Why Do Student-Teacher Ratios Matter?

The student-teacher ratio has been found to be one of the strongest indicators of student success and engagement. Logically, it's little wonder why. The fewer students each teacher works with, the more closely they're able to adapt their teaching to the specific learning styles. They're also able to develop healthy one-on-one mentoring relationships and offer insight and help in ways that would be impossible in a larger classroom. Additionally, a lower ratio will lighten the workload for teachers, enabling them to focus on the quality rather than the quantity of their teaching and grading.

In a smaller group, students are more likely to feel comfortable voicing their opinions, asking questions, and making their needs known. This setup also provides added care for students who may be struggling with learning obstacles in any given subject. Rather than falling through the cracks in a larger classroom or one with a higher student-teacher ratio, students benefit from the fact that teachers are able to notice and offer tailored assistance more effectively.

This benefit may also be true of students who excel and need an added challenge to harness their full potential. With a lower student-teacher ratio, teachers have the capacity to address this situation, offering the student extra materials and helping them succeed to the best of their abilities. The teacher will also have a higher bandwidth to go above and beyond in communicating this area of strength with the student's parents and considering the next best steps.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Lower student-teacher ratios have been found to leave their mark, creating a ripple effect that includes:

• Better test scores
• Fewer dropout students
• Higher graduation rates

What Is a Good Student-Teacher Ratio?

There is no standard perfect number for what constitutes a good student-teacher ratio. The number will vary according to budgeting, as smaller class sizes and more teachers cost the school more to staff and train. You'll also often find differences in the student-teacher ratio according to the type of school. Public schools, for example, tend to have a higher student-teacher ratio than private day schools or boarding schools, which typically offer smaller class sizes.

A good rule of thumb to follow: The smaller the student-teacher ratio, the better!

Classroom sizes across the U.S. have been declining from an average student-teacher ratio of 22:1 in 1970 to 15:1 in 2008. This trend is a positive one indicating that educational systems recognize the importance of reducing the ratio as much as possible.

The more one-on-one attention and individualized teaching students can glean, the higher the quality and personalization of their learning. While there's no magic number for this ratio, you'll find that a lower ratio tends to indicate a more positive and tailored teaching approach.