Studies concerning class size fall into three basic groups. Most of the research has focused on academic achievement and has revealed little correlation between class size and academic success. Research has also been done on institutional factors. While reductions in class size spur innovations in teaching methods, it is not clear whether the relationship is direct, nor is it shown that the innovative techniques themselves lead to any real results in terms of student achievement. A third area of research involves financial considerations. The basic conclusions are that larger classes are less expensive than smaller ones and increases in spending do not produce sizable gains in student performance. (Author/PGD)