The program is a response to the continuing poor performance of California students. In 1994 fewer than 20 percent of the state s fourth graders scored at the proficient level, and more than half did not even reach the basic level, a benchmark that indicates only partial mastery of grade-level reading.
Size alone gives the initiative significance.
It dwarfs other ongoing reforms in the state, and across the nation. Its impact is likely to be felt nationally since California currently educates more students than any other state, about one of every eight students in the nation. This school year, 1.9 million young children will be assigned to smaller classes because of the initiative. Although participation is not mandatory, over 95 percent of California s districts took part, attesting to the popularity of the initiative. CSR has the potential to reverse years of decline and serve as a model for other states.