Teachers need to enhance the home-school connection. Staff development opportunities need to be ongoing and geared to create a professional learning community at the school site. Teachers need to know how to identify and respond to learning problems. Teachers need instructional strategies for linguistic and cultural diversity. Smaller classes need to be part of a comprehensive approach for systemic reform.
Smaller classes are just part of a bigger effort to improve instruction in the schools.
In discussing the outcomes of class size reduction after one year, teachers and parents applaud greater student participation and one-one time in the classroom. Helping students achieve their full potential and improving the overall quality of the educational program is our challenge. Reform and progress take time and there are no simple solutions. Class size reduction offers great possibilities and promises. However, the perils are there if professional development is not carefully considered.