Class size.

Having fewer children in a class is attractive to both parents and teachers. One recent national poll found that 70% of adults believe that reducing class size would result in big improvements in public schools.1 Fewer than 10% believed that it would make no improvement at all. A 1997 Education Week survey found that 83% of teachers and 60% of principals agree that class size in elementary schools should not exceed 17 students, compared with a national average of 25 students per class.2 Teachers feel that smaller classes encourage increased studentteacher interaction, allow for more thorough evaluation of students, and promote greater teaching flexibility.3 However, because of the additional teachers and facilities required, reducing class size is costly. In California, for example, school districts claimed nearly $1 billion in state funds for class size reduction in 1996–97 alone.4