Smaller classes work best in early grades, study says

Research shows that small classes are beneficial during a child’s earliest school years. But there is little evidence that shows a correlation between class size and student achievement beyond the third grade, education researchers say. The issue is coming up with Gov. John Baldacci’s sweeping reorganization plan for Maine’s school system. One of the plan’s proposals calls for less state funding for teacher salaries, resulting in higher student-teacher ratios in grades 6 through 12. Parents and teachers still prefer small classes, despite the study results. Read about it at boston.com.