One of our topics of discussion this semester revolved
around classroom size, particularly at the high school level. Classroom size
can have huge implications for classroom management, differentiation, as well as
the types of relationships that exist between students and the instructor. As
we have seen, there is a large push in many school districts to break down
classroom sizes in high schools by closing or fragmenting the largest schools. Across the country, there have been mixed results and emotions surrounding
this movement. Proponents say that smaller class sizes allow them to better
differentiate their instruction, develop stronger relationships with students
and track student growth more carefully. Critics of this movement say that
behavioral problems still exist after class sizes are reduced, students have
fewer options for class choices and funding for extracurricular activities is
reduced.
A May 12th Baltimore Sun article described the growing
classroom sizes in high schools across Baltimore County. After eliminating 200
teaching positions, Baltimore County high schools have felt the toll of larger
class sizes, as students are receiving less individualized attention and in
many cases, high schools have had to drop higher level courses, including a
number of Advanced Placement (AP) classes, despite promises not to do so. While
Superintendent Dr. Joe Hairston did succeed in retaining smaller class sizes in
the poorest performing high schools, many of the highest performing students in
various schools are now in some of the largest classes of 30 or more students. This
brings up in an interesting question as to school size vs. the student
population of a school, which is a more important factor in producing results? Schools that have larger
classes but higher performing students don’t seem to suffer from the increase
in class sizes because teachers and student there have identified strategies to
cope with the “loss” of individualized instruction.
While this is obviously a relatively recent phenomenon in
Baltimore County, the class size debate is a growing one across the country.
Personally, I think it is imperative that the lowest performing high schools in
Baltimore City and County retain their small classroom sizes because of the
great need for individualized instruction in those schools. While I support
small classroom sizes for all high schools schools, if budget cuts make larger
classes inevitable, the highest performing schools should bear the brunt of
this because of abilities of their teachers and students to adapt and succeed
to such challenges.
This article can be found at:
Another interesting article surrounding class size
2 comments:
This is an interesting debate, because I don't think there is any tangible data to show that large class sizes are better than small class sizes or vice versa. It is partially in the mind of the beholder. Some teachers do perform better with a smaller class size. I personally know that my smallest class this year only had about 6-10 kids show up every day, but they were the 6-10 worst behavior problems in our school. With a larger class size, that would have been a nightmare, but they still acted up in the small setting too. At the same time, by the end of the semester, I was very close to those kids who showed up every day and they did end up, after a few months of nagging and nurturing, being my favorite class. Did they all pass the HSA with flying colors? No, but I think I felt much differently about them because it was a smaller class than I would have if they had been shuffled in with a class of 30. I don't know if there is a solid answer to what is better, small vs. large. I think I prefer smaller, maybe 15-20, but I also think every teacher you ask will have a different opinion.
I think the interesting question that this article brings up is how should resources be distributed. Baltimore County provide a particularly interesting example because there are some pretty big disparities in achievement and income and I’m glad the district recognizes these differences and tries to even out achievement for all. I am particularly grateful coming from a school in the county that benefits from reallocation of resources. This idea is based on the principle that in order to be “fair,” we should try to create as even a playing field as possible. But having read some of the quotes from parents and students at some of the higher-achieving schools, is forcing even larger class sizes on those schools *fair*? What about the students who are slipping through the cracks, the students who are failing at these other schools? While I think that this is probably the best solution in the short term for a school district with such inequality, I’m not sure that in the end, it is truly fair.
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