President Clinton has made reducing class size in the early grades a key part of his education agenda. That's good news. Parents and teachers have always known that children learn better in smaller classes where they get more individual attention. But, until recently, it was hard to prove that class size matters. Now, findings from several major studies confirm that children in the early grades do learn better in classes of just 15 to 17 students.
Poor children benefit the most.
In fact, poor students in small public school classes made more progress than similar students in private voucher schools. Smaller class size works. It gives kids a better start in school and boosts their long-term chances for success. A message from the American Federation of Teachers. If you need the FREE RealPlayer software, visit the RealNetworks site .