Role of Cass Size Reduction in Academic Achievements

Sadaf baseer

ID# 17546

Professor Christopher Henderson

3 July 2015

Role of Cass Size Reduction in Academic Achievements

  Generating a focused, and dedicated community is categorized in the topmost strategic tactics of any state. In order to achieve such goals, states apply different policies and procedures. This is why, the goal of achieving high academic performance has been a big deal in educational sectors. Over the past few decades, researchers have been trying to prove the impact of class size not only in the education system, but also in students and teachers individually. The purpose of this essay is to examine the impact of class size reduction in academic achievements.  To do so, it uses records from several research projects like STAR, SAGE and California. The essay supports the proclamation that class size reduction has a significant impact on the academic achievement of students because it not only brings a significant change in the academic grades but it provides a better academic environment and will give students individual, positive characteristics that will persist for a long time.

 Class size reduction brings major improvements in student grades. Finn and Achilles of Eastern Michigan University estimated that students in smaller sized classes beaten the students of normal sized classes in grades by a one fifth of standard deviation (Ehrenberg et al, 2001, p.160). Finn and Achilles also stated that the effect of smaller classes was even stronger in ethnic minority, the improvement of black or Hispanic children were by two fifths to three fifths of standard deviation (Ehrenberg et al, 2001, p. 160). These finding by Finn and Achilles clearly shows that in smaller sized classes students can outperform their grades than the students in normal sized classes.

The analysis made by NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) state sample to resolve the complications encountered by other projects suggests that Class size reduction had a positive influence on the achievements of students in California. The results shows that between 1996 and 2000, test scores of 4th graders in Mathematics improved by 0.2 and 0.3 of a standard deviation (Unlu, 2005, p. 9). SAGE (Student Achievement Guaranteed in Education) project, which began 1996 implemented class size reduction in 45 low-income schools in United States. It compared the test results of smaller, sized class students and normal sized students also showed that students in smaller classes outscored their peers in every administrative test(Unlu, 2005, p. 12) Krueger also reported that class size has noteworthy influence on student achievement he stated that "0.22 standard deviations better on a standardized test. These effects were generated largely by class-size reductions in kindergarten.  If we take the effect by 5th grade to be half the size of the kindergarten effect, then a reduction in 1 student per class would generate approximately 1.5 percent of a standard deviation difference in achievement scores in 5th grade” (qtd in. Chingos, Whitehurst, 2001). These qualitative findings prooves that elementary level students get the most of the benefit from smaller classes.