11/01/99

Class Size Matters

Q: My son had an excellent year in first grade, but is really floundering in second. I think it's because his class is too big. The class size is 32 with no aide; even the principal says that's too many kids in one class, but hasn't done anything about it. I can't afford to send him to a private school. What can I do?

A: I agree with you that 32 second graders in one class represents a huge challenge to any teacher, even the most experienced. That's a lot of disparate learning needs and personalities to plan for.

Class size is a factor in educational outcomes, but isn't necessarily the deciding factor. A friend of mine who teaches first grade has told me that a lot depends on the "chemistry" of the personalities in the group. A class of 18 can present huge teaching challenges, too. She has had classes as large as 25 that have worked out fine. She, too, however, thinks that 32 is likely to be too many, even under the best of circumstances.

Here are some of the steps you, as a parent, can take.

1. Make an appointment with the Superintendent of Schools and go to a Board of Education meeting to make your objections heard. Most school districts have policies about class size that specify maximum numbers, especially in the early grades. Urge other parents to join you in your request for funds to hire another teacher or well-trained, experienced teacher's assistant for your child's class. Declare your objections and requests publicly at the meeting and also put them in writing for school officials to consider and respond to afterward. If no action is taken quickly, return to the next meeting and speak out again. Parents can exercise considerable influence in any school district. A letter to the editor or a feature article about the problem may also help you enlist public support.

2. Volunteer to help out. If your work schedule makes that impossible, find out if the teacher is willing to accept your help to organize parent volunteers from the class. Most of the work of recruiting can be done during nights and weekends. If the teacher and principal see that you and other parents are willing to help, I think they will make time to train volunteers so they can work effectively with the children.

3. Stay on top of your son's homework assignments so that you can be sure he isn't misunderstanding them. In such a large class, the students who misunderstand directions may not get feedback about their confusion as quickly as they need it. You, as a parent, can help prevent that from happening by reviewing your child's papers and supplementing instruction when necessary.

4. Talk with your son about the situation. Discuss some of the things he can do to help out, such as speak softly, wait patiently for his turn, help a friend who doesn't understand something that he does, or ask if he can come to school early or stay late for extra help from the teacher.

LINKS:

Does Class Size Matter?
Effects of Class Size on Learning
Class Size Reduction

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