Most-Clicked: Is Smaller Better?

Budget cuts in California will mean fewer teachers and bigger class sizes for many. Last weeks most-clicked SmartBrief news story asked whether smaller class sizes really make a difference in academic achievement and pointed to studies that showed mixed responses. While early research pointed to the effectiveness of a lower teacher-to-student ratio, later studies were less conclusive.

The benefits of smaller class sizes seem like a no-brainer, but critics contend that staffing smaller classes often means hiring uncredentialed teachers to work in the highest-need schools and that small classes benefit high achievers more than low-achieving students.

We've got a whole issue of Educational Leadership magazine debating class size, with most authors favoring smaller, but what's your take on this debate?