Tennessee's class size study: Findings, implications, misconceptions

After years of debate, speculation and research, Tennessee's Project STAR p roduced clear answers to the question, "Do small classes result in improved academic achievement in the elementary grades?" This article describes the features that made STAR unique and summarizes the findings with regard to pupil performance and behavior: New analyses show the magnitudes of the "sm all-class advantage" during and after the 4-year experimental period. The p ositive findings of STAR have been greeted with enthusiasm by the education community and are providing impetus for class size reduction (CSR) efforts in many districts. At the same time, some detractors continue to oppose th e idea. Although they usually do not take issue with the strength of the ST AR design, they disagree that the findings warrant CSR initiatives in most cases. This article examines those arguments critically Finally, recommenda tions are offered for policymakers, education practitioners, and researcher s for using the information learned to date about the relationship of class size with students' academic achievement.