Here’s an interesting situation: in my school, we’re going to be cutting one section out of our third grade, going from four teachers down to three. The reason is not what you’d expect (budget cuts), but instead, it is based on our superintendent’s belief that research has not shown that smaller class sizes benefit students except in K-2 classrooms. So I throw this out to all of my readers as an honest question: Does class size matter in third grade? Is there any research you’ve seen that would answer that question one way or another?
Obviously, as a third grade teacher, I can’t help but believe that class size matters a great deal in more than just kindergarten through second grade. The Google searches I’ve done have taken me to a variety of fuzzy articles that are more public interest pieces than academic studies… hence my request for serious links (taking either position) from anyone who knows of any!
May 27, 2008 at 11:19 pm |
It depends what teachers do in class. If all they do is teach to the whole group all the time then I don’t see how class size makes a difference. If you’re calling flexible groups, having student conferences, and planning independent activities then it’s surely beneficial to have smaller groups to begin with. Unfortunately, a lot of teachers choose to teach to the whole group even in smaller classes.
May 27, 2008 at 11:38 pm |
I have only anecdotal evidence, and perspectives.
May 28, 2008 at 12:07 am |
At my school board we actually follow class size recommendations for grades 1-3. It is based on a class size survey and given as a part of Alberta’s Commission on Learning’s Recommendations.
http://www.gov.ab.ca/home/newsframe.cfm?releaseid=/acn/200502/17638945efd5e-73f1-4d0c-aa101b1a4d9bace7.html
May 28, 2008 at 7:10 am |
Nothing “official” from me- but as a kindergarten teacher who sees how teaching and classroom styles change as students progress through each grade, I can see why administrators might be fooled into believing that a larger student/teacher ratio would be acceptible.
In my classroom, sixteen mobile learners who only sit still at desks to eat snacks and do a short large group activity take up a lot of physical space. Add fifteen more and the room would be a madhouse, filled with frustration, very claustraphobic, and frankly, unnatural to how five year old children ARE. They move, they skip, their explosions of laughter or discovery are paired with swinging arms and hugs and jumping. We need physical space, and we need to communicate with each and every student. WITH, not AT.
As children get older, they’re expected to sit for longer periods of time- with teachers “delivering” lessons and information, instead of having children up, moving about, exploring, building, interacting. Their communication time with one another is controlled by the teacher (small group, large group, cooperative learning time, sustained silent reading), and students are expected to learn by reading, hearing, and occasionally, watching, not DOING. You need room to DO. You need room and fewer students to communicate with one another.
Teachers talk TO thirty students when they could be talking and exploring WITH sixteen.
You can guess what class size I advocate for!
May 28, 2008 at 7:26 am |
http://www.classsizematters.org/
They concentrate on NYC schools, but there’s a research page and I had success in the past with contacting them about a related issue!
May 28, 2008 at 9:13 am |
Class size matters most to the adults in the room and having smaller classes is perceived as a great way to keep teachers in the classrooms with a high degree of work satisfaction. More importantly, when teachers are provided with incentives for doing more than textbook approaches to teaching, it is my opinion, that teaching will become the satisfying and rewarding occupation it once was.
Perhaps the greater issue is our constant emphasis on standardized testing. If all we measure are outcomes in reading and math, no one will know what truly is lost in larger classes in the areas of creativity, engagement, motivation, and real learning.
May 28, 2008 at 12:22 pm |
Class size matters to the students because they are the ones who stand to benefit both academically and as productive citizens of their academic communities. The focus on our country and our world should be developing the educational infrastructure required and necessary to ensure that each child is afforded the opportunity to learn and to reach their own academic capabilities and if they want to excell then they now have the educational experience and tools to reach their academic potential.
So what’s wrong with wishing for the best for our children?
May 29, 2008 at 5:21 am |
I’m sure you’ve checked the archives at ED, and spoken with the people on the hotlines there, yes? I recall a study published about 1987 which showed class size reductions produced small improvements down to 18 students, significant improvements at 18, and larger improvements at 15 and below. But of course, I can’t find it now.
Did you see this archived summary?
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ReducingClass/Class_size.html
May 31, 2008 at 7:24 pm |
As a first grade teacher I echo many of the same concerns that we all have as educators, particularly that of class size. My class of twenty-four first graders has left the room for the last time, headed off to second grade.
This has been a particularly rewarding year for me, my students, and their families. This class of has come academically and socially leaps and bounds compared to those first few days of this school.
Twenty four students can be extremely daunting at times, when academically and socially they are far apart. Routines, differentiated learning, rotational stations and centers, and the ability to be flexible have bought us to where we are today. However, a smaller class size may have allowed for these students to have an even greater successful year.
This coming school year there will be twenty seven in Kindergarten… with no aide time! How on earth are these teachers going to prepare a foundation for future learning? Will they be simply corralling students in a holding area before letting them loose into first grade? If someone can tell me these students will come prepared to learn in first grade I would greatly appreciate their insight. If I were a parent I would be singing and shouting my concerns to the principle, administration, school board, and beyond.
Will I be able to teach these students upon arrival? Of course. That is what we all do as professionals. Should they not have the luxury of a smaller class? I would like to be able to bring technology into the classroom. This is one way to better prepare our students in this age of technology. How can I possibly do this with such large numbers of students?
You mentioned the lack of research to be found. Well, I too have noticed that research suggests smaller classes do not necessarily make a difference. However, I did find a site that may be of interest to you. There you will find a Power point presentation on the benefits of smaller class size. You will also find articles about the benefits of smaller class sizes and evidence to support smaller class size in Kindergarten.
http://www.classsizematters.org/benefits.html
May 31, 2008 at 8:08 pm |
I am always impressed with the thoughtful comments of the edublogosphere.
@ Mathew: I do agree that the style of teacher instruction greatly determines how important class size is. A lecture to 30 kids is pretty similar to a lecture to 20 kids.
@ Miss Mondor, @ Jen, and @ Ed: Thank you for the links!
@ Michaele: I guess my district, officially, would agree with you up through second grade, and then by third grade they feel the kids are supposed to be able to handle sitting instead of doing, justifying the class size increase. I disagree.
@ Cinda: If smaller class size is all about keeping teachers happy, that’s not really enough of a justification for it. I think there are greater effects than that…
@ Penny: Your thinking seems to be the same as mine in that, yes, as a professional I will do everything to ensure that things go well in my classroom, but I can’t help but wonder if the kids deserve more.
June 2, 2008 at 7:13 pm |
I think that small class size can boost achievement if teachers change their instructional practices to fit the new environment.
The thing that scares me the most about regulations for small class sizes over a whole district or region is the effect it has on the staffing of at risk schools. Usually, schools in richer areas grab up all of the best teachers (higher salaries, better working conditions, etc), while poorer schools are left to new or emergency certified teachers. Although this phenomenon already occurs, blanket class size polices exacerbate the problem.