Does Size Matter?
In the readings that we’ve discussed in class, there has
been much debate on the importance of class size for student achievement. In
summary, research seems to show that it does not have much of an effect on the
student success, with the exception of elementary school-age students, mainly
kindergarteners. And while that may be true, it does not really take into
account the differences in learning atmosphere between small and large classes.
Last year, Baltimore County eliminated nearly 200 teaching
positions in an effort to cut budget costs. This decision has resulted in the
increasing of class size on the high school level. Most schools have between
25% and 36% of classes with 30 or more students, and average class-sizes have
increased from about 25 to 28 students. The exception is however, lower
performing schools, which have maintained very low increases in class size throughout
the transition. The justification for this is that students come into school on
different levels and struggling schools can benefit from the extra attention
from teachers. This does mean however, that gifted and talented classes, as
well as other important core-classes performing on higher levels are
experiencing greater increases in class size.
The question becomes, does size really make a difference?
Some teachers welcome the increase, stating that they are able to do more group
work and have richer discussions than they were with smaller classes. Other
teachers, students, and even parents have been complaining that the class size increases
make students less likely to speak up in class and cause teachers to spend more
time dealing with discipline problems. Teachers also say that the increases
inhibit them from being able to give specialized attention to students, stay on
top of grading, and give timely feedback.
Also, if schools are already making precautions to keep
small classes in struggling schools, is it fair to not offer this option to
schools that have routinely been performing well? Shouldn’t we be ensuring that
all students have what they need to be successful, whether they are high
performing or struggling students? And yes, if teachers are more creative and
able to adjust to the larger class sizes, then this change will not make much
difference, but what if the teacher is new or less experienced, are not able to
make those adjustments effectively? Are schools taking this is account when
they arrange student placement?
2 comments:
I think that all of the questions that you posed are extremely important when considering the costs and benefits of reducing class sizes, especially in high school. There is no arguing that students in high school tend to be very social and that many times large classes, especially when coupled with behavior problems, become a distraction for many students. At the same time, it can be argued, as you pointed out, that large class sizes can increase the amount of interaction that students have with one another and with the content matter at hand. Small classes may cause students to become bored with the subject matter as they become bored with one another, and that is the simple truth. At this point, the question of class size seems to revolve heavily around budgeting and what schools can afford at the moment. While the conversation about the costs and benefits of small class sizes for students clearly occurs, it seems second-hand to the conversation about money.
If we aspire to offer a world-class education for all children, classrooms in our public schools cannot continue balloon as they have with recent budget cuts. In the last two decades, we’ve made three changes in schools that make large classes ineffective: we’ve pushed for more inclusion of special education students, we’ve emphasized the importance of building individual relationships with students, and we’ve introduced a wider range of student readiness levels in classrooms in an effort to prevent ability tracking. Taken together, these important changes require reasonable class sizes to work. One teacher cannot be expected to effectively accommodate for students at the second and 99th percentiles, meet the needs of seven students with disabilities, and manage a large class at the same time. Even for a superstar teacher, education quality is going to drop in one way or another for those students.
What we seem to need most is more high-quality research into the impact of class size on middle and high schools. Furthermore, if we value something more than just test scores (which appears to be the case when anyone discusses testing and NCLB), then we need to include other success measures in these studies.
In its “Level the Playing Field” section, the Sun article referred to the widening “disparity” between class sizes at low- and high-performing schools in Baltimore County. However, research does support smaller class sizes for minority and low-income children, so it seems appropriate that the district’s lower-performing schools serving these students would be protected from class size increases.
I like Chantrez’s point about how class size may have a different impact on students in classrooms with new or inexperienced teachers; this, too, should become the topic of education research. For all of the rhetoric about class size, it seems what we need most is a fuller picture of the issue provided through additional research.
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