Class Size
Using data from the Tennessee STAR Project, starting in 1985, we seek to understand the causal effect of class size on math test scores for current elementary school students in the Southern US. However, tested content and school curriculums may have changed between 1985 and 2024. We created a gaussian model detailing the expected math test score based on whether a student was in a regular- or small-sized class. The estimated score for small classes was about 709, with a 95% confidence interval between 706 and 712. For regular classes, the estimated score was also about 709, with a 95% confidence interval between 702 and 717. Although regular classes had a slightly higher estimated score, differences are not significant enough to assume causality.
\[ score_i = \beta_0 + \beta_1 (class\_size) \]
Characteristic |
Beta |
95% CI 1 |
|---|---|---|
| kinder | ||
| small | — | — |
| regular | 0.30 | -4.0, 4.8 |
| 1
CI = Credible Interval |
||