Class size conclusions questioned
Cariboo Press
Fri 02 Sep 2005
Page: 0008
Section:
Penticton Western - Community
Byline:
Source:

BRIAN JONSON

News Staff Reporter

A recent survey that shows a tenuous link between class size and student
performance doesn't tell the whole story, says School District No. 67 teacher
Mike Kimmis.

Yvan Guillemette from the C.D. Howe Institute
recently released a paper that reviewed research on class size and student
achievement. Based on several American studies and one Canadian study, it
concludes smaller class sizes above Grade 1 and kindergarten do not result in
improved student performance.

A 1970s study carried out by the Toronto Board of Education showed class
sizes of 16, 23, 30 or 37 had little or no impact on Grade 4 and 5 students'
achievement in art, composition, vocabulary, reading and math problem solving,
although it did affect teachers' attitudes and expectations.

At the kindergarten and Grade 1 level, when children first learn to handle
the classroom setting, there is some benefit to smaller classes, it found.

It also suggests other factors, including the quality of teachers, plays a
more significant role in improving student achievement than class size and that
the millions being invested to reduce class size would be better spent on
teacher training. It goes on to say some data shows smaller classes at higher
levels may actually be detrimental, noting that in 2003 Canadian Grade 10 math
students reported more class disruption in classes with between 15 and 29
students than in classes of 30 or more.

Kimmis collected statistics from School District No. 67 last year as part of
a presentation he made during the budget planning process for 2005-06.

His research documented class size and composition in 250 classrooms and
included anecdotal evidence about the effect these class sizes had on teachers.

He said that conclusions drawn in the paper are flawed and overlook other
research that shows student achievement improving as class sizes decline.

More recent research carried out at the University of Alberta does show an
improvement in student achievement in lower class sizes, he said

"It's one of those research things where you can find the research to back up
your opinion," he said.

Another problem with the paper is that much of it relies on standardized
tests to measure student achievement, which is not what they are designed to do,
he said. Results on such tests are more closely related to a students' home
environment than class size.

"Standardized achievement tests are correlated quite highly to socioeconomic
class, so people who come from homes that have enriched environments tend to do
better on standardized achievement, " he said.

The research also overlooks factors other than class size which affect
student performance, such as class composition, he said.

Kimmis' research in this district showed that of the 250 classes surveyed in
2004-05, 143 classes had two or more special needs students, an average of 3.8
special needs students per class.

"We know in the last year that we've had up to as many as 10 special needs
students in one classroom at the intermediate and secondary levels and that has
a profound effect on the amount of resources that classroom teacher needs," he
said.

Though some education research has suggested that 22 is the ideal class size,
it is not realistic to expect that to happen overnight, said Kimmis.

District information shows that no kindergarten classes last year had more
than 22 students and that most were smaller. All elementary school classes had
24 or fewer students. The average class size in middle schools was 26.9, up 0.9
from last year, while the average secondary school class size was 25.3, down
from 26.2.

The bigger problem in this province is that instead of parents, district
staff and teachers working out a size that suits this district, the province has
taken a "one-size-fits-all" approach, he said.

Moreover, the workload created by larger classes with more special needs
students pushes older teachers out of the profession early, leaving both
students and younger teachers without the benefit of their experience, he said.

"That's the scary part is we lose good teachers to retirement, not because
they don't want to teach anymore and don't love what they do, but they can't
handle having fewer resources to manage more students, " he said. "There isn't a
teacher I talk to that hasn't been affected by this at some level."

Copyright 2003 penticton

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Length: 721 words