Does Reducing Student-to-Instructor Ratios Affect Achievement?

Chapter 1 compensatory programs are designed to help educate low-achieving students from low-income families. One effect of the programs is that they reduce the instructor-to-student ratio in Chapter 1 classrooms. Reduced ratios mean compensatory education students receive instruction in smaller classes for longer periods of time. However, within the educational research literature there is considerable debate over whether class size and additional allocated time to learning have a significant impact on achievement, school-related attitudes, and instructional practices. This article examines these debates within the context of compensatory education, with an eye toward facilitating the impending discussion about whether the Chapter 1 program should be renewed or reformed.