Issue Paper Snapshot Reduced Class Size

There is a solid body of evidence to show that reduced class sizes, K-3, can have long-lasting effects on student achievement. In order for this to occur, class sizes need to be in the range of 15-17 students. Studies such as the Lasting Benefits Study, Project STAR (Tennessee, 1990), the Educational Testing Service Study, Wisconsin’s Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE), and the WEAC class-size studies support what teachers have always known: small classes allow for better education — at least at the K-3 level. And now new findings reveal that students in Project STAR’s smaller classes continue to outperform their peers in larger classes.

Talking Points

• Frederick Mosteller, professor emeritus of mathematics at Harvard University, has called the STAR study one of the best ever done on the effects of reduced class size. Earlier class-size studies tend to be limited in scope (a few classes at a time) and duration (a semester or less, a school year at most). In contrast, the STAR study used a classic experimental design, with treatment and control groups with teachers randomly assigned to various classes (330 classes in all from 80 urban, suburban, and rural schools).
• Smaller class size is a necessary condition for improving student learning. Teachers who give as much individual attention as possible to each student will make effective use of smaller classes.
• Very few elementary schools in Wisconsin meet the optimum size levels identified in the STAR study. For example, 92 percent of kindergarten and 94 percent of classes in grades 1-6 exceed 15 students.
• As a result of revenue caps, about 30 percent of districts report increasing class sizes.

WEAC Position

WEAC believes that excellence in the classroom can best be attained by small class-size. An optimum class size at the early elementary grades is approximately 15 students in regular programs and a proportionately lower number in programs for students with exceptional needs. Class-size maximums must be based on the type of students, subject area content, physical facilities, and other criteria. Smaller class sizes provide the opportunity for students to learn and teachers to teach at much higher levels.

For More Information

The complete issue paper

OnWEAC's Resource Page on Class Size Reduction and SAGE

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