Policy Brief - Class Size: What's the Best Fit?

By W. Steven Barnett, Karen Schulman, and Rima Shore
NIEER Policy Brief (Issue 9, December 2004)

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Summary

Is there a link between class size and the quality of preschool? Do the gains to children in the form of more individual attention and fewer stressful interactions outweigh the costs of reducing class size? This policy brief examines how class size and staff-child ratios affect quality, educational effectiveness, and cost of preschool programs.

Policy recommendations include gradually phasing in class size reductions, accompanied by adequate financial support.

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