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NJPEP Home > Professional Development > Achievement Gap

Solutions & Strategies to Reduce the Achievement Gap: Class Size

Articles and Research Papers
Big Kids, Small Classes? Research brief review with related video.
"...education researchers disagree sharply over whether smaller classes for upper grades are worthwhile." Issues mentioned are cost, ability to attract experienced teachers, and impact on disadvantaged students.
Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE), in Wisconsin.

A series of research studies over several years.
The Wisconsin study initially found the SAGE program had significant effect on closing the gap through 1st grade, but this gain did not change through 3rd grade. More recent, a 2004 study has shown that keeping the small class sizes may show changes (or not show changes) and this may (or may not) be related to the type of test or whether it is high stakes. The jury is still out.

Maine’s Smaller Schools Cut Poverty’s Power Over Student Achievement [PDF] (January 11, 2005; scroll down to table). Research by Rural Trust.
"Maine’s smaller schools effectively reduce the negative influence of poverty on student achievement by 35 to 100 percent compared to larger schools, depending on testing grade and subject area..."
The Small Schools Workshop: "..a group of educators, organizers and researchers based in the College of Education at the University of South Florida (Sarasota)." Primarily articles, but linked as research.
An advocate web site, with publications and periodic conferences.
Dollars & Sense: The Cost Effectiveness of Small Schools [PDF]. Large research study.
Focused on cost-effectiveness of facilities.
Small schools research sites from Chicago Public Schools, Colorado,  
Class Size: Counting Students Can Count, a study from AERA (American Educational Research Association). Research-based policy brief.
"Conclusion: There is no doubt that small classes can deliver lasting benefits, especially for minority and low-income students. However, they are not a cure-all for low academic achievement, and they may not always be the best use of scarce resources. In weighing the pros and cons of a class-size reduction plan, policymakers will want to measure the costs of class-size reduction against other possible uses of the same funds."
Tutorials and Web Resources
NJPEP's Classroom Assessment See especially Part 3, Assessment for Instruction