Slides for Cuomo Education Commission

Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters July 26, 2012

Why is class size important?

Class size reduction one of 4 K-12 reforms proven to work through rigorous evidence, acc. to Inst. of Education Sciences, research arm of US Ed Dept. * Benefits especially large for disadvantaged & minority students, so very effective at narrowing the achievement gap. NYC has largest class sizes in state; in 2003, states highest court said NYC students denied constitutional right to adequate education as a result of excessive class sizes (CFE decision). 86% of NYC principals say they cannot provide a quality education because of excessive class sizes.
*Other three K-12 evidence-based reforms, are one-on-one tutoring by qualified tutors for at-risk readers in grades 1-3, Life-Skills training for junior high students, and instruction for early readers in phonemic awareness and phonics.

Smaller classes are top priority of parents on DOE learning environment surveys every year.

What did Court say about class size in the CFE case?
The Court of Appeals said that NYC class sizes were too large in all grades to provide students their constitutional right to an adequate education. Plaintiffs presented measurable proof, credited by the trial court, that NYC schools have excessive class sizes, and that class size affects learning. Plaintiffs' evidence of the advantages of smaller class sizes supports the inference sufficiently to show a meaningful correlation between the large classes in City schools and the outputsof poor academic achievement and high dropout rates. [T]ens of thousands of students are placed in overcrowded classrooms The number of children in these straits is large enough to represent a systemic failure.
(Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc., et al. v. State of New York, et al., 100 N.Y.2d 893, 91112 (2003) (CFE II).

Contracts for Excellence

In April 2007, NY State settled the Campaign for Fiscal lawsuit by passing the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) law. State agreed to send additional aid to NYC & other high needs school districts; which they would have to spend in six approved areas, including class size reduction.* In addition, NYC had to submit a plan to reduce class size in all grades. In fall of 2007, the state approved DOEs plan to reduce class sizes on average to no more than 20 students per class in K-3; 23 in grades 4-8 and 25 in core HS classes. In return, NYS has sent $2.4 billion in C4E funds to NYC since 2007.

*other allowed programs include Time on Task; Teacher & Principal Quality; Middle & HS Restructuring; Full-Day Pre-K; & Model Programs for English Language Learners

Yet despite citys promise, class sizes have risen sharply in K-3, far above C4E goals
NYC class sizes K-3 actuals vs. C4E goals
25

24

23.9

23 22.1 21.4 21 21 20.9 20.7 20.5

22.9

22

C4E goals
20.3

20

20.1

19.9

Citywide actual

19

18 Baseline 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

This years class size data at http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/data/classsize/classsize.htm

27

K-3 largest average class sizes since 1998

Data sources: IBO, 1998-2005; DOE 2006-2011 24.9 23.9

25

actual

23

23.2 22.4 22.1 21.7 21.6 21.3 21.1 21.4 21.0 20.9
20.5 20.3

22.9 22.1

21

C4E goals
20.1 19.9

19

17

15

Also in grades 4-8, class sizes have continued to increase far above C4E goals
NYC class sizes 4th-8th actuals vs. C4e goals
27 26.6 26.3 26 25.6 students per class 25 25.1 24.8 25.3 24.6 23.8 23.3 23 22.9 25.8

C4E target

24

Citywide actual

22

21

Also in HS: average class sizes have risen far above goals
HS core class sizes actuals vs. C4E goals
27.5 27 26.5 students per class 26 25.5 25 24.5 26 25.6 26.1 25.7 25.2 24.8 24.5 Actual C4E targets 26.2 26.6 27

24
23.5 23 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

No. of Kindergarten students in very large classes has increased most sharply
Last year 42% (29,797) of Kindergarten students were in classes of 25 or more (25 is UFT contractual max). There were as many K students in classes of 26 or more (violating the union contractual limits) than in classes 20 or less (C4E goals). Research shows that kids in small classes in K are more likely to graduate from college, own their own homes & have a 401K3 more than 20 yrs later.*
*Raj Chetty et. al. How Does your Kindergarten classroom affect your earnings? Evidence from Project Star, NBER Working Paper 16381

% Kindergarten classes, large & small since 1998

70%

60%
58% 58%

50%
42% 40% 38% 33% 31% 27% 26% 23% 24% 20% 17% 20% 16% 33%

40%

39%

41%

% at 25 or more % at 20 or less

30%

20%

10%
8%

9%

0%

What happened to the C4E program?

Despite more than $2 billion in C4E funds and higher overall spending, city cut school budgets about 14% since 2007. Maintenance of effort in C4E law was ignored (city cut funding to schools even as state increased spending)

Overcrowding in many schools worsened by growing enrollment & co-locations.

DoE eliminated early grade class size reduction program despite its inclusion in C4E plan and now ignores agreement to cap classes in 1st-3rd grades to 28. C4E state funding never reached full level & has now flat-lined or slightly decreased.

But even when state C4E spending increased; class sizes grew !
$700 645 $600 22.1 645 22.9 23.5 23 22.5 $500 21.4 $400 21 531 22

C4E spending (in millions)

21.5
21 20.5

20.9

$300 258 $200

20 19.5 19

K-3 average class size

$100 18.5 $0 2006-7 18 2007-2008 2008-9 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

C4E goals

Why? administration had other priorities

Between 2002-9, while out-of-classroom positions grew by over 10 thousand, general ed classroom teachers shrunk by more than 1600.* Between 2007-2011, according to DOE Financial Status reports, general ed teachers cut by more than 10,000. Spending on testing, contracts, consultants, and more bureaucrats have all risen sharply. * Including principals, secretaries, APs, literacy coaches, etc. NY Times, With More Money, City Schools Added
Jobs, June 30, 2009.

number of General ed teachers 2007-2011

source: NYC DOE, Financial Status Reports, full time gened pedagogues; budget codes: 401, 8843,& S003 (ARRA Title I)
80000 78612 78000 76000 74000 72000 70000 68000 68569 66000 64000 62000

75496 74467

71497

But can we afford to reduce class size?

In 2009, DOE estimated that it would cost $358 million per year to achieve average C4E class size goals across the city.

DOE estimated it would cost $448 million per year in staffing to achieve class size goals in ALL schools; plus more in capital costs for school construction. This year, NYC is to receive more than $530 million in C4E funds.
Total budget of DOE is over $20 Billion.

Alternatives havent worked!

Over the last decade we have seen a ramping up of high-stakes accountability, online learning and charter school expansion in NYC. Yet results have been disappointing. Since 2003, NYC has come in second to last in progress on NAEPs, our most reliable assessments among largest 10 cities tested.

NYC comes in 2nd to last among all 10 cities + large city category when NAEP score gains since 2003 averaged across 6 student subgroups*
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Cleveland NYC Charlotte large city Chicago SD Houston DC LA Boston Atlanta

15.3 10.3

7.9 4.3 1

8.8

8.9

10.4

10.9

12.4

12.9

*subgroups include White, Hispanic, Black, Asian, free-lunch & non-free lunch students Test score gains 2003-11 averaged across reading & math in 4th & 8th grades CSM analysis Jan. 2011; data source: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

If we want to improve our schools

We should heed the words of NY states highest court Study the results of rigorous research

Respect the priorities of parents

Demand that NYC comply with the law Provide the smaller classes that are necessary for our children to receive their right to an adequate education.