We can dramatically enhance student learning by providing safe schools, modern equipment and materials, and quality educational programs. In the classroom, this means providing reasonable class sizes and addressing current technology needs. In our schools, it means implementing effective discipline plans to keep our children safe and guarantee productive learning environments. Proven educational programs will help guarantee success for all students, whether they are studying occupational education, taking coursework in the arts, learning English as a second language, or receiving special education services. While we may need to discuss ways to customize class size reduction programs to fit the needs of individual school districts and school sites, we cannot abandon the good work we have done thus far to reduce class sizes.
Overcrowded classrooms perpetuate the warehousing of children in tightly packed classrooms.
Common sense and significant research support the elimination of overcrowding in our classrooms. Even though Nevada has demonstrated a serious commitment to quality schools by supporting class size reduction, it is a costly program that faces tough scrutiny from those who try to argue that it doesn t help improve student achievement. However, solid research shows that smaller class sizes do make a difference. An evaluation of the Class Size Reduction Program completed by the Nevada Department of Education in April of 1998 states, There is a difference in scores between the group who experienced class size reduction in both first and second grades and those who did not experience class size reduction in either grade. These differences are most evident for language and math.