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Class Size and Student Achievement: Experimental Estimates of Who Benefits and Who Loses from Reductions

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  • Ding, Weili
  • Lehrer, Steven

Abstract

Class size proponents draw heavily on the results from Project STAR to support their initiatives. Adding to the political appeal of these initiative are reports that minority and economic disadvantaged students received the largest benefits. To explore and truly understand the heterogeneous impacts of class size on student achievement requires more flexible estimation approaches. We consider several semi and nonparametric strategies and find strong evidence that i) higher ability students gain the most from class size reductions while many low ability students do not benefit from these reductions, ii) there are no significant benefits in reducing class size from 22 to 15 students in any subject area, iii) no additional benefits from class size reductions for minority or disadvantaged students, iv) significant heterogeneity in the effectiveness of class size reductions across schools and in parental and school behavioural responses.

Suggested Citation

  • Ding, Weili & Lehrer, Steven, 2005. "Class Size and Student Achievement: Experimental Estimates of Who Benefits and Who Loses from Reductions," Queen's Economics Department Working Papers 273516, Queen's University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:quedwp:273516
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.273516
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Rodrigues, Clarissa Guimarães & Rios-Neto, Eduardo Luiz Gonçalves & de Xavier Pinto, Cristine Campos, 2013. "Changes in test scores distribution for students of the fourth grade in Brazil: A relative distribution analysis for the years 1997–2005," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 227-242.
    3. Ryan Bosworth, 2014. "Class size, class composition, and the distribution of student achievement," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 141-165, April.
    4. Weili Ding & Steven Lehrer, 2011. "Experimental estimates of the impacts of class size on test scores: robustness and heterogeneity," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 229-252.
    5. Trine Filges & Christoffer Scavenius Sonne‐Schmidt & Bjørn Christian Viinholt Nielsen, 2018. "Small class sizes for improving student achievement in primary and secondary schools: a systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(1), pages 1-107.
    6. Anton Bekkerman & Gregory Gilpin, 2011. "Cost-Effective Hiring in U.S. High Schools: Estimating Optimal Teacher Quantity and Quality Decisions," Caepr Working Papers 2011-007, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Economics Department, Indiana University Bloomington.
    7. Graham J. McKee & Steven G. Rivkin & Katharine R.E. Sims, 2010. "Disruption, Achievement and the Heterogeneous Benefits of Smaller Classes," NBER Working Papers 15812, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Fan, Yanqin & Park, Sang Soo, 2010. "Confidence sets for some partially identified parameters," MPRA Paper 37149, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Meghir, Costas & Rivkin, Steven, 2011. "Econometric Methods for Research in Education," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & Stephen Machin & Ludger Woessmann (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 1, pages 1-87, Elsevier.
    10. Gregory A. Gilpin & Anton Bekkerman, 2012. "Cost-effective hiring in US high schools: estimating optimal teacher quantity and quality decisions," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(14), pages 1421-1424, September.
    11. Rui Wang, 2023. "Point Identification of LATE with Two Imperfect Instruments," Papers 2303.13795, arXiv.org.

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    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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