Karen - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Karen Sprowal, Class Size MattersFeb. 9, 2015

HOW DOE’s Proposed CAPITAL plan will Lead to Worse Overcrowding & larger classes In D18Slide2

D18 building utilization rates are below the citywide average*Calculated by dividing building enrollment by the target

capacity

Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue BookSlide3

4 D18 ES buildings above 100% but no seats in capital plan133 seats needed to reduce building utilization to 100%Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue BookSlide4

These estimates Do NOT include the following: Do not include 4900 seats added last Feb still undetermined as to district and/or grade level. Do not include need to address neighborhood overcrowding;Do not include need to eliminate Kindergarten wait lists;

Do not include expanded

preK

or reduced class size;

Do not include need to eliminate trailers;Do not include schools regaining lost cluster rooms and/or space for students with disabilities to receive their mandated services.Slide5

TCUs in District 18 Latest TCU report from 2013-2014 showed 8 TCUs with 12 classrooms at PS 276These included multi-purpose classrooms, science room, art room, music rooms, theater and dance rooms, and literacy roomsAccording to Nov. 2014 cap plan six of these TCUs already removed and two more planned to be removed.According to Blue Book, removing TCUs would push more students in the building than its capacity AT 111%

This is probably an underestimate since DOE

only counts

16 students as using these 8 TCUs.

8 TCUs with 12 classrooms at PS 276- 6 already removed according to capital plan & 2 more planned to be removed. According to Blue Book, this would push building

o

111% (and perhaps more since only report 16 for enrollment in these 12 classrooms)Slide6

18 Brooklyn HS Above 100% but no seats in capital plan 8,732 HS seats needed to reduce building utilization rate to 100%Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue BookSlide7

Brooklyn HS Enrollment Projections of 5,569 but NO seats in Capital Plan to address need

*Does not include 4,900 seat as yet

unsited

and undetermined location and/or grade level

seats

**

Estimated Total Added Enrollment= Averaged DOE Enrollment Projections + Housing Starts Estimated GrowthSlide8

Citywide capital plan has 1/3 seats just to address projected K-8 enrollment increases of more than 84,000 students*Statistical Forecasting does not include D75 students; K-8 Seats

in Capital Plan are categorized as

Small PS and PS/IS and includes 4,900 seats for class size reduction if Bond issue passes.

Source for Housing Starts: NYSCA Projected

New Housing Starts

2012

-2021,

http://www.nycsca.org/Community/CapitalPlanManagementReportsData/Housing/2012-21HousingWebChart.pdf

;

Projected

public school ratio,

https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/Projected-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k

*Does not include 4,900 seat as yet

unsited

and undetermined location and/or grade level

seats

**

Estimated Total Added Enrollment= Averaged DOE Enrollment Projections + Housing Starts Estimated GrowthSlide9

Citywide capital plan has one tenth of seats needed just to address projected HS enrollment increases of more than 32,000 students *Statistical Forecasting does not include D75 students; HS Seats in Capital Plan are categorized as IS/HS and does not include seats for class size reduction

Source for Housing Starts: NYSCA Projected

New Housing Starts

2012

-2021, http://www.nycsca.org/Community/CapitalPlanManagementReportsData/Housing/2012-21HousingWebChart.pdf;

Projected

public school ratio,

https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/Projected-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k

*Does not include 4,900 seat as yet

unsited

and undetermined location and/or grade level

seats

**

Estimated Total Added Enrollment= Averaged DOE Enrollment Projections + Housing Starts Estimated GrowthSlide10

This doesn’t include at least 32,000 seats currently needed to bring down to 100% in districts averaging over 100%*These figures are the difference between capacity & enrollment in the organizational target # in 2013-2014 Blue Book Source: 2013-2014 DOE “Blue Book”Slide11

Reducing class size #1 priority of parents citywide and in D18Data Source: 2014 NYC School Survey ResultsSlide12

Citywide class size trends this fallThis fall, citywide class sizes increased an average one tenth of a student per class, according to the DOE.In K-3, our calculations show class sizes decreased slightly from 24.9 to 24.7 but at this rate would take 24 years to reach C4E goals of 20 students per class.In 4-8th, average dropped slightly from 26/8 to 26.7 & would take 30 years to reach C4E goals of 23 students per class.

In HS, average class size increased from 26.7 to 26.8 students – it trend continues, would never reach C4E goals of 25. Slide13

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports

2006-2014,

2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

Class sizes in

D18 in K-3 dipped slightly but have

increased

by 21%

since

2007 and are far above Contracts for Excellence levels of 20 Slide14

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports

2006-2014,

2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

Class sizes in

D18 in grades 4-8 have dropped last 2 years but are still far above Contract for Excellence levels of 23 Slide15

Class sizes city-wide increased in core HS classes this year and up 2.6% since 2007

*DOE’s class size data is unreliable &

their methodology for calculating HS averages have changed year to year

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports

2006-2014,

2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved PlanSlide16

Examples of schools in D18 with large class sizes, K-3

Data

source: November 2014

DOE Class

Size ReportSlide17
Slide18

Other ways city has encouraged class size increasesIn 2010, the DOE eliminated the early grade class size reduction funding for K-3, despite promising to keep it as part of its C4E plan.In 2011, the DOE refused to comply with a side agreement with the UFT to cap class sizes at 28 in grades 1-3, leading to sharp increases in these grades to 30 or more. Co-locations have made overcrowding worse, and taken space that instead could have been used to reduce class size.

When principals try to lower class size, particularly in middle or high schools, DOE often sends them more students. Slide19

More ways DOE has worked to increase class size in its C4E planDOE has cut school budgets by 14% since 2007.DOE failed to allocate ANY funds specifically towards class size reduction in its targeted or citywide C4E allocations.DOE allows principals to use C4E funds to “Minimize growth of class size,” which is not lowering class size

DOE has never aligned its capital plan to smaller classes, as required by state C4E

regs

.

The current “Blue Book” formula would tend to force class sizes higher especially in grades 4-12. Slide20

Bill de Blasio promised to reduce class size while running for Mayor During his campaign, Mayor de Blasio promised if elected to abide by the city’s original class size plan approved by the state in 2007. The Mayor needs to deliver on his promise and provide what NYC parents want and their children need.

He also needs to expand the capital plan to alleviate school overcrowding, end ALL co-locations, and build more schools!Slide21

What can you do?Urge Chancellor and your City Councilmembers to expand capital plan and reduce class size.City Council votes on DOE budget and capital plan every June;This year they should refuse to approve both unless they are significantly improved. Please sign up for our newsletter to be kept up to date on this issue & how you can help. Slide22

Comparison of class sizes in Blue book compared to current averages & Contract for excellence goalsGrade levels

UFT Contract class size limits

Target class sizes in "blue book"

Current average class sizes

C4E class Size goals

How many

students allowed in 500

Sq

ft

classroom according to NYC building code

Kindergarten

25

20

23

19.9

14

1st-3rd

32

20

25.5

19.9

25

4th-5th

32

28

26

22.9

25

6th-8th

30 (Title I)

33

(non-Title I)

28

27.4

22.9

25

HS (core classes)

34

30

26.7*

24.5

25

*

DOE reported HS class sizes unreliable