The Impact of Class Size Reduction on Teacher Quality: Focusing on Policy Implementation Stage and Students Who Receive Free or Reduced-Price Lunch

• In Event: The Complexity of School Reform Implementation: Evidence From Broad-Scale Innovations

Abstract

In November 2002, Florida voters approved a class-size reduction (CSR) amendment to the state constitution that required the state to lower class sizes to specified cap amounts in all grades by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. Increasing the demand for highly skilled teachers, the potential impact of smaller classes on the teacher quality resources is significant. Using 11 years of panel data, this paper provides a longitudinal analysis of the CSR policy implementation on teacher quality across Florida public schools. Specifically, this study evidences enhanced teacher quality (years of teaching experience and advanced degree) across schools. However, the schools serving higher concentrations of poor students show either less improvement or a decline in teacher quality after the CSR implementation.

Authors

• Dawnette Banks, Dreamcast Educational Consulting, LLC

• Hyun Ki Shim, Chungbuk National University

• Patrice Iatarola, Florida State University