There is a lot to say about the issue of class size. The consensus among education researchers is that smaller class sizes can matter in some situations, but teacher quality is incredibly important. It is silly to conclude that every public school student in the state will “take a hit” by adding an average of two students to their classrooms.
But it is most important to acknowledge that the significant reduction in average class size over the last 40 years has not produced increases in student performance. In Evidence, Politics, and The Class Size Debate, Eric Hanushek argues,
Perhaps the most astounding part of the current debates on class size reduction is the almost complete disregard for the history of such policies. Pupil-teacher ratios fell dramatically throughout the 20th century. Table 2-1 shows that pupil-teacher ratios fell by a third between 1960 and 1995 ? exceeding the magnitude of policy changes that most people are talking about today. With such substantial changes, one would expect to see their effect in student performance. Yet it is impossible to detect any overall beneficial effects that are related to these sustained increases in teacher intensity.
In 1960, classrooms had an average of nearly 26 students. By 1990, classrooms had an average of just over 17 students.
