Budget woes mean larger class sizes

Under heavy pressure to contain spending, some school systems in the Washington, D.C., area are planning to increase class size in the coming year to save money on teachers. Fairfax County expects to save $11 million by inching up staffing formulas half a student per classroom teacher. Loudoun County plans to give each teacher one additional student, for a savings of $7.3 million. Montgomery and Prince George's county schools are seeking to combine smaller classes or cut support staff and teaching specialists.To read The Washington Post article, click here.

EARLIER: Several districts in California may increase class sizes in primary grades because of the state's fiscal crisis. More than $4 billion is expected to be cut from public education budgets statewide in 2008-09. Educators are loath to increase student enrollment in the youngest grades. But do smaller class sizes really make a difference in academic performance? The research doesn't offer a clear answer.
Click here to read The San Diego Union-Tribune article.