Class Size -- Do you think it matters?

Does class size matter?

This is the question often asked right before students are crammed into classrooms that do not have the capacity to hold them.

In order to address this issue, I will ask several other questions:

Which children will be affected the most if their teacher's attention is further divided? Which children will be affected the least?

How is any crowd affected when more people are added?

In considering that students complete individual work for teachers to grade, how much more time is to be spent on the evaluation of student work? Considering that most grading of student work is done "off the clock" on unbillable hours, is it preferable for a teacher to have to spend more time in order to give the additional student work more time, or is it preferable for a teacher to spend less time looking at student work because s/he is looking at more student work per hour?

Why do private schools consistently market smaller class size and more individualized attention as one of their major selling points?

What is the critical mass of students per class that can be considered acceptable? Does it depend on the type of class? Are some subjects more easily taught to larger groups while others require smaller groups?

Does the difference between 25 and 30 students feel more hectic than the difference between 20 and 25 students?


Studies show that reducing class size has an impact.

The links on this page come from scholarly journals. Peer-reviewed research. I'm also going to send you to the National Education Association page on the subject, because their position is well thought out and research-based. The teacher's unions are a professional organization and, regardless of anyone's opinions on what unions do or don't do, they are still professionals advocating for the legitimacy of their profession.

When I attended the community meeting on Monday night, I mentioned that a smaller class could make a difference for a student who doesn't come to school ready to learn (meaning, spoken to frequently, has books in the home, has people ready to pay attention to his/her work), and I was immediately told that class size doesn't matter, that a highly effective teacher is more important than class size.

The large question is, why does it have to be either-or? Why do we say that because a teacher has done a great job with a class of 22 kids, s/he should be fine with 27 or 30? Particularly in a situation where kids don't all come in ready to learn and with proper support? A class of 20 kids where 5 of them have social-emotional and/or learning issues may seem to be just as difficult as a class of 30 kids where only 1 or 2 have those issues, but what happens when, in that class of 30 kids, 3 more of those kids tire of waiting for help and attention and start to give up? What happens when, because a classroom is crowded, the same kids bump into each other one too many times?

Tonight I am attending a meeting about school climate and culture, and I am hoping to formulate some answers to this question. My son's school has a number of wonderful volunteers who help contribute to a positive climate, but it isn't the same as having an appropriate number of students per class. More to come.