A Discussion about Small Class Sizes
Introduction
A low student-teacher ratio is often used as a selling point to parents seeking a better education for their children or to pass legislation establishing a maximum student-teacher ratio for specific grade levels. When ratios are used as support for the argument they are often presented in such a way as to slant the examples in favor of the argument. When such statistics are used for schools, they often represent averages and become very vulnerable to manipulation and further debate. This paper will discuss the issue of small class sizes and the data that has been formulated and presented in the past.
When a class size is large it is often disruptive to the education of the group in general with a diverse field of students with varying degree of learning ability. As a result the class could spend less time with higher academic students in order to keep the less academic students up with the lesson plans or the opposite can occur. Because of this, student-teacher ratios are good arguments for advanced or honors classes. Many analysts have found that extra school resources play a negligible role in improving student achievement while children are in school. Yet many economists have gathered data showing that students who attend well-funded schools grow up to enjoy better job market success than children whose education takes place in schools where resources are limited.
Positive Learning Experience
Having spent my entire K-12 school years in public schools with the maximum allowable class sizes by law my studying the article “The Enduring Effects of Small Classes” provided me with some interesting insight to how my experiences might have affected my early education. I attended...
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... the addition of a teacher’s aide. The benefits of small class size are obvious the methods of teaching such a group are not.
Works Cited
Finn, J. D., Gerber, S. B., & Achilles, C. M. (2001). The enduring effects of small classes. Teachers College Record, 103, 145-183.
Finn, J. D., Pannozzo, G. M., Achilles, C. M. (2003). The "why's" of class size: Student behavior in small classes. Review of Educational Research, 73, 321-368.
Clark, A. M., Anderson, R. C., Kuo, L.(2003). Collaborative reasoning: Expanding ways for children to talk and think in school. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 181-198.
Kirschner, P., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. (2006). Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75-86
...s with 2.5 grade point average students and economically diverse students in the same classroom there is no limit to the enrichment to the academic environment as a whole.
The latest amendment to the Florida constitution reduces the average class size in schools around the state. Although many people believe that smaller class size will help students learn by giving them more time individually with their teacher, studies prove that class size has little or no effect on student achievement. The class-size amendment is a waste of non-existent money, and in the long run, it will only hurt Florida’s economy and the education program.
teachers and students. It is true that students that this will help to increase their reasoning
Sadker, M., Sadker, D., and Stulberg, M. (1993, March). Fair and Square? Creating a Nonsexist Classroom. Instructor, 44-46, 67-68.
AAA, for example, is a small school (“About the Academy”). The currently enrolled student body is made up of about 400 students, making the student to teacher ratio 15:1 (Best College Comparison). Another example is SAIC which is a medium sized school (“Compare Colleges”). SAIC has an average of 3,000-4,000 students enrolled a year. According to “SAIC”, about 83% of the classes at the school are small with less than 20 students. About 15% of the classes are medium with 20-49 students, and the final 1% of the classes have 50 or more. With classes this size, SAIC has an average student to teacher ratio of 9:1 (Best College Comparison). The final example is Columbia which happens to be a medium sized school. Columbia has an average of 9,000 students enrolled a year. According to “Columbia College Chicago”, the average class size at columbia is fewer than 20 students, making the student to teacher ratio 13:1. The school and classes are big enough to be able to work and learn from other students, but still be able to get one-on-one time with instructors. While class size is an important aspect of the decision making process, the cost of college is likely one of the biggest deciding
But the truth is that smaller classes and better teachers do improve student achievement. Members of our government claim that giving more money to schools will not make a difference, but the government funding for schools needs to be used effectively to see a change in student performance. (Connell)
“Did you know America ranks the lowest in education but the highest in drug use? It's nice to be number one, but we can fix that. All we need to do is start the war on education. If it's anywhere near as successful as our war on drugs, in no time we'll all be hooked on phonics” -Leighann (Lord) Leighamm Lord is a comedian, but when it comes to the education of children, she takes it very seriously and it is not so much a joke to her. Children are the future, and giving them the best education available is crucial to the future. Making decisions in the educational system would not only better the future, but the children’s future. These changes of segregating classrooms, will give the children a better working environment, to improve test scores, and academic advancements. Research shows that segregating classrooms would be a great step to a successful future; however, conflicting arguments to the negative and positive impacts of segregating classrooms to consider.
It is about that time for families to start sending their children to school. The first thing that crosses their mind is “I hope my child gets the best education I can give them.” These parents want their children to excel in their math classes, pass that test in science class, and they want them to be the best they can be. These families want the teacher to give their child the best education that they can offer. So what if the best way that teachers could give the best education to that child was to have a class size reduction? What if the smaller the class, the more that child could achieve? That teacher would be able to focus on any
The costs and benefits of an excellent education for all of America’s children. Teachers College, Columbia University Levin, Henry, Clive Belfield, Peter Muennig, and Cecilia Rouse. 2007.
Krause, K, Bochner, S, Duchesne, S & McNaugh, A 2010, Educational Psychology: for learning & teaching, 3rd edn, Cengage Learning Australia, Victoria
... Class size reduction is another area that would enable our school system to move forward. In a smaller size classroom, educational quality will be improved. Teachers have greater amount of time to build a solid ground for the students to flourish. Though changes need to take place in our current school system, I am thankful to be in a country where my children have the right to be educated.
Together with the teacher and classmates, students are given the opportunity to speculate and question the world around them and the world awaiting them. Within small peer groups, for instance, students are encouraged to discuss, share, and compromise. The teacher is there to encourage this process, rather than to provide prescribed solutions. Similarly, the learning environment is collaborative and democratic, giving opportunities for all to speak their minds and receive feedback from peers as well as the teacher. This continuous loop of feedback, potentially positive or negative, serves as the means of assessment for problem-solving based instruction.
If class sizes where smaller, teachers would be able to do more hands on activities and there would be less chance for distractions. Even through, teachers would be able to do more hands on activities and there would be less chance for distraction. Teachers could do more hands-on activities in a science class likesuch as experiments in class instead of homework outside of class. In smaller class sizes there would be less chance for distractions, more time to review for a big test, there would be more interaction with the teacher.. “In elementary schools, class sizes generally hovered around 20 in 2008, rising to 25 to 30 in many cases this year.” (Giuliani, 1)There would be more time to review for a big test in a smaller class. There would be more interaction with the teacher in a smaller class size. According to Scott Thill “The proposal by billionaire Bill Gates to increase cl...
Class size makes a huge impact on how the student learns. Along with many other things, there is more to the amount of kids in class than most people think. The quality one on one time is affected. Along with that, important questions that the students needs clarity on from the teacher might not be able to be answered because so many other students are in the room asking their own question. Students learn in their own ways. Teachers have to be flexible to how their students learn and in order to do that they need to know their students on a personal level. When class sizes are large, it effects students in negative ways in their learning.
Each student needs the teacher to give them more than five minutes of attention to them when they are in class. In the article "How important is class size?"by GreatSchools Staff “Academic gains are not the only benefit of lowering class size. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that reducing class sizes in elementary schools may be more cost-effective than most public health and medical interventions. This is because students in smaller classes are more likely to graduate from high school, and high school graduates earn more and also enjoy significantly better health than high school dropouts.” The article is stating that children with a group of 20 students in class a sufficient for the students. Student can ask assistants form teacher without having to wait too long than in a lager class it becomes chaotic with too many students. In a smaller classroom student comprehend much more of the lesson and this will help student in the future from dropping out for school. This will improve with funding school hiring more teachers to have a functional