Phone Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
1-800-933-ASCD (2723)
Address 1703 North Beauregard St. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
Complete Customer Service Details
September 2003 | Volume 61 | Number 1 Building Classroom Relationships Pages 72-74
Phil Smith, Alex Molnar and John Zahorik
A new review of SAGE findings answers questions on how much class-size reduction improves student achievement and which groups it affects most.
Wisconsin's Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program, first implemented in 1996, is designed to increase the academic achievement of low-income students by reducing K–3 class size to 15 students to 1 teacher; establishing “lighted schoolhouses” that are open longer than the traditional school day; developing more rigorous curriculums; and structuring professional development and accountability for school professionals.
To gauge just how much of an effect SAGE has had on student achievement, we tracked from 1996 to 2001 the academic performance of students in 30 schools from the 21 school districts that initially participated in the program. We compared the academic performance of SAGE students with the performance of a comparable group of students in larger classes from 17 non-SAGE schools in the same districts.
Join the education organization for all educators.
Get full access, plus expert resources and solutions to support whole child education.
Subscribe to ASCD Express, our free email newsletter, to have practical, actionable strategies and information delivered to your email inbox twice a month.
ASCD respects intellectual property rights and adheres to the laws governing them. Learn more about our permissions policy and submit your request online.