Benefits and Costs of K-12 Education Policies

This morning the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/, presented their findings about the benefits and costs of K-12 education policies to the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. Senator McAuliffe presided at the work session and ask most of the questions. The results of the review of 38 statistically-sound studies indicate class size reductions:

(1) Boost test scores in the K through second grade
(2) Raise scores but less so in grades 3 through 6
(3) Have little or no impact at the middle and high school levels
(4) Benefit low-income students

My personal take on these findings are two fold. First, the study didn't come to the conclusion about the ideal class size but only the impact of how changing the class size by one student per class changes test scores. That begs the larger question, "What is the ideal class size to get the most student growth?" Second, as a high school principal I have seen the same class taught by the same teacher where, because of a scheduling quirk, one class had less than 15 students while the other classes were over 25. Class size did not make any difference in student success when the instruction was the same in large and small classes. I believe class size can make a difference in student achievement only when instruction is more personalized because of fewer students to teach.

The economics of reducing the class size across the state by one student per class would be over $200 million. There must be a better way to get more bang for the buck than by reducing any class by one!