Thousands Benefit From Reduced Class Size, DOE Report Finds

Some 1.7 million children in kindergarten through third grade now receive instruction in smaller, more personalized classes, which has resulted in improved reading achievement and greater teacher morale, according to a recently released U.S. Education Department report. These benefits are the result of a national initiative aimed at reducing class size.

The report, The Class-Size Reduction Program: Boosting Student Achievement in Schools Across the Nation, cites various studies that conclude that smaller classes contribute to higher academic achievement and fewer discipline problems.

"One way we can help all children is to reduce class sizes," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. "Smaller class sizes have been proven to be so important in the early grades, from kindergarten through third grade, because that is when children are learning basic skills. Small classes give teachers the opportunity to provide individual attention to their students and that is the right thing to do."

The Class-Size Reduction Program was enacted by Congress in 1998, following President Clinton's call to lower class size in the early grades to no more than 18 students. Research from a variety of government and academic sources indicates that small classes help improve academic achievement, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

A fiscal year 1999 appropriation of $1.2 billion allowed school districts nationwide to hire some 29,000 new teachers for the 1999-2000 school year. A total of 23,000 schools, representing almost one-third of the nation's elementary schools, were able to hire one or more new teachers. For FY 2000, Congress appropriated an additional $1.3 billion to help states continue class-size reduction efforts. The president has requested $1.75 billion for next year, which would extend the benefits of the program to an estimated 2.5 million children.

Within the Los Angeles Unified School District, the maximum student-teacher ratio in kindergarten through third grade is 20 to 1, which is mandated by the district's class size reduction program.

Prior to this effort, more than 85 percent of the nation's students were in classes with more than 18 children, and a third were in classes of 25 or more students.

In the first year, the Class-Size Reduction Program reduced first to third grade class sizes from an average of 23 to 18 in 90,000 classrooms across the country. Some 86 percent of the newly hired teachers were placed in the early grades, most in first grade (39 percent).

The report highlights examples of statewide class-size reduction efforts in California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin, as well as numerous examples of how children in local communities benefit from smaller classes.

	Related Links The report is available on the U.S. Department of Education website at: www.ed.gov/ offices/OESE/ ClassSize/ (In PDF Format) OTHER VIEWS: Smaller classes not ideal, study finds The Status Of The Teaching Profession: Research Findings and Policy Recommendations (Click on "Publications")

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