Small Class Sizes Reconsidered
Posted on September 6th, 2010 by Jaimie Schock
States across the country have long supported cutting classroom size to enhance learning. But given the tough economic climate and continuing state budget cuts, that trend is likely to be reversed, with class sizes expected to inch back up. A bad thing? Maybe not.
Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on Small Class Sizes Reconsidered
Tags: Education Policy, Elementary Education, Public Policy, Research on Learning
If you’re young, gifted, and male, will your talents be overlooked? In New York City, boys comprise 51 percent of the student population; but in the city’s gifted kindergarten classes, fifty-six percent of the students are female, the New York Times reports. While boys have long lagged behind girls in high school graduation rates and college enrollment, educators fear that this new finding may suggest that gender disparity starts at a very early age, according to the Times.
Propel McKeesport is a charter elementary school in suburban Pittsburgh with a rather impressive record. Last year, 100 percent of its 5th and 6th graders scored proficient or advanced in math on state assessment tests. That would be a great result in just about any school. But, 85 percent of Propel’s 385 students are from low-income families, 73 percent are minorities, and 13 percent have special needs.
The Derby school district, near Wichita, Kansas, will lead the nation by being the first to offer the engineering classes at an elementary school. 
