Are smaller class sizes worth it?

Research shows it does improve test scores and chances of attending college, but it's also one of the most expensive solutions schools can try. But some experts say that even though the benefits are marginal, there's nothing proven to accomplish more.

Federica Valabrega These women took a dangerous, long journey to the U.S. border, because it was safer than staying with their abusive partners "He wanted to burn my face, but my daughter started screaming … the next time he was going to kill me.” “He had some link to a [gang]; I did not want them to hurt my family or my children.” Photographer Federica Valabrega traveled to Tijuana to gather the stories of women who fled Honduras, where domestic violence is the most reported crime. They’re seeking asylum in the U.S., something the Trump administration is trying to make harder for those claiming domestic abuse. Michael Sullivan for NPR Hot sauce, cool reception: Americans may be obsessed with Sriracha, but Thais say our version is no good The fiery chili paste concocted by Vietnamese-American immigrant David Tran has conquered the U.S. market and imagination in the past decade. But the family that originated the style in Si Racha, Thailand, say it’s all heat, missing out on the classic’s balance of sour, sweet and spicy. Still, an importer is trying to help Rooster Brand break into the Thai market. Roxanne Turpen for NPR Striking teachers in L.A. are focused on one demand: shrinking the district’s high class sizes. But is that the best use of money? It’s a logical idea that’s popular with parents: Put fewer kids in classes, and they each get more teacher attention. But it’s also an expensive improvement, requiring a lot of hiring. Research has shown definitively that smaller class sizes lead to better outcomes, which few alternatives can claim. But administrators wonder: Would achievable goals, like giving more schools their own nurse and librarian, be better than spending $130 million to shrink classes by a couple of students? Scenes from a strike: In half-empty schools, administrators lead college-sized lectures, while assistants lean into movie and computer time Jes Aznar for NPR Plastic trash is a huge problem on the world’s shorelines. These activists are getting big results by focusing on the details Plastic is to our time what wood was for millennia, but unlike wood most plastic doesn't go away — eight million tons of it wash into oceans every year. (Including, a teen scientist recently found, thousands and thousands of golf balls.) From the outset, manufacturers have framed plastic waste as a consumer problem, but Filipino activists have flipped that on its head, exhaustively cataloging plastic trash cleaned off of beaches to shame the biggest producers. It got manufacturers’ attention: In December, some activists were flown to Washington to sit down with industry leaders. Courtesy of Claire Mulkey Struggling with breastfeeding, her brain blasted by hormones and sleep deprivation, a new mom's mind went off the rails Lisa Abramson, a Silicon Valley marketing executive, was ready to be the perfect mom. But when keeping her baby's weight up meant feeding her every two hours, exhaustion slipped into confusion, visions of snipers and spy cams, and a threat to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. It took a stint in a psych ward for the postpartum psychosis to lift. The condition affects one or two out of every thousand women who give birth, but symptoms can be easy for doctors to miss, and U.S. treatment lags behind Europe's. You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002