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Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best
chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University
scholar.
The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of
class size over a period and for all levels of students. The study appears in the American Journal of Education.
He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that will
give official advice on class size to the states. He said the advice will mirror his research: the best plan is to
provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students) for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first
grade.
"For a long time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the
benefits," He said."I don't believe that. I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and
especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later."
His research used data (数据)from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class
size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school. He found that students who had been in small
classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than
students who been in larger classes early on.
Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found."But low-achievers
benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap (差距) with high -achievers in science, reading and
math," he said.
Although the study didn't consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely
due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers.
"This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with
more disadvantaged and low-performing students," he said.
1. The professor argues about _____.
A. the size of the class
B. the period of the class
C. the attention from teachers
D. the achievements of students
2. The result of the research shows that _____.
A. small classes for one year in early grade are enough
B. continuous small classes help students achieve more
C. it's best to attend small classes in kindergarten
D. small classes do equal good to students of all levels
3. What can we infer from the passage?
A. High achievers will not benefit from small classes.
B. Continuous small classes have not been widely accepted.
C. Low-achievers should be separated from high-achievers.
D. Teachers' attention matters less than classroom practices.
4. The underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refers to _____.
A. the gap between low and high achievers
B. continuous small classes
C. classroom practices in later grades
D. the Project Star Sturdy
