determine the outcome of reducing class sizes.

According to Malcolm Gladwell chapter two of “David and Goliaths” economist Caroline Hoxby found that there was not any significant data indicating smaller classroom sizes had a greater effect on a child’s academic achievement. However; Diana Whitmore Schanzenbach from National Education Policy Center (NEPC), Northwestern University has contradicted Gladwell’s assertion that smaller classroom sizes were not an academic advantage. Schanzenbach review research done by Tennessee’s Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) and found many flaws that had been considered in Hoxby research that conflicted with much of the research that has already been concluded. There has been a considerable amount of research and much of it has concluded with: the children who were placed in a classroom with less students from kindergarten to third grade, scored higher during academic testing, and were more likely to continue to achieve higher grades throughout their school years. Because education is an important stepping stone for children, it is crucial their educational needs are exceeded while they are young and still able to grasp.

Because the student to teacher ratio has increased so severely, teachers have been forced to change their teaching styles and a large number of parents are angered about their student’s “loss of quality to education” (The pros and cons of education budget cuts: An investigative study). The article, “School Budget Cuts: How Students Say Slashes Are Affecting Them,” reveals the results of a survey conducted by the teen newspaper, L.A. Youth, asking more than 1,850 students about experiences they have had in the classroom in the past two years. The survey reports that 57 percent of students had to copy information from an overhead because there wasn’t enough paper to make copies of a lesson for everyone. Not enough computers were available to 52 percent of the students, 51 percent had to share textbooks, and 37 percent of the students surveyed reported that they did not have a desk to sit at. This is only 1,850

Due to financial issues, any districts hardest hit had no choice but to move around resources to make up the difference in their actual spending and funds provided by the state due to the Class Size Reduction (CSRe) experiment in California. While accountability was not intended to so strongly influence what

With I-1351 there will be a drastic reduction in classroom sizes. The approved I-1351 would amend the previously mentioned RCW 28A.151.260. The sizes of classrooms would now be as follows: Grades K-3 17.0, Grade 4 25.0, Grades 5-6 25.0, Grades 7-8 25.0, and Grades 9-12 25.0. Perspective teachers in the State of Washington should be thrilled to know that there is such an emphasis on improved student to teacher ratios. The reduction in the ratio of students per teacher gives professional educators the greatest opportunity to successfully do their jobs. With smaller classroom sizes professional educators are able to provide a more individualized learning environment. Professionals in the education fields know that a classroom of 25 students

Class size is a very popular topic that is greatly research through out educational settings. Class size deals with how many students are in the classroom at once. Class size can vary greatly. It can depended on the location of the school, where the more rural areas have only one high school while in a city environment there could be twenty-three high schools in one area. Location also depends on the amount of population in that area. Class size also can depend on the level of schooling. Such as in a major university there could be two hundred students in one class, while in a local elementary school there is only eighteen students in one class. Class size can depend on what kind of class is being taught. In

The evidence suggests that increasing class size will not only harm children’s test scores in the short-run, but also in their long-run human capital formation. Money is saved from increasing class size will be more substantial social and educational costs in the future. In addition to high costs, reducing class size have unintended consequences. When California lowered class sizes in 1996, they realized that they did not have enough teachers to meet the challenge. Schools were forced to hire new teachers and add portable classmates to accommodate the state

A small class is consider to be twenty students or less. In smaller schools there are not as many students so the teachers will be able to help the students more one on one. Students can have a better idea of the content that they are learning and even if they don’t understand then the could talk to the teacher to have a better understanding. In a recent study, students and teachers were randomly assigned to a small class, with an average of 15 students, or a regular class, with an average of 22 students. This large reduction in class size (7 students, or 32 percent) was found to increase student achievement by an amount equivalent to about 3 additional months of schooling four years later. Also, increasing the pupil/teacher ratio in the U.S. by one student would save at least $12 billion per year in teacher salary costs alone, which is roughly

It is pretty apparent that in America, and elsewhere, most parents and general adults want what is best for their children in terms of education. This mindset can be seen reflected in the legislative aspects of our education system; there are many incentives pushing through the school boards and legislatures of our nation in order to attempt to further refine the education system. This is important as it allows us to refine traditional American education in order to improve upon it, and one of these attempt refinements and improvements has to deal with the subject of class size. For many people, large classroom sizes are a spawning ground for many issues with the education system: high distraction in the classroom, teacher inefficiency, among a plethora of others. Although it may seem regressive to favor small classes over bigger, more potentially diverse classes, small class sizes are more beneficial for education in that it is less distracting for the students and raises the possibility of staying focused, it potentially raises teacher-student relationships, and it allows for better results and better statistics coming from these smaller classes.

teachers over the next seven years to help reduce class sizes to reach the national

Abstract: Any small class size that provides additional one-on-one time with teachers, increased enjoyment when learning, and facilitate students’ experiences is the best classroom dimensions to improve the students learning experiences regardless of expense. However, Grubb would say that because of cutbacks, class size reductions have been recommended as a way to boost student accomplishment and close achievement gaps. Does the benefit of smaller class sizes for students’ learning experiences outweigh the potential costs?

Kindergarten teachers always earn my greatest respect. In California, the class size has increased to 22 students for kindergarten to third grade. One teacher versus 22 students, coming from different background and educational level, really is a big challenge for another to take. Given that some students have gone through preschool and some who have never had any group experience prior to entering kindergarten, that creates a gigantic tap among the kids in one class. The first couple months into the school year, teachers would spend the majority of time establishing structure, routine, and disciplines. Without these being taken place in the beginning of the year, teaching is almost an impossible task to accomplish. The class size needs to be limited to maximize the discipline and the learning, or another option is to have a teacher’s aid in the class to assist the lead teacher. Reduction of class size benefits both the teachers and the students. With a small size, teachers can better control their classrooms, and thus, able to allocate

Many parents feel their children are not being challenged enough in public schools. Some of these children are doing well but clearly could do more, could be stretched intellectually. From their parents' point of view, they spend far too much time watching television, wandering around the mall, or playing games on their computers. Many parents are consequently drawn to private schools because of the academic rigor that comes with smaller classes, more personal attention, and teachers who nurture and promote each child's talents. There is no question that private schools offer smaller classes than most public schools in the country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1998-99 the median student-teacher ratio in NAIS schools was 9 to 1 while that in public schools was 17 to 1. Smaller classes make it difficult for a student to hide or slide. In a room with only 14 other students, it is difficult to remain uninvolved or consistently unprepared. Teachers can get to know 15 students much better and faster than 30. Smaller classes promote more faculty member-student interaction, and most kids