Researchers on the Lasting Benefits Study (LBS) are tracking students who participated in Tennessee's K-3 Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project (1985-89) as they continue into later grades. Project STAR was a statewide experiment conducted to demonstrate the effects of reduced student/teacher ratios (15:1) on student achievement…

This paper compares the achievement of first and second grade students in reduced size classrooms with the achievement of previous groups taught in larger classrooms in a Mississippi community. It also examines a longitudinal class size effect through the analysis of student achievement for two years. The subjects involved in the study were 371…

A policy of reducing class size seems sensible, but might have costly, far-reaching implications for students, teachers, and public support for schools. The purpose of this research brief is to summarize 100 class size research studies from 1950 to 1985 and to regroup them into 18 areas of concern. The cluster analysis approach was designed to…

The Tennessee legislature sponsored a study on the effects of class size (Project STAR). The design and measurement techniques of this study are discussed. The establishment of the basic elements of the design is examined, followed by the recruitment of schools and school systems to participate in the study. The process of setting up smaller…

Literature on the subject of the relationship between class size and student achievement is briefly reviewed. It is pointed out that while researchers often come to the conclusion that class size has small impact on student achievement, teachers feel that a class of under 20 students permits better and wider learning. The financing of smaller…

For years the issue of class size has been the subject of hundreds of educational research studies. The effects of class size on student achievement, student and teacher attitudes, instructional setting, and total classroom environment have been examined and re-examined. In general, the findings of these studies have been inconclusive, though for…

CLASSES WERE DIVIDED EXPERIMENTALLY INTO FIVE OR SIX SMALL GROUPS. EACH GROUP WORKED TOGETHER FOR A PERIOD OF 1 MONTH. EACH OF THE EIGHT PARTICIPATING TEACHERS SELECTED ONE TO SIX PUPILS IN HIS CLASS WHO WERE EITHER DISRUPTIVE OR WITHDRAWN. THESE CHILDREN WERE CALLED THE TARGET PUPILS. THREE TIMES EVERY MONTH THE TEACHER RECORDED THE INTERACTION…

Research on class size during the past decade indicates that dramatically smaller classes significantly improve student performance, do not encourage adoption of drastically different teaching methods, and lead to increased student-teacher contact. Other research suggests techniques for working with small groups and for reorganizing school…

This testimonial presents evidence that reduced class size (CSR) has positive effects on student learning in grades K-3. Student achievement is improved in the areas of academics, behavior and discipline, citizenship and participation in and outside school, and development into competent and productive adults. The paper emphasizes that class size…

The California Legislature and Governor created the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program as part of the 1996-97 Budget Act. The goal of the program is to increase student achievement by reducing average class sizes from 28.6 students to no more than 20 students in up to 3 grades. The 1997-98 governor's budget proposes expansion of the CSR program to…

Confusion over the concepts of class size and pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) creates a conundrum for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. An examination of how these two concepts are different is presented in this paper. A review of the literature suggests that class-size reduction makes a positive overall difference in student achievement,…

Prime Time is a funding mechanism that allows Indiana school corporations to hire instructional assistants for K-3 classrooms with large enrollments. The goal is the establishment of a favorable student-teacher ratio. In the first evaluation of this program, researchers conducted a stratified random cluster survey of 680 K-3 teachers from across…

Researchers have long investigated whether smaller classes improve student achievement. Their conclusions suggest that class size reduction (CSR) can result in greater in-depth coverage of subject matter by teachers, enhanced learning and stronger engagement by students, more personalized teacher-student relationships, and safer schools with fewer…

Examines the measurement of class size and a related measure, the student-teacher ratio, and considers the variations across states in class size and student-teacher ratios. Student-teacher teacher ratios are consistently lower than average class size because class-size figures do not reflect the use of specialized teachers or those who work in…

Summarizes a major longitudinal study (Project STAR) conducted in Tennessee between 1985 and 1989, provides some results updating STAR findings through 1992, and suggests research-based courses of action. Class-size research in primary grades is showing the efficacy of small classes of 1:15. Application of early experimental results in 17 poor…