[Mpls] How the Media Lies About Public Education

[Steve Brandt]

Michael Atherton complians that this morning's article says nothing about rising class sizes and achievement.  He's right.  I guess I figured that a reader like Michael would be smart enough to remember what the Star Tribune said at the time of the referendum, and again last spring.

Here's what was printed just before the referendum: 

"Those who believe in the power of smaller classes often cite a 
landmark study conducted in the late 1980s in Tennessee. The 
Student-Teacher Achievement Ration (STAR) study found that kids in 
smaller classes posted significant test-score gains across all 
subject areas. What's more, the most impressive gains were made by 
minority and underprivileged students.   The study defined small classes as those with 13 to 17 students. 
Regular-sized classes had 22 to 25 students. According to this 
definition, Minneapolis class sizes would not be considered small 
enough to make the kinds of gains the STAR kids registered. Also, 
the gains seemed to decline after the first year, the study found."

--10/25/2000

Here's what was printed last spring when the board debated bigger classes:

"Although it has been an article of faith that small classes help 
students achieve, the most commonly cited research on that was 
based on classes of 13 to 17 students in Tennessee, or well below 
Minneapolis sizes."

Steve Brandt
Star Tribune