General Support for Class Size
“Of course class size is important. You have to find the child before you can teach the child (Archived… 2000).” Though this opinion may seem radical to most people, you can see the underlying theme in the argument. Smaller classes allow students to have more personalized, individual attention from teachers. Many teachers and smaller class size advocates believe that such classes will allow for more constructive group activities, strengthen students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills, and accommodate for a wide range of learning paces. These advocates also believe that a reduced student to teacher ratio will give teachers more time to be innovative and develop new ideas, lead class discussions to further understanding, and give more practice exercises. For parents who want the best education for their children, these proposed effects of small class size make you wonder where the hard evidence is to back them.
Project STAR
Case studies have been key in generating research information on the effects of smaller class size. Similar results have been attained from studies in Tennessee, California and Wisconsin. Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) in Tennessee is “one of the most important educational investigations ever carried out (HEROS, 2001).” In 1985 the Tennessee passed the proper legislation to put into effect a four year class size study of students in grades K-3, using three million state dollars. The study chose a cross section of inner city, suburban and rural schools to participate as experimental and comparison groups. The groups were divided into classrooms with small enrollment (13-17 children), regular enrollment (22-25 children), and regular en...
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The growing case for smaller classes.(2001). American Teacher v.85(no.8), p.2.
Retrieved 10/9/01 from WilsonSelect database. This short resource takes a general look at project STAR in Tennessee. It also discusses how to close the racial achievement gap.
Study confirms value of small class size.(2001). American Teacher v.85(no.6), p.2.
Retrieved10/6/01 from WilsonSelect database. This resource discusses project SAGE. It describes why class size reduction was successful in Wisconsin.
Toch, T.(1997). Does class size matter?. U.S. News & World Report v.123, p.22-5.
Retrieved 10/9/01 from WilsonSelect database. This periodical discusses whether or not class size matters in achievement. This resource discusses class size in specific cases in which class size matters. It takes a look at Tennessee and California class size reduction initiatives.
In 1986, the Tennessee legislature commissioned the Tennessee Class Size Experiment to determine if class size made a difference in achievement for disadvantaged students. After studying 79 different schools in 42 school districts for 4 years, the researchers found that class size only had an effect on students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and that effect was minute. The impact was only on reading, not math, and smaller classes did not help disadvantaged students. A 2002 study of New York City schools showed that smaller schools, not smaller classes, had an effect on student success.
The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
The genocides in Rwanda and Nazi Germany are just two examples of how the world sat back and watched as masses of innocent people were killed. Both were a result of political powers wishing to solidify control and create a better society, through the mass killings of those who were taught to be enemies of the state and sub-humans. Both relied on the use of propaganda to control knowledge common people had access to, thus controlling them. The differing methods of mass killing was a result of the varying reasons for killing, resources available, and power of the party in charge. The rest of the world can and should learn through these acts of hate that any unjust killing must be stopped, as country’s internal affairs can not be allowed to include massacres of innocent people.
Although I live in a small city, the class sizes at my school are large. My larger classes have made it difficult to get the individual help I want, and I know from past experiences that I function at a higher level in a smaller classroom setting. Flagler’s smaller class sizeof 17/1 is very important to me and will benefit to my success.
Since horses were the key to a family’s livelihood, they took the time to care for their horses’s hooves because if their horse went lame, they were in trouble. When looking at hoof structure we see that hooves are prone to wearing down on hard ground, and they cannot grow fast enough to beat the wearing down. When horses suddenly went lame, I’m sure it was a surprise to families - and then they had to learn how to counteract the wearing down of the hoof.
Throughout my educational experience not once did I ever come to think about how much of a difference the size of class makes. As I sit here thinking about how much of a difference my education would have been if the class sizes were smaller. I remember sitting still in class as I observed my teacher pressing against her temples stressed out because her class of thirty-one wasn’t listening to the instructions. “Kids if you can just please listen to me and stop hiding so we can start class.” Mrs. Robles exclaimed. Not a day went by where she did not mention how big this class was and how many kids were crammed into her small classroom as she went over her material. Regardless of it being presented with such normality we are unaware of how much of a problem it has been. In fact, this has been a problem with over 40 states in America and they have all carried out a ruling that entails smaller classes for academic and disciplinary reasons. Throughout the following essay I
In the United States today, there are over 9.2 million horses throughout the country, with each of the fifty states harboring over twenty thousand head of horses. The Equine population consists of many of the three-hundred fifty breeds that are present in the world. However, a certain breed holds a special place in the heart of the United States: the American Quarter Horse. This authentic American breed of horse was first developed in the seventeenth century, crossed between colonial Spanish mares and the high-end English Thoroughbred studs. The New World colonists soon found themselves with an extremely athletic, quick-footed horse, and they were soon found frequently on the racetrack. A flaw was soon found in the new flashy breed, though.
Horses are used for lots of things!One thing they are used for today is competing. Whether you are competing in horse sports or just competing to have fun. Another thing horses are used for today is pleasure riding. When I say pleasure riding I mean just going on a ride with your friends or just taking a break from whatever else you’re doing. In the past people used horses for pleasure riding, like we do today. We do not use them for farming as much as the people in the past did. Back when we didn’t have all the ostentatious technology for our armies to use, we used war horses. One thing that is identical between today and the past is using horses a lot, as they did in the past.
In today’s world, it is of the utmost importance to learn from mistakes of the past. Certain events, especially tragedies that could have been avoided, hold within them the lessons and wisdom that should be used to prevent similar disasters. The 1994 Rwandan genocide resulted in over 800, 000 deaths of the Tutsi people, at the hands of the Hutu; the genocide, and the international response to it, is a lesson about the humanitarian responsibilities, successes, and shortcomings of the United Nations.
...ned. A group study published by the Teachers College Record Journal compares high school students who attended small classes to those who did not. The results reveal that students who participated in smaller classes were “2.5 months ahead in all school subjects, and as much as five months ahead in some, compared to their counterparts who attended regular classes” (Finn et al. 168). Similar research supports that idea that small classes produce even greater long-term benefits when class-size reduction is extended for additional years during primary education. Longitudinal studies reveal that a longer duration in small class primary education equates to more considerable, enduring benefits in secondary education (Finn et al. 166). The seemingly short-term participation in class-size reduction enhances a student’s entire academic career and chance for achievement.
Class sizes in America have been on a constant rise for years now, with little help from a budget, and almost no recovery from a slumping economy, which brings to light the age-old discussion; does class size really matter? With class sizes rising at a constant rate there is also no relief for students. There are many students who tend to struggle in certain subjects, and a smaller class could mean more individual time with a teacher and that could help improve their knowledge and comprehension of the subject. Our students are in classes day in and day out that are simply too big for even the finest teachers to handle, which impairs each individual’s learning. Therefore if teachers had fewer students this would enable them to give more individual teaching time to each student. Class size is important, and it has a large impact on our student’s education and that is why class size should be cut, specifically in Pre-K to third grade classes or classes which serve the most “at-risk” students.
Districts have to think about if it is worth the money to reduce class sizes, and if there is enough proof that students are academically better off in smaller class size rather than larger classes. According to Matthew Chingos and Grover Whitehurt authors of Class Size: What Research Says and What It Means for State Policy, “Increasing the pupil/teacher ratio in the U.S. by one student would save at least $12 billion per year in teacher salary cost alone” (Chingos, Whitehurt). Why would districts want to pay for the creation of smaller classes when they could save more by just adding more students to a class? This goes to show that there should not be a price tag on someone’s education. Why put more on a teacher’s plate just to save money? With the result from the Student Teacher Ratio, it is hard for districts to say that having smaller class sizes is not the way to spend money. If the districts spent the money on the class size reduction, they would not have to worry about an annual cost, because once small classes are set in place, the districts do not have to continue to pay. According to the National Education Association (NEA), having class size reductions do not only involve money but also create “improved health, less Medicaid coverage, lower crime rates, and fewer welfare recipients” (Class Size Reduction: A Proven Strategy). So, the districts should also look at this before being concerned to where their money goes. The district’s money, according to the NEA, is going into these students who will live a better life later on when they are out of school and into the real
Five million years ago, one-toed, horse-like- grazers were the first in the form as Equus, today’s only living species. Evolution quickly shifted from the New World to the Old, where modern species of zebras and asses appeared. (Horses, Zebras, and Asses, 2009) In the early 20th century, paleontologies realized that the pattern in horse evolution was a further complex tree with a number of “side branches” a few lead to extinct species while others were closely related to the species Equus. (MacFadden,
Horseback riding can be traced back more than 15,000 years. The Romans used horses for chariot racing during Medieval Times. Jousting was another sport used during the Medieval Times. Thus consisted of horses running face to face and the riders, with swords, fighting to the riders death. Equines were used for transportation as well as part of war and agriculture. Indians used horses for transportation more than 3,000 years ago. Farmers used horses to plow fields for crops, before the invention of tractors and plows. Equines were used for many forms of transportation, such as delivering mail and hauling wagons for moving families. Arabians (the breed) were used for endurance, in the desert, because of the horses high stamina and excessive strength with lack of water. Draft horses were used for farming and and plowing. Because of their size, they can haul and pull more weight than an ordinary horse ("The Use of Horses," n.d.).
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.