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Class size and student achievement: At a glance

After more than 20 years of research, class size continues to be at the forefront of the educational and political

agenda for schools, school districts, and school boards. Since the late 1970s, research has indicated that reduced

class sizes (15 to 18 students) are associated with increased student achievement in specific situations, particularly

when small classes are implemented in the primary grades and students participate in small classes for more thanone year. Following is a snapshot of the significant findings from the research:

Smaller classes in grades K-3 improve stude nt achieve ment in reading andmath. Students in smaller classes performed better than students in larger classes on readingand mathematics achievement tests (Mitchell & Mitchell, 1999; Molnar, Smith, & Zahorik, 1999).A class size of 15-18 is the upper limit for capturing be nefits in the early grades. Classeswith no more than 15-18 students have been found to be the threshold class size for increasingstudent achievement in the early grades. (Ehrenberg, Brewer, Gamoran, & Willms, 2001).

Young students benefit more when reduced class size programs span grades K-3. Theachievement of students in small classes outpaces that of students in larger classes by a wideningmargin for each additional year spent in small classes. (Fidler, 2001; Nye, Hedges, &

Konstantopoulos, 2001a).The benefits of small classes in the primary grades are lasting. The reading and/or mathgains students in small classes experience in the primary grades continue or are maintained morethan five years later (Nye, Hedges, & Konstantopoulos, 2004; Nye, Hedges, & Konstantopoulos,2001b).Small classes in the primary grades can help close the achievement gap. Minoritystudents often experience even greater gains than white students when placed in small classes inthe primary school years. Minority students tend to have lower achievement scores than whitestudents before participation in small classes and make larger achievement gains by the end ofthe year. (Nye, Hedges, & Konstantopoulos, 2004; Nye, 2000; Molnar, Smith, & Zahorik, 1999).More instructional options for teachers might explain the be nefits of smallclasses. Teachers may teach differently or certain instructional strategies may work better in

small classes. For example, more work done in small groups might be possible. (Ehrenberg,Brewer, Gamoran, & Willms, 2001).Teachers with small classes give more individual attention to students. High school mathteachers with small classes were found to engage with individual students and small groups morefrequently than teachers with larger classes, possibly because they spend less time on classroommanagement than teachers in larger classes (Rice, 1999).

This document was prepared by Caliber Associates for the Center for Public Education. Caliber, an ICF company

based in Fairfax, Va., specializes in social science research and evaluation.

Posted: July 25, 2005

2005 Center for Public Education