John Monfredo: Class Size Counts
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Budget season ends with larger class sizes...does it matter?
The school committee completed its budget deliberations and passed a budget that was not what we wanted and has some huge educational gaps. Due to the lack of funding, one of the many areas affected is the number of elementary classes in the system with over 27 children. I did make a motion to urge our City Manager and the city council to consider placing additional free cash that comes into the general fund to be earmarked it for those schools with over 27 children. At the present time we have about 75 classes with 27 or more students. Free cash will come from Medicaid and Charter School reimbursements, just to name a few of the resources.
As an educator, even before looking at the research I can only tell you that class size certainly made a difference with me. I worked tirelessly with all the children in my classes, but I achieved more with the children in smaller classes for I was able to meet their individual needs. Working in the inner city with students with an array of learning challenges, I was able to make more of an impact on their social and academic needs with a smaller class size. However, as always, the bottom line is the quality of teaching in the classroom. The difference must also be about the quality of instruction in the classroom.
For several years, the Washington Education Association has made class sizes its top priority and brought their fight to the legislative body. Voters in the State of Washington agreed and hundreds and thousands of dollars have been provided to the school district to reduce class sizes.
The scientific research on this subject has not been definitive but a few studies demonstrate that there is academic improvement in children enrolled in small classes in kindergarten through grade four.
The move to reduce class size and bring about higher-quality education has been discussed for years but it has gained momentum with many new studies. Research by Australian educator David Zyngier shows there can be significant difference in student performance with a smaller classroom and it can help narrow the achievement gap. Also, in the last decade schools across the country have been encouraged to reduce their class size under the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Act.
Diane Whitmore Schanzenback of Northwestern University this year issued a study on “Does Class Size Matter?” Her conclusion stated that smaller classes have a long-term impact on a student. Research shows that students in the early grades perform better in small classes. This is especially the case for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and experience even larger performance gains than average students when enrolled in smaller classes. Small class sizes enable teachers to be more effective, and research has shown that children who attend small classes in the early grades continue to benefit over their entire lifetime.
The study recommended the following:
- Class size is an important determinant of student outcomes and one that can be directly influenced by policy. All else being equal, increasing class sizes will harm student outcomes.
- The evidence suggests that increasing class size will harm not only children’s test scores in the short run, but also their long-term human capital formation. Money saved today by increasing class sizes will be offset by more substantial social and educational costs in the future.
- The payoff from class-size reduction is larger for low-income and minority children, while any increases in class size will likely be most harmful to these populations.
- Policymakers should carefully weigh the efficacy of class-size-reduction policy against other potential uses of funds. While lower class size has a demonstrable cost, it may prove the more cost-effective policy overall.
In addition, the U.S Department of Education stated, “ A growing body of research demonstrates that students attending smaller classes in the early grades make more rapid educational progress than students in larger classes, and that these achievement gains persist well after students move on to larger classes in later grades.” Again, due to the lack of revenue, good preventative ideas get put on the shelf and we resort back to the “old way” of doing things.
What did the teachers who were part of other studies on class size say were the advantages of a smaller class size? The advantages were apparent for the teachers felt the small class size accomplished the following:
- Basic instruction was completed quickly, providing more time for covering additional basic material.
- Use of supplemental text and enrichment activities took place often.
- There was more in-depth instruction regarding the basic content.
- The children had more opportunities to engage in first-hand learning activities using concrete materials.
- There was an increase in the use of learning centers.
The teachers felt that there was improved individualization of instruction, increased monitoring of student behavior and learning, more frequent interactions and more individual re-teaching or enrichment, a more detailed knowledge of each child’s needs as a learner, and there was additional time to meet individual learners needs using a variety of instructional approaches.
Other thoughts expressed by the teachers were that less stress and more learning occurred in a more relaxed atmosphere. Students were less likely to get lost in the crowd, and more likely to have their own unique needs met by adults who had a good understanding of them as individuals. Obviously, reducing class size is expensive BUT in the long run it is more cost effective.
Small classes will have the greatest cost effectiveness when teachers use those teaching practices best suited for small classes. A small class provides an opportunity to do things better and differently. Teachers can use new teaching strategies and research for best practices and there must be improved screening for physical and learning disability students.
The State of Tennessee did a research study called the Better Schools Program. The Tennessee State Department of Education organized a committee to conduct the legislated study of reduced student/teacher ratio and adopted the name STAR, an acronym for Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio. The STAR program stated that more in-service programming for teachers needed to take place with a new approach to teaching. It recommended that teachers with small classes must not only be trained to be effective in such settings, but they must also be committed to try new skills and procedures.
Effective in-service training must include time to visit other teachers who have had success in working with small classes. In addition, in-service work must include training in effective communication with the home, involving the family with the education of their children and in making home visits as part of their regular instructional responsibilities.
Does a smaller class size make a difference? According to the research and according to my experience as an educator, YES is does! Given the strong support of parents and teachers and the demonstrated effectiveness of smaller classes we all need to support class size reduction. The research is there and it shows that class size matters. Even the finest teachers are limited in what they can accomplish when they have large classes. It’s time that we stop pretending that class size doesn’t matter!
Related Slideshow: Worcester School Committee Reacts to School Budget
Related Articles
- John Monfredo: Make Worcester ‘The City That Reads’ on March 3rd
- John Monfredo: Suspending Suspensions – A Critical Examination
- John Monfredo: Some Great Ideas for ‘Read Across America Week’
- John Monfredo: Worcester’s Anti-Bullying Conference
- Monfredo: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Worcester Schools
- John Monfredo: School Committee Evaluates Superintendent Boone
- John Monfredo: Bullying Must Be Adressed at Home and in School
- John Monfredo: 10 Ways to Motivate Kids to Do Better in School
- John Monfredo: An Analysis of New Worcester Public School Data
- John Monfredo: Let’s Start a ‘Read Across Worcester Week’
- John Monfredo: Becker College Pres. Gives Stirring MLK Day Speech
- Monfredo: How to Help Worcester Reach Goal of 30,000 Donated Books
- John Monfredo: Field Testing on PARCC Begins
- John Monfredo: Funding Education—Attend the City Council Meeting on Tuesday
- John Monfredo: Nine Years of Engaging Readers in Worcester
- John Monfredo: Is Public Education A Priority in This City?
- John Monfredo: Activities Set for “Reading in Our City Week” June 9
- John Monfredo: Reading Week to Summer Reading, Here are Some Ideas
- John Monfredo: Worcester Continues Its Crusade to Address Bullying
- John Monfredo: Appreciation Week: Thanking Teachers and Nurses
- Monfredo: Colin Powell Dazzles the Crowd in Worcester Tech Speech
- Monfredo: Worcester’s ‘City that Reads’ Book Drive Needs Your Help
- Monfredo: Former Worcester Public School Member Publishes Book
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It