A Strategic Response to Class Size Reduction: Combination Classes and Student Achievement in California

Autor/in	Sims, David
Titel	A Strategic Response to Class Size Reduction: Combination Classes and Student Achievement in California
Quelle	In: Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 27 (2008) 3, S.457-478 (22 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0276-8739
DOI	10.1002/pam.20353
Schlagwörter	Class Size; Scores; Rewards; Teaching Experience; Small Classes; Incentives; Primary Education; Mixed Age Grouping; Correlation; Achievement Tests; Elementary Schools; Teacher Qualifications; Age Differences; Heterogeneous Grouping; Homogeneous Grouping; Educational Policy; California + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Klassengröße; Reward; Belohnung; Anreiz; Primarbereich; Jahrgangsübergreifende Gruppe; Korrelation; Achievement test; Achievement; Testing; Test; Tests; Leistungsbeurteilung; Leistungsüberprüfung; Leistung; Testdurchführung; Testen; Elementary school; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrqualifikation; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Homogene Gruppierung; Niveaugruppierung; Streaming; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Kalifornien
Abstract	The California class size reduction program provided schools with cash rewards for K-3 classes of 20 or fewer students. I show how program rules made it possible for schools to save money by using mixed-grade classes to meet class size reduction obligations while maintaining larger average class sizes. I also show that this smoothing of students across grades is associated with a significant test score gap for certain second and third grade students. My estimates suggest that class size reduction may lead to lower test scores for students placed in combination classes. Alternative explanations of teacher experience and credentialing changes cannot explain the test score pattern. This result spotlights both the underappreciated role of age heterogeneity in classroom learning and the difficulty of replicating the success of policy experiments in statewide reform. (Contains 6 tables, 5 figures and 20 footnotes.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10