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Meeting Date:
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9/18/2015 - 6:00 AM
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Category:
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Other Documents
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Type:
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Info
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Subject:
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Research on Class Size and Its Effects upon Student Achievement
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ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
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Objective 1.1
Educational Excellence ACPS will regularly assess and respond to the needs, interests, and abilities of individual students.
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Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable)
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File Attachment:
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Agenda Item Summary:
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During previous School Board discussions of policies related to elementary and secondary class size, Chairperson Karen Graf requested that a board brief be prepared on current research related to the impact of class size upon student achievement, engagement, and motivation. The attached is a synthesis of current research on these subjects.
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Background:
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Recommendation:
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Several implications for Board policy and regulations related to class size can be inferred from these studies:
• Smaller class sizes (especially those replicating the 15-1 ratio supported by the STAR study) are a potential intervention for addressing the achievement needs of gap groups such as students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency.
• The experimental and quasi-experimental studies cited reinforce that maximum benefits derived from smaller class sizes are most evident when the classroom instructor is versed in a range of research-based best practices in teaching, assessment, and classroom management.
• The studies were universal in asserting that the payoff from class-size reduction is larger for low-income and minority children while increases in class size may be harmful to these populations.
• According to the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: “Policymakers should carefully weigh the efficacy of class-size reduction policy against other potential uses of funds. While lower class size has a demonstrable cost, it may prove the more cost-effective policy overall.”
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Susan Neilson - Clerk
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Signed By:
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Alvin Crawley - Superintendent
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