How To Boost Low Achievers’ Grades?

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Enrolling your kids into small classes can give an extra boost to low-achieving students and significantly improve their test scores. Reducing class size in early grades provides dual benefits. It raises achievement for all students through middle school, while also closing the persistently large gap between high- and low-achievers.

The small classes should be 13 to 17 students to be the most effective when they are consistent from kindergarten through third grade. Students in consistently small early classes had substantially higher test scores in grades four through eight than students who had been in larger classes. Students at all achievement levels benefited, but low achievers showed stronger benefits in reading and science.

One year of exposure in small classes is not enough to influence the achievement gap. It appears that class size reduction is most effective for all students and low achievers in particular, if it is implemented early in elementary grades and for multiple years. Small classes in early grades have positive long-term effects on average student achievement.

One hypothesis is that teachers in small classes are more likely to identify low achievers and hence are more likely to provide instruction designed to benefit these students. Alternatively, in small classes there is a higher likelihood for low achievers to interact with teachers and be more engaged in learning. Michigan State University and Northwestern University conducted this study.