Class sizes in early grades now largest in 14 years

UPDATE: Please check out your school's class size data here and let me know at leonie at classsizematters.org if it is inaccurate; for many reasons, we do NOT believe the data is reliable, especially in HS.  

Class sizes in grades K-3 and grades 4-8 have increased for the fifth year in a row. In high school, they have increased sharply as well.

In Kindergarten, 1^st grade and 2^nd grade, class sizes are now the largest in 14 years, since 1998, when class size data first was reported by the Independent Budget Office.

In 3^rd grade, class sizes are the largest in the historical record – even larger than in 1998.

These are the grades where the research is crystal clear that class sizes make a significant difference in terms of student’s success in school and later in life.

Rigorous evidence shows that children who are in smaller classes in the early grades get higher test scores, better grades, fewer disciplinary referrals, and are more likely to  go to college and own their homes more than twenty years later.

Smaller classes in all grades have been shown to strengthen the development of “non-cognitive” skills, like persistence, motivation, and self-esteem, which are also closely linked to success in school and in life

Class sizes have increased sharply since 2007, when a state law passed requiring the city to be reducing class size in all grades.

Conclusion:  the city is cheating our children out of their basic rights.

For a full data analysis, including long term trends see here or below: Class Size Report 2012   Here is a research brief on the proven benefits of class size.

Class Size Report 2012

6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall

This morning, at a press conference, Michael Mulgrew president of the UFT announced that over 6,100 classes at 670 NYC public schools this fall violate contractual class size limits, compared to 660 schools last year. 

This means that class sizes are above these (already too-high) levels: more than 25 students per class in Kindergarten; more than 32 students in grades 1-5; more than 33 students in non-Title one middle schools; more than 30 students in Title one MS; and more than 34 students in high school academic classes. 

In addition, there are 270 schools where self-contained special education class sizes exceed what is required on their students’ IEPs -- more than double the number last year.  The UFT estimates that nearly a quarter of all students are spending part or all their days in schools in overcrowded classes.  While many of these violations will eventually be addressed, last year the DOE took up to seven months to do so!  The first arbitration hearings are in October. 

Last week, the city released the Mayor’s Management Report, confirming the dismal long term trend in class size; up in every grade since 2007-8, as we already knew:

The number of teachers has also been cut sharply by about 8 percent since 2007-8; a trend that the DOE for some reason calls “Neutral” (as they also describe the increase in class size in 4^th-8^th grades.)   

These trends are especially horrific, considering the state "Contracts for Excellence" law passed in 2007, mandating that NYC begin reducing class size in all grades.

What are the specific policy decisions that DOE has taken that have contributed to the increases in class size?

•   Repeated budget cuts to schools, of about 14% since 2007; while funds spent on contracts, consultants and bureaucrats keep growing.

• The elimination of the Early Grade class size reduction program that had existed since 1999, in which schools were provided with targeted funding to keep classes to 20 or less in grades K-3.  This program was eliminated in 2010 despite the city’s promise to the state to retain it as part of its Contract for Excellence plan.

• The DOE decided to stop abiding by its side-agreement with the UFT to keep classes in grades 1-3 to 28 students or less last year; which had existed for decades.  This has caused sharp increases in classes over 30 in the early grades.

• More school overcrowding, caused by rising enrollment, co-locations, and the city’s failure to align its capital plan with its class size reduction plan, as required by state law.

• This fall, the DOE told principals that as part of the new special education initiative, they could no longer cap enrollment or class sizes at their schools below maximum levels if there were any additional children with IEPs in their catchment areas.

Ultimately, this is Michael Bloomberg's responsibility and he is hurting our kids.  For more on these issues, see our summary report below.

What Has Happened to NYC Class Sizes over the last five years and why?

The Pineapple and the Hare: Pearson's absurd, nonsensical ELA exam, recycled endlessly throughout country

There was a ridiculous passage on Tuesday’s 8^th grade NY State ELA exam about a Pineapple and a Hare, along with some equally absurd questions.  Here is a comment about the passage from a student:

I had this same story for my 8th grade ELA New York state test! Everybody was talking about it afterward & how it didn't make any sense. I read the story at least 5 times over because i was so confused and the story made no sense to me! Also, the questions that came after it was confusing!

Apparently, the same reading passage and associated questions have been recycled by Pearson for standardized exams in Florida, Illinois, Delaware, New Mexico, Arkansas, Alabama, and perhaps other states, causing huge confusion among students for at least the last seven years. 

If you would like to read the nonsensical story, by Daniel Pinkwater, it is online. 

There is even a Facebook page about this absurd reading passage and the ridiculous questions that students have been asked about it since 2006; as well as commentary and discussion since 2007 on this blog: In the Break Room: Pineapples Don't Have Sleeves.

Here is the original post of an Illinois parent, named Bryan, in 2007: “Who picks the stories for the ISAT [Ilinois Standardized Achievement Test]? was someone all alone in a dark room, petulantly muttering "I'll show 'em!" 

As another student wrote in 2008 , “The pineapple story is... astounding. How could this even make it past the school board?! Who thought, "Hey! This story makes TOTAL sense?”

In 2009, a different student wrote: “We had this on our eighth grade SATs. It was completely pointless, and none of the answer choices were straightforward. It was insane. “

Another wrote, the same year, “I had that story on my testing today (in Arkansas) i thought it was so stupid, me and my friends couldn't keep ourselves from laughing. seriously, the moral of the story is that pineapples don't have sleeves? That’s nice."

In 2010, a student wrote, “We had the same question on the Delaware Student Testing Program, Delaware’s state test! I was so confused!

And another the same year, “It's on the Alabama test too! When I read it, I just put down random answers since I had no clue.  I'm still confused about the WHOLE thing. “

And an Arkansas student the same year, “I had to read this story recently for the Arkansas SAT9 test. I am in the eighth grade and it took every ounce of will power i had to not either a) bust out laughing, or b) yell out "what is this???" in the middle of the test... This was one of the stupidest stories I have ever had to read for a standardized test... though it was definitely the talk of the school after we took the test and everyone got different answers to the questions because, lets face it, there were no good answers... “

And on and on and on. 

Here is the author’s response after being asked about this “random and pointless” story in 2006:

March 22nd, 2006
From: Aaron Smith

Mr. Pinkwater,

This past week we have been taking the ISAT tests (Illinois Standards Achievement Test) and on the reading portion they published on of your stories. That story was "The Pineapple and the Hare." I personally enjoyed it because I like random, pointless stories. Unfortunately, we are not legally allowed to copy any part of the test book. What I am asking from you, is if it would be possible to send me an email with that story, or if possible, a signed copy to my home address.

Daniel replies:

I don't have a copy--don't even remember writing it. Evidently I knocked it out for money from whoever makes up those tests. The good news is that all of my stories are random and pointless.

Here, again, is the story if you’d like to read it.

From various reports, these appear to be two of the questions:  

Why did the animals eat the pineapple?
a. they were annoyed
b. they were amused
c. they were hungry
d. they wanted to

            Who was the wisest animal?

a.    the hare

b.    the moose

c.     The crow

d.    The owl

The ONLY right answer is Pearson; for getting paid $32 million from NY State for these recycled, annoying and pointless exams, which the NY Times said they had promised to be "less tricky"! Not to mention the millions of dollars the company is reaping from selling the associated test prep materials in our state.  [See also comments from teachers and principals about how confusing and ambiguous the ELA exams  were in other grades this year.]

 As a NYS student wrote on Tuesday:

I also took the test today, and it also baffled me. ….Unfortunately, this was an atrocious question. All the options have substantial evidence that can bolster them. With any luck, this portion of the examination was a field test and did not count.

But why put a reading passage with questions so nonsensical on a state standardized exam, either as a “field test” question or for any other purpose? Especially given the high-stakes nature of these exams, which will be used in NYC to decide which students to hold back, the school's grade on the progress reports, and in the near future, as in integral part of the new statewide teacher evaluation system.

A story that makes no sense and with questions that apparently have no right answer could wreck the confidence of any student on the first day of a strenuous three day ELA exam –was this what it was designed to do so?

 As another  NY student wrote two days ago:

 i also had this for nys ela test and the only thing anyone could talk about today was Who was the wisest? even some of the teachers got into the debate! i choose the moose bc he seemed the wisest but i still dont get it and no1 else does, not even my ela teacher! It seems like it was written by a 4th grader i thought it was a joke when i first read it. oh well looks like everyones gonna b in ais [Academic Intervention Services] English next year....