Class-size reduction, or CSR, is enormously popular with parents, teachers, and the public in general. The latest poll results indicate that 77 percent of Americans think that additional educational dollars should be spent on smaller classes rather than higher teacher salaries. Many parents believe that their children will benefit from more individualized attention in a smaller class and many teachers find smaller classes easier to manage.
However there is surprisingly little high-quality research on the effects of class size on student achievement in the United States. The credible evidence that does exist is not consistent, and there are many low-quality studies with results all over the map.
In this brief from the Center for American Progress, Matthew Chingos explores the current research on class size reduction and performs a cost-benefit analysis of the strategy. Chingos concludes that even assuming the largest class-size effects, CSR is still not a viable strategy due to costs.
To read the full brief, see http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/04/pdf/class_size.pdf
