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Education Commons

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2011

Kansas State University Libraries

Class size

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Education

A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Estimating Effect Size, James L. Phelps Sep 2011

A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Estimating Effect Size, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

The previous articles on class size and other productivity research paint a complex and confusing picture of the relationship between policy variables and student achievement. Missing is a conceptual scheme capable of combining the seemingly unrelated research and dissimilar estimates of effect size into a unified structure for policy analysis and decision making. This article builds a rationale for a unifying structure and consistent method of estimating effect size.


Another Look At The Glass And Smith Study On Class Size, James L. Phelps Sep 2011

Another Look At The Glass And Smith Study On Class Size, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

One of the most influential studies affecting educational policy is Glass and Smith’s 1978 study, Meta-Analysis of Research on the Relationship of Class Size and Achievement. Since its publication, educational policymakers have referenced it frequently as the justification for reducing class size.


Introduction To The Special Issue, Faith E. Crampton, David C. Thompson Sep 2011

Introduction To The Special Issue, Faith E. Crampton, David C. Thompson

Educational Considerations

We are pleased to share with you this special issue revisiting the research on the relationship between class size and student achievement, along with its implications for education policymakers and practitioners. For over half a century, researchers have struggled to identify those variables that contribute in significant ways to students’ academic success, and the resulting, voluminous literature is rife with contradictory results. At the same time, the positive results of class size research, which is part of the body of “production function” analysis, has received broad acceptance by policymakers, parents, and practitioners who believe “smaller is better.”


A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Considering Productivity-Related Research, James L. Phelps Sep 2011

A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Considering Productivity-Related Research, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

The basic notion underlying schooling is rather simple: Hire teachers to instruct students. From there, the tasks become more complicated. How many teachers should be employed? What assignments should the teachers be given, in the classroom or in a supporting role? What assistance should teachers receive from aides or volunteers?