Terance Scott
2/7/17
Mrs. Zdenek
Pd 3
Argumentative Essay
Does Class Size Matter? School a fascinating place where kids that go there have a opportunity to be provided with a good education. When the kids go to school they're in a classroom with different amounts of students. But have you ever thought about how the class can affect the learning of a student? While placed in a big classroom can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. According to the text, Does Class Size Matter? Teachers, parents of students, and the principal of New York’s Forest Hills High School, believes that big classrooms
Researchers studies on the class size have differed. Some have found no significant impact; others have discovered that student achievement declines slightly as class size increases. More recently, others have found that students in a smaller class learn more because of the size and one-on-one time. Medium classes have
School is a place where individuals grow, develop, and explore their future interests. This necessitates that the classroom is an environment where students feel supported, respected, and competent. I
According to Malcolm Gladwell chapter two, economist Caroline Hoxby did some research and found there wasn’t any significant data indicating smaller classrooms had a greater effect on a child academic learning skills. Gladwell made it a point in his story to notion details contending smaller classroom sizes are not necessarily the best learning environment.
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.
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.
The size of the class does impact on the education of kids. In the passage Does Class Size Matter? The author states "One experiment in recent years underscores how relevant class sizes can be to performance. San Diego used stimulus dollars to reduce class
Reduced class sizes can show better behavior in students and earlier improvement of grades.In smaller classes, teachers have a better chance to get to know the student more, so there are less chances that the student will feel like need to act and lash out. Since the teacher and pupil will get to know each other better, the teacher can take the time to discover what areas the student needs help in and can make more of an effort to help the student fix those needs in a smaller, less crowded environment. (Rios, Robert J).According to a survey done by Mitchell and Mitchell in 1999, students in grades K-3 that were placed in smaller classes scored better on achievement tests in reading and mathematics than students in large classes did. Having smaller classes in kindergarten through third grade creates the most academic improvement in students. Reading and Mathematics are the subjects that the most information is retained in that sticks with students in older years. Also, students of minority
In every teacher or parent survey the number one thing that most parents and teachers are worried about is class size because most adults want their student or kid to have a small class size so then he or she gets all the support they can. New York city schools, has said class size and teaching improvement is something very important because having a big amount of students in one class will be a distraction for others. Many schools agree. Overcrowding schools is a big
The class sizes are getting bigger because of schools not wanting to haves as many teachers on staff which results to crowded classrooms and that can make children uncomfortable at times when trying to learn. According to the article Why Class Size Matters, it states that class sizes across America are increasing and an estimated 58,000 teachers were laid off in September, which was the same time of enrollment increasing in the country (Leonie Haimson). Also in the same article it talks about how children actually perform higher when they are in smaller class sizes. It says, “Studies from Tennessee, Wisconsin, and states throughout the country have demonstrated that students who are assigned to smaller classes in grades K-3 rd do better in every way that can be measure: they score higher on tests, receive better grades, and exhibit improved attendance,” (Leonie Haimson) and this could also be true because in smaller class sizes the children get more of a chance to connect with their peers and also can have more one on one time with their teacher if they are struggling with a topic or subject. “…There are numerous studies showing that smaller classes are correlated with achievement gains and/or lower dropout rates in the middle and upper grades as well” (Leonie Haimson). This previous quote from the article shows
One reason why elementary schools should have smaller class sizes is because students are able to receive more one on one time with their teacher. Students are allowed to enhance their learning by being able to concentrate fully and receive the proper engagement with their teacher. According to Garrett Delavan, 12 students per class is more beneficial. He proclaims that, “Common sense and research suggest that there is an optimal grouping size range where peer and adult interaction mutually benefit one another” (94). While agreeing with Delavan, students should be given the chance to be more familiar with their peers and teacher. Allowing 12 students per class, provides students the chance to interact with each other regularly. This is beneficial to both the student and the teacher’s by allowing them to build a stronger relationship. Teachers can easily split these 12 students into groups and have more time to recognize each student. Students are also allowed to focus
increase stress to pass a class. Reducing class sizes at an early age can "improve
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
Research shows that when students are put into smaller classes they tend to perform better on any subjects and assessments than those who are put into larger classes. In smaller classes student are often one to two months ahead in their learning, and they tend to score higher on standardized testing. Some studies view the results of student’s assessments in terms of there own performances and sometimes in terms on the class’s performance. Depending on which one they use, it may show the differences in one’s performance. These effects of strongest in elementary school classes and students because they become more powerful the longer the students stay in smaller classes. Smaller classes are most beneficial for students if they are early in elementary school than later (Bruhwiler & Blatchford, 2011; Chingos, 2013). Although it may seem like smaller classes normally have a positive effect, the benefits may not always be the same. Smaller classes has the best outcome when it is started early in a child’s education. When started later it may not have the same effect.
This introduces a loophole in the education system that allows for wastage of special abilities that remain untapped and underdeveloped. This in turn results in low productivity in students, who don’t feel challenged to put more effort, resulting in poor output by the class in general. This lack of motivation to do better by the exceptional students can also be explained by the fact that even without putting much effort, they still lead the class, giving them a sense of contentment and they therefore do not feel the need to work harder. The weak students are not motivated either since the average performance of the class is dismal, and their weakness is not exposed enough for them to notice they need extra assistance from their tutors. This makes for a class that generally has poor outcomes in their academic performance. Big classes are also associated with lower quality instruction. As much as interactive activities are not easy to plan for and carry out in a class, it is worse for bigger classrooms, which prohibit movement from their overcrowding aspect. Classroom management in big-sized classes is usually a problem for the teacher as it is difficult to ascertain the consistency desirable to promote proper classroom management.
The larger the classroom the more students you can teach, the less teachers you must employee and the better budget we can save. Is this true? It is the thinking of some but not all. Classroom sizes influence everyone young and old. It effects students who may not understand the lesson so they choose to act out, it effects children being left behind and held back and it effects teacher’s ability to do their job and give students an education. As a student and future educator, the conclusion that have come to is classroom sizes can have effects on disciplinary issues, individualized teaching structures and can cause stress on educators.