Researcher says smaller classes don't boost performance of low achievers

For 20 years, a large study of class size in Tennessee, known as Project STAR, has raised hopes that reducing the number of children in inner-city classrooms to 17 or fewer would yield significant increases in achievement. But a Northwestern University researcher, looking at the same data on thousands of students from kindergarten through third grade in 79 schools, has concluded that high achievers benefited more from the small classes than low achievers. The finding in the March issue of Elementary School Journal calls into question findings that class-size reduction might shrink the gap between rich and poor students.

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