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PROJECT STAR
FINAL EXEcutIVE SUMMARY REPORT
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE
(1985-1989)
Elizabeth Word, Director
Charles M. Achilles
Helen Bain
John Folger
John Johnston.
Nan Linti
June 1990
Project START Office
Tennessee State Department ofEducation
Cordell Hull Building, Fourth Floor, North
Nashville, Tennessee 37219
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A. Final Executive Summary
B. Conclusions
C. Fact Sheets
D~ Charts (not available)
PROJECT STAR Final Executive Summary
Kindergarten Through Third Grade Results (1985-1989)
ThiS report presents the results of Teilnessee's four-year longitudinal.cIass-size project: Student Teacher
Achievement Ratio (STAR). This longitudinal study analyzed student achievement and development in
three class types: small classes (13-17 students per teacher), regular classes (22-25 students per teacher)
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and reguhir classes (22-25) with a full-time teacher aide. Project STAR followed students from
kindergarten (K) through gtade 3, starting in 1985-86 with kindergarten and ending in 1988-89 with third
grade. The project included 17 inner-city, 16 suburban, 8 urban, and 38 rutal schools in order to assess
the effects of class size in different school locations.
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A major' strength of the Project STAR study was the "within-school" design which required ,each school
to ha:ve at least 57 students at the appropriate grade level so that each school could contain at least one cif
each class type (smaIl, regular, and regular/aide). This design reduced major sources of possible 'Variation
in student achievement attributable to school effects. In each year of the study there were more than
6,00'0 students. The number varied for several reasons, including that kindergarten is not requited iii
Tennessee.
, the main focus of the study was on student achievement as measured by the appropriate,forms of the
Stanford Achievement Test (K-3) and STAR's (grades 1-2) BasicSkills Criterion Tests and Temlessee's
(grade 3) Basic Skills Criterion Tests. Student development was measured by the Self-Concept and
Motivation Inventory (SCAMIN),
STAR's kindergarten results showed a definite advantage for students in small classes in achievement and
no significant advantage for the use of a teacher aide. At then end of first grade, Project STAR students
in small classes were outperforming students in regular and in regular/aide classes by substaIitial
(statistically and educationally significant) margins on standardized tests and also 011 the Basic Skills
Criterion test of reading and math. This pattern continued in grades two and three as shown in Figures 1
arid 2.
Figures 3 and 4 show third grade total reading and total math scaled scotes and percentile ratlks by
,
location arid class type. The greatest advantage was for inner-city small classes. The highest scores in a all
class types were made in rural schools. The least advantage was for regular/aide classes in urban a'no
. suburban schools. Longitudinal results for the small (about 33 percent) subsample of students in the same
ciass size for two years (K-l) and three years (1-3) showed that the large and statistically significant gains
favoring the smaIl classes made in the first year (Le., K in the K-l comparison and grade 1 in the 1-3
comparison were maintained'.
Students in small classes in kindergarten had significantly higher self-concept scores. In grades 1 through
3 being in smaIl class did not have an impact on student self-concept or motivation. However, the
SCAMIN results revealed a statistically significant finding based upon school location. Inher-city
(predominantly minority) students had higher self-concept scores in grades 1 and 2, and in grade 3 they
also had higher motivation scores.
Based on four years of interviews, patterns emerged in kindergarten and continued through the third
grade. The following advantages were apparent for instruction in small and regular/aide classes:
1. basic instruction was completed more quickly, providing more time for covering additional basic
material,
2. lise of supplemental text and enrichment activities,
3. more in-depth instruction regarding the basic content,
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4. more frequent opportunities for children to engage in first-hand learning activities using concrete
materials,
5. increased use oflearning centers, and
6. increas'ed us'e of highly desirable primary grade practices.
improved individualiiation of instruction also emerged as a dominant theine in small and regular/aide
class teachers' perceptions. Teachers reported: 1) increased monitoring of stlident behavior and learning,
2) opportunities for more immediate and more individualized reteaching or enrichment, 3) more frequent
interactions with each child, 4) a better match between each child's ability and the instructional
opportunities provided, 5) a more detailed knowledge of each child's needs as a learner, and 6) the
necessary time to meet individual learner's needs using a variety of ~nstructional approaches, Significant
reduction of class site or the addition of a full-time teacher aide also made positive changes in the
physical, social, and emotional environments in primary grade classrooms. Classrooms were more
pleasant work environments for both teachers and students. Teachers and students were under less stress,
and learning occurred in a more relaxed atmosphere. Students were less likely to get lost in the crOWd.
Co'ndusions
The results of STAR are definitive enough to elicit the following statement by Dr. Jeremy Finn:
This research leaves no doubt that small classes have an advantage over larger classes in reading
and mathematics in the early primary grades. This experiment yields an unambiguous answer to the
questions of the existence of a class-size effect, as well as estimates of the magnitude of the effect
for early primary grades ..
These are strong words for research ineducation and are possibly due to the design and power of
Tennesse~ts Project STAR which has paid considerable attention to maintaining the required research
standards and controls.
. PROJECT STAR FACT SHEET
TENNESSEE'S K-3. CLASS SIZE STUDY
Robert Slavin, John Hopkins University; an AERA reactor, praised Project STAR's design arid integrity
and called it a "Watershed event" in research.
Jeremy Firin, State University ofNew York, an external consultant to the project, reported, "This
research leaves no doubt that small classes have an advantage dver larger classes in reading and
mathematics in the early primary grades."
THE SMALL CLASSES MADE THE HIGHEST SCORES ON THE STANFORD AC:m:EvMENT
TEST (SAT) AND BASIC SKILLS FIRST (BSF) TEST IN ALL FOUR YEARS (K-3) AND IN ALL
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LOCATIONS (RURAL, SUBUBAN, URBAN, INNER-CITY).
The GREATEST GAINS on the SAT were made in Inner-CITY SMALL classes.
the HIGHEST SCORES on the SAT and BSF were made in RtiralSMALL classes.
The Classes that scored in the top 10% on the SAT Total Reading are identified as follows:
18 of the top
22 of the top
23 of the top
25 of the top
33 classes were small in Kindergarten.
34 classes were 'small in First Grade.
34 classes were small in Second Grade.
32 classes were small in Third Grade.
, The only cdnsistent positive Regular/Aide class effect occurred in First Grade.
Inner-City (predominately minority) students in small classes always outscored inner-city students in
regular and regulatlaide classes. This suggests that small classes are very beneficial to minority students.
In every grade, every location, and every class type Non-Free Lunch students outperformed Free Luhch
students.
Non-Free Lunch Minorities in suburban small classes performed as well as Non-Free Lunch Whites.
Teachers reported that they prefer small classes in order to identify student needs and to provide more
individual attention, as well as to cover more material effectively.
The effective teacher research revealed certain teaching practices and characteristics that produce mbre
, effective learning:
o
o
o
o
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Creative Writing, Hands-On Experiences, Learning Centers, Use ofManipulatives
Goo'd Listener, Immediate Feedback, Monitoring, Preplanned Instruction, Well Organized
Assertive Discipline, High Expectations, Peer Tutoring, Reteaching
Effectivf! Communication with Parents, Love of Children
Enthusiasm, Flexibility, Patience, Sense ofHumor
Communication with parents will be more effective when teachers are trained in the folloWing skilis: ,
o Ability to establish effective communication with the home.
o Ability to involve the family in the education of their children.
o Ability to teach parents how to teach their children.
[j
Ability to make home visits.
IN ORDER FOR CLASS SIZE REDUCTION TO BE MOST COST EFFECT1VE,TEACIiERS
MUST POSSESS THESE CHARACTERISTICS AND BE TRAINED IN THESE PRACTICES.
Last uploaded on Monday, September 16 1996
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Andrew Rotherham - Education Series
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