School Size as a Factor in the Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students

Abstract

|This study was concerned with the relationship between school enrollment and elementary student academic achievement in a large urban school district. The Stanford 9 NCE (Normal Curve Equivalent) reading, math, language, science, and social science achievement scores for fifth-grade students in K-5 schools with enrollments of less than 200, 200-299, 300-399, 400-499 and greater than 500 were compared after controlling for socioeconomic differences. Statistically significant differences were found among the mean levels of achievement for students in the five school enrollment groups. The smaller size enrollment schools tended to be in the older inner-city part of the district, and the larger schools were found in the newer suburban parts of the district. There was a general decline in achievement as the school enrollments increased for both the inner-city and suburban schools. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.)|