ERIC Number: EJ839254
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Jun
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-7757
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Kindergarten Classroom Size Reduction on Second Grade Student Achievement: Evidence from California
Funkhouser, Edward
Economics of Education Review, v28 n3 p403-414 Jun 2009
Because classroom size reduction (CSR) and standards based testing were implemented at the same time in California during the mid-1990s, it is difficult to isolate the effects of classroom size on outcomes from the effects of curriculum changes. As a result, the main comparison in this paper is very specific--the effect of reduced sized kindergarten classrooms on test performance in second grade. The main result of the paper is that the effect of classroom size reduction is small, especially when compared to the other determinants of student achievement at the second grade level. There is a very small effect of classroom size reduction on student achievement in reading and math, and no effect in language and spelling. Of the two offsetting effects of CSR controlling for spending--the direct effect of smaller classes and the indirect effect on teacher quality, the class-size effect is larger. Over time, the negative effect on teacher quality is reduced as new teachers gain experience and credentials. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Correlation, Teacher Effectiveness, Academic Achievement, Kindergarten, Grade 2, Longitudinal Studies, Economics, Educational Finance, Data Analysis, Educational Policy, Policy Analysis, Program Effectiveness, Class Size, Standardized Tests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 2; Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A