Presentation for Community Education Council 30

Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters

Oct. 16, 2014

HOW DOE’S C4E PLAN VIOLATES THE LANGUAGE AND INTENT OF THE LAW

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 top priority of parents citywide and #2 in D30

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s0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%23%

17%15%

12%

9%8%

5%4% 4%

2%

18%

21%

16%

12%

10%

7%

5% 4%5%

2%

Top parent responses for school improvement in District 30 compared to Citywide results

CitywideD30

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 D30 have increased in grades K-3 by 21.5% since 2007 and are now far above C4E goals

Baseline 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-13 2013-1418

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

21.0

20.7 20.520.3 20.1 19.9 19.9

19.9

21.020.9

21.4

22.1

22.9

23.9

24.524.9

21.8 21.3

21.922.4

23.2

24.4

25.0

25.9

C4E goals

citywide actual

D30

aver

age

clas

s si

ze

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

D30’s class sizes in grades 4-8 have increased by 7.3% since 2007 and are now far above C4E goals

Baseline 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-13 2013-1422

23

24

25

26

27

28

25.6

24.8 24.6

23.823.3

22.9 22.922.9

25.625.1

25.3

25.826.3

26.6 26.7 26.8

26.0 25.726.0

26.6

27.227.6 27.4 27.6

C4E target

citywide actual

D30

aver

age

clas

s si

ze

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

Class sizes city-wide have increased in core HS classes as well, by 2.3% 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

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-1424

24.5

25

25.5

26

26.5

27

26.025.7

25.2

24.8

24.5 24.524.5

26.126.2

26.6 26.5

26.4 26.3

26.7

C4E Target

Citywide Actual

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

Examples of schools in D30 with large class sizes, K-3 in 2013-14

2224262830 28 28

26 25 25 25 25

D30 Kindergarten

P.S. 1

48 Q

UEENS

P.S. 1

22 M

AMIE

FAY

P.S. 2

34

P.S. 1

51 M

ARY D. C

ARTER

P.S. 1

66 H

ENRY GRADSTEIN

P.S. 0

11 K

ATHRYN PHELA

N

28

30

3232 32 32

3130

30

D30 1st Grade

0

20

40

60 54

32 32 31 31 31 30 30

D30 2nd Grade

P.S. 1

48 Q

UEENS

P.S. 1

22 M

AMIE

FAY

P.S. 2

34

P.S. 1

51 M

ARY D. C

ARTER

P.S. 1

66 H

ENRY GRADSTEIN

P.S. 0

11 K

ATHRYN PHELA

N

28

30

3232 32 32

3130

30

D30 3rd Grade

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. is giving 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, the number has dropped by more than

5,000 since 2007-8 citywidedata 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 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.

Average Utilization Rates in D30 compared to City-Wide 2012-2013

*Calculated by dividing building enrollment by the target capacity

Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book

Average Utilization Rates in District 28 compared to City-Wide 2012-2013

1,476 ES seats and 7,295 HS Seats needed to reach 100% building utilization

Distric

t 30

Elem

enta

ry S

choo

ls

Citywid

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Sch

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Distric

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Mid

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iddl

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Citywid

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ools

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

107%97%

91%81%

111%

95%

Overcrowding worsening in D30 schools

• District 30 Elementary schools averaged 108% utilization, an increase from the year before.

• 774 students were in trailers or TCUs

• 300 students in a mini-school (P.S. 11) and 244 students in an Annex (P.S. 150)

• Elementary schools would register even more overcrowded if DOE formula aligned to smaller classes & sufficient cluster rooms and dedicated spaces for special ed services.

• Data from 2013-2014 Blue Book

Overcrowding in D30 and Queens

• Last year there were 21 District 30 buildings with elementary and middle school students that were over-100% utilization – more than year before.

• 29 Queens high school buildings were over-utilized.

• 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 170-5,200 new D30 students over next 5-10 years.

• Yet there are only 1000 ES & MS seats for D30 in the 5 year plan, and 2,208 Queens HS seats although they identified a seat need of 5,604

Source: 2013-2014 DOE Blue Book

27 ES and MS Buildings in D30 are over-utilized3,078 ES and MS Seats needed to reach 100% building utilization

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

160%

180%

200%

175% 175%

144%139% 137%

132% 132% 131% 129% 127% 125% 124% 124%119% 116% 116% 114% 111%

107% 107% 105% 103% 103% 102% 102% 100% 100%

3,078 ES and MS Seats needed to reach 100% building utilization; PS 92, PS 127 and PS 228 are in CM District 21

29 Queens High School Buildings are over-utilized

New Seats in Capital Plan and DOE Enrollment Projections for CSD 30

ES and

MS N

ew S

eats

from

Cap

ital P

lan F

Y 201

5-20

19

Enroll

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Enroll

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-1,000

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

1,000

173

-985

5,277

Enrollment projections suggest increase of 4,290 to 5,450 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.

Statis

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For

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2011

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1

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2021

Housin

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2015

-201

90

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

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 (Julissa Ferreras, Costa Constantinides, Daniel Dromm, James G. Van Bramer) and 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, including lowering class size.

• Any 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