[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: The Class Size Debate

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
The Class Size Debate
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1229061128.shtml


   There has been a spirited conversation or two in the comments about
   class sizes recently. Public school districts are continually obsessed
   with reducing class sizes.

     "In budget projections and planning for next year we knew we would
     have to find a minimum of $800,000 that would be cut from our
     facilities budget," said [District 281] Superintendent Stan F. Mack
     II. "This cut, coupled with increased revenue from the property tax
     levy, allows us to dedicate funds to the priorities of the
     community, including lower class sizes and partially restored
     after-school activities."

   I have spent considerable time trying to find compelling research to
   justify this obsession, but even with the help of a couple of loyal
   readers, I cannot.
   It seems to be like Smoking Ban. It's intuitive that second hand smoke
   should be harmful, only there are no significant studies predicting
   such consequences. Even the Minnesota Lung Association comes empty
   handed to the discussion.
   Maybe Light Rail is a better analogy. Again, it seems intuitive but
   benefits are limited and not justified by its high costs. Reducing
   class sizes can be expensive, too, and some argue that the return on
   that investment just isn't there compared to other alternatives.
   Intuition is not enough. Remember State Senator Dick Day's six week
   freeway ramp meter moratorium? I, too, expected a mess, only the
   opposite happened. However counter-intuitive, the only explanation was
   that the meters were themselves generating congestion, a problem, not
   a solution. This is the courage we need again, to try different class
   sizes in different settings and see if any trends emerge.
   Now I'm not talking about an overcrowded classroom, 35 students in a
   room built for 30. I'm questioning whether 26 is significantly better
   than 28, enough to justify closing a neighborhood school to pay for
   it.
   Until then, let's not again quietly accept unproven dogma as the basis
   for changes that clearly will affect the District.