Class size affects more than just the students

Cathy Estes

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 | 4:17 p.m.

The state of Nevada, following the lead of many other states, started a class-size reduction program in the 1990-91 school year. Class-size reduction programs are nothing new, and few people would disagree with the academic benefits our primary children gain from smaller student-to-teacher ratios in the classroom.

But there are other advantages to smaller class sizes that are more difficult to measure than student performance on standardized and curriculum-based tests.

As class sizes continue to grow in Clark County, many people in all areas of education are becoming more concerned about teacher morale. Many teachers leave our profession after only a few years to pursue other careers often due to the heavy demands from large class sizes. This leaves the School District with the need to hire and train more teachers.

With class sizes well above 30, teachers are having a hard time devoting enough time to each student. Instructional strategies are being adapted to accommodate the larger numbers. For example, it is more difficult to implement student-centered activities such as learning centers in a classroom of 35 because of space and time constraints.

Conferencing with individual students to set academic goals can take several days. It is also more difficult to keep track of how each of our students are doing on the learning task of the moment.

I mention teacher morale because these constraints are making teachers feel like they are not as effective as we could be in helping individual students make progress. Most of the teachers I know are very devoted to their students and spend many hours outside of the classroom perfecting their craft. Our large class sizes result in our students receiving less individual attention, and I believe this is having an adverse effect on teacher morale.

Teachers also know that it is much more difficult to manage a larger class because they find themselves spending more time dealing with off-task behavior. Instructional time is given up more often to classroom management in order to deal with the increase in disruptive behavior from larger classes.

In smaller classes, there are fewer students to distract each other. Reduced class size also reduces the noise level in the classroom. It is easier for teachers to foster a family environment in smaller classes, which helps students develop better relationships with each other.

Of course class-size reduction alone does not create a positive and productive learning environment. A research-based rigorous curriculum and dedicated, well-qualified teachers are essential for the success of our students. But I, for one, believe that our growing class sizes will have a long-lasting negative impact on our School District if nothing is done to stop this upward trend.

Cathy Estes is a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Vanderburg Elementary School. She can be reached c/o the Home News, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 or [email protected].