New research from the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences (CBS) produced some interesting insights for class sizes.

The new study points to the impact of class sizes on students' performance. Researchers found that smaller classes can help reduce performance gaps, especially in science or STEM.

Data collected from four institutions, which included exam grades and non-exam assessments, show that class sizes not only affect performance, but also have an influence on student attrition. Smaller classes can help bridge the achievement gap between male and female students, and between students with varying learning abilities.

The research, however, showed that the size of the class didn’t have any impact on underrepresented minorities who still underperformed.

Earlier this year, a paper written by economists at New York University, Duke University, and the University of Toronto showed that while parents loved the idea of reduced class size, education experts and lawmakers were not as enthusiastic.

The study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, focused on class sizes for elementary students in California in the 1990s. This was much-talked-about experiment, and it showed that class size reduction had positive and sustained effects on student achievement in California. It also stemmed the massive exodus to private schools in the state.

One would then wonder why more is not done to achieve this, or why there is so much opposition to reducing class sizes. There could be many reasons, but one simple reason is funding or the lack of it.

School districts’ budgets are already stretching thin, and they are facing a massive teacher shortage. Most administrators and states felt that class size reductions are too costly.

Districts would need more teachers, better resources and training materials to meet the increased number of classes. Funding K-12 education is a wholly different animal, and most feel that they do not have the bandwidth to fight multiple battles.

Currently, the U.S. has about 3.2 million teachers who serve 56.6 million public school students. Decreasing the pupil/teacher ratio would require hiring over 250,000 more teachers, which would in turn cost districts $12.4 billion per year in salaries.

Districts need to think about how to leverage teachers and resources. They want to impact students positively and increase teacher quality, but are not sure they can reduce the class sizes despite studies. Some districts hire associate teachers to deal with the increase in the number of students, which improves the student to teacher ratio. But this, too, depends on state funding.

In such cases, teachers will have to focus on group work and projects. This will give students an opportunity to interact with their instructors and lecture material. Inclusive teaching practices and a variety of in-class interventions will help minimize performance gaps.

Sifting through various studies, it can be gleaned that smaller class sizes are more beneficial for the early grades, especially kindergarten through third-grade. Middle and high school students can show positive academic achievement if they have well-qualified teachers.

Professional development for teachers, supports, and advanced teaching resources combined with a rigorous curriculum will determine the success or failure of class size reduction programs if applied. For districts that want to improve student achievement but lack funds might start by focusing on these resources.