Karen Sprowal, Class Size Matters

Nov. 18, 2014

HOW DOE’S C4E PLAN DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS CLASS SIZE OR OVERCROWDING IN

D13 AND CITYWIDE

CFE and C4E • In 2003, the state’s highest court concluded in the Campaign for Fiscal

Equity (CFE) case that NYC kids were denied their fundamental constitutional right to an adequate education.

• This was primarily because NYC class sizes were much larger than NY state averages and far larger than research shows is optimal.

• In 2007, a new state law was passed, the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) that would provide NYC with extra funds on condition that the city also submit a plan to reduce class size in all grades.

• Yet every year since then, class sizes have increased, and now in the early grades are the largest in 15 years!

Reducing class size #1 priority of parents in D13 and citywideData Source: 2014 NYC School Survey Results

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Less

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s0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%23%

17%15%

12%

9%8%

5%4% 4%

2%

18% 17% 17%

14%

8%

12%

7%5%

6%

3%

Top parent responses for school improvement in District 13 compared to Citywide results

CitywideD13

DOE’s class size reduction plan • In Nov. 2007, the DOE submitted a plan to gradually

reduce average class size over five years at three different grade ranges.

• In K-3, class sizes to be reduced to no more than 20 students per class, in grades 4-8 no more than 23 and HS core classes would be no more than 25 on average

• Yet each year since 2008, class sizes have increased rather than decreased and are now largest in 15 years in early grades.

Class sizes in CSD 13 have increased in grades K-3 by 21% since 2007; far above Contracts for Excellence goals

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2014, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

Baseline 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-1515

17

19

21

23

25

27

21 20.720.5 20.3 20.1 19.9 19.9 19.9 19.9

21 20.921.4

22.1

22.9

23.924.5

24.8624.7029350468913

18.9 18.919.6

19.9

21.221.8

22.7 22.4522.7635467980296

C4E goals

Citywide actual

D13

CSD 13’s class sizes in grades 4-8 have increased by 9% since 2007; now above Contracts for Excellence goals

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2014, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

25.6

24.8 24.6

23.823.3

22.9 22.9 22.9

22.9

25.6 25.1 25.325.8

26.326.6 26.7 26.826.6626233896604

23.1

21.1 21.2

23.3 23.3

22.9

23.723.98

22.9725274725275

C4E target

Citywide actual

D13

stu

den

ts p

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Class sizes city-wide have increased in core HS classes as well, by 2.6% since 2007, though the DOE data is unreliable*

*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 Plan

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-1524.0

24.5

25.0

25.5

26.0

26.5

27.0

26.126.2

26.626.5

26.426.3

26.726.8

26

25.7

25.2

24.8

24.5 24.5 24.5 24.5

Citywide ActualC4E Target

Examples of schools in CSD 13 with large class sizes, K-3

22

24

26

28

30 2827 26 26 26 26 25

D13 Kindergarten

0

10

20

30

40 3429 27 27 27 27 26 25 25 25

D13 1st Grade

0

10

20

3033 30 29 29 29 29 29 28 28 27 27 26 26 25

D13 2nd Grade

0

10

20

3031 31 30 29 29 28 28 28 28 28 27 27 26 26 25 25 25

D13 3rd Grade

Data sources: DOE Class Size Report 2014-2015

Why? Because DOE has cut back school budgets by 14% since 2007

• In the state C4E law, says these funds must “supplement not supplant” city funds.

• This means that the DOE could not cut back its own funding to schools when the state increased its funding. But this is what happened, starting the first year of C4E.

• This year, in its C4E plan, for the first time DOE admits allowing supplanting – but also claims that the State Education Dept. has given its permission for this to occur.

• “Expenditures made using C4E funds must ‘supplement, not supplant”’ funding provided by the school district; however, SED has provided guidance explaining that certain expenditures may be paid for with C4E funds even though these programs or expenditures were originally or have been typically paid for by the district or by other grants.”

FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY 13

79,10979,021

76,795

74,958

72,787

73,844

Instead of hiring new teachers, citywide the number has dropped by more than 5,000 since 2007-8 citywide

data source: Mayor's Management Report

Other ways city has encouraged class size increases

• In 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.

More ways DOE has worked to increase class size in its C4E plan

• DOE refuses 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 class size reduction.

• DOE has never aligned its capital plan or the school utilization formula to smaller classes, contrary to the C4E law.

Overcrowding in D13 and Brooklyn

• Last year there were 5 District 13 buildings with elementary and middle school students that were over 100% utilization.

• 18 Brooklyn high school buildings were over-utilized last year, with a shortage of 8,732 seats in these buildings.

• Most experts believe that these figures underestimate the actual level of overcrowding in our schools; and so Chancellor has appointed a task force to revamp the Blue Book formula.

• DOE consultants project more than 4000 new D13 students over next 5-10 years.

• Yet there are only 1,090 ES & MS seats for D13 in the 5 year plan, and NO new Brooklyn HS seats.

Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue Book

5 D13 ES and MS buildings are over-utilized296 seats needed to reduce building utilization to 100%

P.S. 8 P.S. 282 P.S. 46 P.S. 11 P.S. 200

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

142

107102 101 100

Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue Book

18 Brooklyn HS buildings above 100% Utilization8,732 seats needed to reduce building utilization to 100%

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0

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214

172164 159 159

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134 130123 121 120 119 118 112 108 104 103 103

Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue Book

New Seats in Capital Plan and DOE Enrollment Projections for CS District 13

ES and

MS N

ew S

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from

Cap

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5-20

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500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

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1,090 1,0351,191

3,094

Enrollment projections suggest 4,100 to 4,280 new students by 2021

City-wide Enrollment Projections K-8 vs. New Seats in Capital Plan *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.

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10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

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40,589

51,954

38,244 36,654

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

City-wide Enrollment Projections HS vs. New Seats in Capital Plan

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000 19,46118,387

13,483

3,102

*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

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!

How can you help?• Sign up for the Class Size Matters newsletter.

• Meet with your City Councilmembers (Stephen Levin, Laurie Cumbo, Robert Cornegy) to urge them to expand the capital plan and end all future co-locations.

• Be pro-active about fighting for your children to receive their constitutional right to a sound basic education, by lowering class size.

• Questions, please email us at info@classsizematters.org

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

Grade levelsUFT 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 254th-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