Class Size

Get insights into how class size impacts teaching and student learning
Illustration of an old phone with a home on one side and students on the other
Eva Vázquez for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion Smaller Classes Serve a Larger Purpose
Smaller classes could help bridge the gap between home and school, writes former teacher Marc Vincenti.
Marc Vincenti, October 24, 2017
4 min read
A multi-ethnic group of preschool students is sitting with their legs crossed on the floor in their classroom. The mixed-race female teacher is sitting on the floor facing the children. The happy kids are smiling and following the teacher's instructions. They have their arms raised in the air.
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Early Childhood Preschool Class Size—Within Reason—Doesn't Matter, Study Finds
Only child-to-teacher ratios of 7.5 to 1 or lower, or class sizes of 15 children or fewer, were linked to benefits for children.
Christina A. Samuels, August 4, 2017
2 min read
Learning Disabilites Exist, Just Not in Summer School: ELLs and students with disabilities need year-round support
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Special Education Opinion Learning Disabilities Exist, Just Not in Summer School
Special education accommodations and other supports for students in summer school are an overlooked necessity, writes teacher Adam Feinberg.
Adam Feinberg, June 15, 2017
5 min read
School Climate & Safety Opinion Can We Trust Policymakers to Make Good Decisions for Schools?
Can we trust policymakers to make beneficial decisions for schools? Can we rely on their deep understanding of the issues, their moral compass, their desire to craft policy for the common good?
Nancy Flanagan, May 4, 2017
4 min read
Federal Educators Oppose Trump Plan to Scrap Teacher-Support Program
Elimination of $2.3 billion in Title II grants to districts under the Trump administration's proposed budget could hamper ESSA implementation, program supporters say.
Alyson Klein, April 3, 2017
5 min read
Seventh grader Porter Schembri helps build raised garden beds at the Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School.
Seventh grader Porter Schembri helps build raised garden beds at the Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School.
Barry Gutierrez for Education Week
Teaching In Charter School Era, Montessori Model Flourishes
Public Montessori schools are springing up around the country, as new research raises questions about how the model will fit with states' and districts' test-focused accountability systems.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 26, 2016
7 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Detroit Seeks Injunction Against Teacher Sickouts
A judge last week denied the Detroit district's request for a temporary restraining order to prevent teachers from staging mass sickouts that have forced the cancellation of classes for thousands of students. A hearing was scheduled for early this week on the district's case against the teachers' union and others.
Denisa R. Superville, January 26, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Los Angeles Teachers Land 10 Percent Raise in Tentative Agreement
After nearly a year of negotiations, the Los Angeles school district has reached a tentative agreement with the teachers' union, settling on a deal that would increase teacher salaries by 10 percent.
Jordan Moeny, April 21, 2015
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Bigger Classes for Better Teachers? Not So Fast, Report Says
A recent report suggested that districts could cut costs by increasing salaries for effective teachers who are willing to take on larger classes, but a review of that report says that the idea has significant flaws.
Jordan Moeny, April 13, 2015
2 min read
Teaching Letter to the Editor High-Quality Instruction, Not Differentiation, Is the Key
To the Editor:
James R. Delisle has earned our congratulations for calling out differentiated instruction as a fad that is simply not workable in real classrooms. Likewise, he has earned an equal amount of criticism from us for his conclusion that we must return to tracking and homogeneous classrooms to meet students' needs.
January 20, 2015
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Education Measures on Ballot in 11 States
School funding, class size, and governance are among the issues facing voters on various education-focused state initiatives, referendums, and amendments.
Lauren Camera, October 7, 2014
4 min read
Assessment Report Roundup Education Reforms
Americans favor smaller class sizes and technology over education reforms such as vouchers and merit pay for teachers, says a new survey from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.
January 14, 2014
1 min read
Education Funding Opinion America's Most Deceptive Governor
North Carolina may have the most deceptive governor in America. He says one thing, but his actions are much different.The public schools are suffering major setbacks under his leadership.
John Wilson, August 26, 2013
5 min read
Assessment Opinion Teachers Need Action Along With Appreciation
This is Teacher Appreciation Week and tomorrow is National Teacher Day. It is time to take action to restore respect, autonomy, and responsibility to teachers for their profession.
John Wilson, May 6, 2013
2 min read