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At the Mother
Mary School in Phenix City, Alabama, classes are small—very small.
9-year-old Akira Rutledge says, “We have eight students.”
8-year-old Deuandre Elam says, “Oh like ten—like ten
kids.”
New research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology
shows that kids who had small classes from kindergarten
through third grade ended up twice as likely to graduate from high
school.
10 year-old Donald Hunt says, “If you have a question to
ask the teacher, you can just raise your hand and she will come
to you.”
Researchers say one-on-one attention helps kids perform better
in reading and math. Also, kids in small classes are more
likely to believe learning is fun, and to carry that attitude forward.
9-year-old Lateria Gill says, “My class, it has 12 students,
and it’s fun because we can have fun with each other. No
one’s mean.”
8 year-old Morgan Powell says, “I have a lot of friends
in my class, the whole class is my friends.”
Principal Sister Cecelia Harrison says, “We know all of
our children by name. So we call them by name. So they are special.”
Educators used to believe only one year of small class sizes
would be enough to make a lasting difference. But this new research
shows—it takes longer.
Dr. Marshalita Sims Peterson, an associate professor of education
at Spelman College says, “Not just a single year of a smaller
class size or a reduction in class size, but a three to four year
continuous period of small class size really has a significant
benefit in terms of academic achievement.”
While parents can’t control class size—-educators say
you can get kids individual attention by working with them
at home, finding a tutor, or getting them extra help after school.
Dr. Sims Peterson says, “After school programming is very,
very, powerful, and often times it’s underrated.”
As for Akira—she already expects to succeed. She says, “I’ll
be going to high school, then I’ll go to college.”
Rosie Goshay, a first grade teacher at Mother Mary says, “They
always come back and say, ‘Thank you.’” |
