Class Size
CAPS supports well-planned and gradually implemented class-size reduction initiatives for several reasons.
Since the mid-1990s, there has been a growing consensus among academic researchers that, under certain conditions, smaller class sizes improve academic achievement and other important outcomes. A growing body of experimental and survey research indicates that class size reduction in kindergarten through third grade is particularly beneficial to minority and low-income students.
This fact has been long recognized by students, parents, teachers and the public who believe that smaller classes are beneficial for all students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Smaller class sizes are often cited as a primary reason why families move to different public school districts or choose to send their children to private or charter schools. Teachers value the greater opportunity for individualized attention and instruction of students that results from the reduction in time required for managing large classes.
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