NYC Class Sizes Increase for Sixth Year in a Row, Despite Law Requiring Reduction in Early Grades; Classes are Largest since 1998

NYC Class Sizes Increase for Sixth Year in a Row, Despite Law Requiring Reduction in Early Grades; Classes are Largest since 1998

For immediate release

Monday, Nov. 18, 2013

For more information contact: Leonie Haimson, leonie@classsizematters.org; 917-435-9329

 

NYC CLASS SIZES INCREASE FOR SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW, DESPITE LAW REQUIRING REDUCTION; IN EARLY GRADES CLASSES ARE LARGEST SINCE 1998

On Friday November 15, 2013, the NYC Department of Education released new class size data by school and citywide as of Oct. 31.  Here is a summary of the citywide results:

  • In 2013, NYC class sizes increased citywide for the sixth year in row.
  • In K-3, class sizes are larger than in any year since 1998.
  • In grades K-3 the average class size is now 24.9 (including general education, inclusion and gifted classes) as compared to 20.9 in 2007, an increase of 19% since 2006.
  • In grades 4-8, class sizes are the largest since 2002.
  •  In grades 4-8, the average class size is now 26.8, compared to 25.1 n 2007 – an increase of 7%.
  • In HS “core” academic classes, DOE figures indicate that class sizes average 26.7 students per class, compared to 26.1 in 2007.  Yet DOE’s way of measuring HS class sizes is inaccurate and their methodology changes nearly every year, so these estimates cannot be relied upon.
  • Class sizes in K-8 have risen as the number of general education, CTT and gifted classes in these grades have dropped sharply, by about 2500 classes since 2007.
  • The number of teachers decreased by about 4000 between 2007-2010, according to the Mayor’s Management Report, despite rising enrollment.

Borough averages:

  • Class sizes vary widely by borough and district.
  • In K-3, class sizes averages are largest in Queens (25.8), followed by Staten Island  (25.6).
  • In grades 4-8, class size averages are largest in Staten Island (29.2) followed by Queens (27.9).

Political and Legal Context:

  • Class sizes have risen despite promises by Michael Bloomberg when he first ran for office that he would reduce class size in K-3 in all schools to 20 or less.
  • They have risen despite the judgment of the state’s highest court in 2003 that class sizes were too large to provide NYC children with their constitutional right to an adequate education.
  • They have risen despite the Contracts for Excellence law passed in 2007 that required NYC to reduce class size in all grades.
  • Class size reduction is the top priority of parents every year on the DOE’s Learning Environment Survey, and 86% of NYC principals say they are unable to provide a quality education because classes are too large.
  • Class sizes have risen primarily because of repeated budget cuts to schools, the elimination of targeted funding for smaller classes in K-3, a decision by the DOE not to cap classes to 28 in 1-3rd grades, rising enrollment, its co-location policies, and other damaging decisions made by this administration.
  • The state “pre-approved” NYC’s class size plan for 2013-2014 before public comment or hearings were held, contrary to the C4E law, and allowed the DOE to merely limit class size INCREASES in a small set of 75 schools.
  • Limiting class size increases in 75 schools out of about 1500 public schools is NOT a class size reduction plan, as the C4E law requires.
  •  Meanwhile, the DOE employs the highest percent of non-pedagogues to pedagogues since 1993, according to Office of Management Budget data.

Said Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters:  “It is a sad legacy that Mayor Bloomberg leaves office with the city’s children crammed into the largest class sizes since 1998 – despite his promise to reduce class size when he first ran for office.”

“Class sizes across the city are unlikely to decrease significantly unless the next Mayor and Chancellor devote more resources towards hiring more teachers, and invest in a more ambitious school construction plan, rather than spending funds on bureaucrats, testing, and other wasteful programs.”

“Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has promised to achieve smaller classes over the next four years, and it is up to parents and advocates to see that he follows through on that goal.”

Charts and more information about the causes and impacts of these class size increases are posted on the Class Size Matters website here: http://tinyurl.com/kq6bu8v

This year’s DOE class size summary and data by school, district, borough and citywide is posted here: http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/data/classsize/classsize.htm

 

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Categories Press Releases, Updates | Tags: | Posted on November 18, 2013

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