We at Quasi have used the addage (cliche?) "less is more" when discussing classrooms and education. Another phrase employed at discussions is "work smarter, not harder".

This article from the Progressive Policy Institute reports on both concepts and how it applies to the classroom.

Raymond Park Middle School is a classic example of the difficult and often painstaking decisions school officials now must make as standards-based accountability becomes the focal point of determining school effectiveness under NCLB. It may also be an example of doing more of the same instead of doing things differently in order to improve student learning. As with all new education trends, the "devil is in the details." The move toward focusing greater attention on all students, particularly disadvantaged students, is a powerful force for greater educational equity. Too often, however, educators responding to this move tend to overreact and miss the critical points. In this case, as schools respond to demands for better achievement, too frequently they are doing more -- for example, more math or more reading -- but they are not doing much differently. This is a potentially debilitating strategy because more is not always better.

This is why: If a school has low reading or mathematics achievement, and it is already allocating a sufficient amount of time for reading and math instruction, it is likely that there are other factors causing the low student achievement. If this is the case, then simply spending more time on reading or math is not likely to lead to improvement. Instead, school leaders must examine instruction to gauge its effectiveness. Are teachers teaching the curriculum? Do teachers receive substantive professional learning experiences to help them meet the diverse needs of their students?