Just saw this in the news this morning. Critics Say Class Sizes 'Ain't All That' http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,55847,00.html
Of interest to Mpls only in that there has been a request by some to post specific research showing that class sizes do improve the quality of education. As the article suggests - an examination of each case is required to determine if smaller class sizes are going to be successfull. An excerpt from the article linked above: ...The consortium does acknowledge that the number of teachers in the school system has risen in the past year, but other problems continue to plague California's school system. Among them, resources have thinned to accommodate more classrooms. And more troubling, the group said that state test averages for students in smaller classrooms are not comparably higher than those in larger classes. "We did not find a strong association between achievement and participation" in the program, the study says. For critics, the results are clear indicators that many districts have been relying too heavily on class size to reform underperforming schools, and that the momentum for smaller classes is reaching unstoppable rates. "For parents, they think it�s a good idea, because on the face of it, they think their child is going to get individual attention," said Neal McCluskey, a policy analyst for the Center for Education Reform. "I think it's popular because there are a lot of policymakers who get a lot of money from the unions and on the face of it, it makes sense," he said. "And the more educators on the front lines say, �this is a great idea,' it takes on a life of its own." Observers say that returning to larger classes isn't the answer. Andy Rotherham of the Progressive Policy Institute, which has released two examinations on the positive effects of reducing school sizes, said that the effect of class size reduction depends on the school district's individual circumstances. "I think you want to be very careful," he said. "Reducing class sizes is not always appropriate, especially when you have a shortage of quality teachers, but in other instances it can be better. What you want is an environment of local flexibility." David Held Bancroft _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
