School Class Size
It is a generally excepted well researched fact that smaller class sizes have a positive effect on individual academic achievement. There are numerous studies that have came to the previously stated conclusion. Listed below are a few of the research studies;
1. Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Study by state of Tennessee (1985 – 1989)
2. Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) State of Wisconsin (1996 – 1997)
3. SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (several years, several studies)
The previously listed studies are only a tiny sampling of the studies that have been completed on this subject. The most telling aspect of all of these programs is that they all recommend at the very most an 18:1 ratio between students and teachers. One study in particular should be more interesting to us by virtue of where it was completed. The STAR Study was actually completed here in Tennessee. A summary of the findings of this study as well as some details as to how it was completed is found below;
STAR STUDY
Approximately 11,600 students and 1,300 teachers in 76 schools and 42 districts took part in the experiment, making the result- ing scientific evidence among the most credible available. At each grade level, kindergarten to third grade, a controlled study was conducted to test whether small classes of 13 to 17 students had a positive impact on student achievement (relative to regular-sized classes of 22 to 26 students). This study ran for 4 years.
FINDINGS SUMMARY
STAR data indicated that small classes led to statistically significant improvements in reading and mathematics, and benefits were greatest for students who started in small classes early (full-day kindergarten or first grade).
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS:
1. At each grade level (K-3), and across all school locations, the small classes made the highest scores on the norm-referenced Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) and the criterion- referenced Basic Skills First Test (BSF). These results were both statistically and educationally significant.
2. Small classes located in the inner-city schools made the greatest gain scores on the SAT.
3. Small classes located in rural schools made the highest SAT and BSF scores.
4. The only consistent positive regular-aide class effect occurred in first grade.
5. Teachers reported that small classes helped them to better identify student needs, allowed them to provide more individual attention, and enabled them to effectively cover more material.
With all that said, we come to the actual heart of this ramble. I am wondering why we have a classes in our county schools that have 30+ children in them.
I know that staffing additional teaching positions is an expensive thing, however I do not think that there is any price I would say was “too much” for my child’s education. I have been approached to sell thousands and thousands of units of overpriced items with questionable usefulness during my children’s tenure in our school system. I have never once been asked how the money should be spent or at the very least told what it was spent on. I am also, like most everyone else, a tax payer. I have no influence as to what is deemed worthy of the funding that we so willingly provide. I am however truly effected by it. Society itself it effected by the quality of the education our children, nieces, nephews, grand children and friends kids receive. I do not think it much to ask our school administration to crunch the numbers and come up with a way to try and eliminate any class size over say 18 students. We need to complain. Long and Loud. Nothing will happen unless we do.
In: Education, Whining · Tagged with: awesome, call to action, education, pitch, ridiculous, statistics, whining
How schools could use social networks?
I was at a parent / teacher conference the other day and was struck by a great idea. Why don’t schools capitalize on social networking sites? Let’s face it kids spend a lot more time on facebook and twitter than they do working on their homework. A teacher could make a facebook page dedicated to his / her respective class. There could be weblinks posted to good online tutorials created by the teacher or by others. Plenty of these exist right now going all the way from simple multiplication all the way to doctorate level thesis’ on Quantum Mechanics. The possibilities are endless. On facebook your intended audience is going to be hanging out and chatting for hours anyway, why not give them the option to socially interact while they are polishing up on their academic skills. Utilizing the quiz creation ability one could even make quizzes that the students can take. Those quizzes could even be used for getting extra credit for students that are having a hard time. More than likely those students hopefully would be the intended target of the program.
There are so many other ways that social networks could be utilized in the school systems. There are only a few downsides / practical hurdles that I can foresee with some thing like this;
1. The kids that do not access to the internet would be getting denied a service that the other kids are partaking of, a service that can effect grades.
2. Teachers are really busy already, asking them to try and maintain a social networking site for their subjects is probably a little much
3. Doing anything that can effect grades where the actual testing is taking place in a remote environment can allow cheating and general dishonesty.
Anyway…my posts are usually more structured and thought out..but it is late and I am really sleepy. Good night Til next time.
