Class size in early grades

Normally I post some thought I've had after reading something or experiencing something in the day, but lately I haven't had time to read and have had even less time to reflect on anything long enough to consider it an experience rather than just sensory input.

One of the things that's been keeping me busy--to the point where it's moved into the "experience" realm--is our kids' school. It's budget time, and there's talk of letting go 2 teachers and increasing the size of the K and grade 1 classes. Our first grade will end up with about 22 kids, which is pretty good compared to a lot of school systems, but when you look at the research, it's actually not a good thing.

There is a ton of evidence supporting smaller classes in the early grades. The most compelling is the Tennessee STAR program, which found that, in a large, scientifically controlled study, classes of 13 to 17 students in grades K-3 significantly outperformed their peers in classes of 22-25 students. It also tracked these kids over time and found that the benefits persisted in later years even after the children returned to larger classes. And minority students benefitted the most.

The SAGE program in Wisconsin had similar results, confirming other research done in the 70's and 80's. As a result the US Department of Education states that class sizes should not exceed 18 in early grades; schools can even use Title II funding for the purpose of reduing class size. DOE no longer pushes this as a priority, following the realignment of priorities brought on in the No Child Left Behind Act, but it still acknowledges in a 2004 report that class sizes of 18 and under should be the goal.

So, where does this leave us? It doesn't add any money to our budget (no Title II money here that I know of) but it does confirm that increasing classes to 22 kids is a conscious choice to reduce the quality of education in our school. We're not just talking about losing the luxury of small classes; we're talking about lowering our kids' potential for future success in school. That may be OK with some, but it's not OK with me.