The Positive Short-term and Long-term Affects of Smaller Class Sizes on Students

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.

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.

At Brewton-Parker College, the campuses community is quite small. I cannot decide if it is a good thing that everyone knows each other. Because the school’s population is not quite as high as a big university, everyone knows everyone’s business. No matter what someone does, good or bad, it gets out, but for me the size in beneficial. The less people there are, the less chance I have of getting distracted. I love how small the classes are, too, because my teachers actually knows who I am. Also, when I need help with what we’re learning or I just have a simple question, I can easily ask my teacher, and he or she can help me better understand what is going on. The teachers here, at Brewton-Parker College, are kind and beyond willing to help me, no matter how long it takes; help is always there when I need it. For instance, the library has become my best friend. I like how I can go and have my own table to get a good amount of work done, and the books are such a useful resource for

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

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

Having gone to a private school that claims having smaller classes provides better learning, I say that it ultimately depends, no matter how much I want to flat out say that it is incorrect. I think there are benefits that come with reduced class sizes, but it is not only because of the size, there are other things that tie into it, such as the size of the school, and what type of school it is. In Cindy Long’s article Does Class Size Really Matter? Kim McClung states “The more homogenous the demographics of the classroom are, the less differentiation is required, so there is a little more time to go around to each student,” she says.

In 2008, a study was done by Zahorik and a few of his colleagues, and they found that in smaller classes, the discipline was actually worried about less than in bigger classes, thus proving that students have better behavior in smaller classes because of the student and teacher ratio and the desire to be less distracting. Students with learning or behavioral disabilities also will get the chance to have more individualized plans and more one on one teacher time.

Smaller classes would result in stronger student teacher connections. When there is a smaller group in a class there are fewer students that a teacher has to get to know in that class and can have a better one on one connection with the students. By having a smaller class they can get to know students deeply. A larger amount of staff means there could be multiple sections of the same class, making the classes smaller. That allows for stronger connections between students and teachers, meaning that a teacher can reach out to students, and can understand their students better. Smaller classes will also give students a greater chance to ask questions. Fewer students means that students can ask the questions about what they don’t understand because there isn’t 30 other people trying to ask a question. Smaller classes mean that questions are more likely to be answered giving the student an in depth understanding of the subject. The final reason that hiring staff would improve classes by making them smaller is that it is extremely difficult to teach a large class. A larger amount of people causes for difficulty in maneuvering around the classroom. This can diminish the class level and diminish what the students take away from that class. It is easier to move around 20 people and not 35. Having enough teachers means that teaching a class would be improved. With

The classes more discussion-oriented and students are expected to be ready to discuss reading and assignments each class. Most college students feel more comfortable asking for help in smaller class size. In addition, the teacher better understands student strengths and weaknesses. Also, teachers are more apt to help students and it is easier to class become a group of friends. However, in large college, the quality of understanding with professor is not as good and attendance is less likely to count toward your grade. Nonetheless, some people think it is more important to learn from famous professors than to have a small class. According to Stephen Pemberton, class size can make a difference in your education. (“The importance of class size, Match 09, 2009). Conversely, according to Mark Montgomery, educational consultant, smaller classes are taught by the least effective teachers.

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

RING!RING! The sound of the school bell. Students go to their class filled with 40 students how can they learn with so many kids in their class? So class size does matter and has an impact on the students education

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

Yes, class size does matter.A size of a class matter because if its too big of a class its harder to control and gives less attention to individuals. If a class size is smaller it is easier to control and when a individual needs help it is easier to go on one on one than when you have a large class. In paragraph 2 in "Everyone knows students learn more in smaller classes, or do they?" says "lowering class sizes means hiring more teachers."If a class sizes lowers or rises then schools could benefit or not benefit.

Class sizes do matter.The larger the number of kids in your class effects your learning, your test scores, and its hard to get around school.The lower the number of kids in your class won't effect your learning, your test scores would be higher, and its easy to get around school.

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.