The following two articles are quoted from the Novemeber 6, 1996 Daily
Report Card:
-> *4   CLASS SIZE INITIATIVE:  RESULTS RELEASED IN CALIFORNIA
->    About 8,000 new classrooms will be created as a result of
-> the funding provided for new facilities, announced State
-> Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin.  "The
-> Legislature allocated $200M for this first phase of class size
-> reduction, which provides facilities for classes of 20 students or
-> less in kindergarten through third grade," she said.  "Next
-> month additional funding will be available for the operations
-> portion of the program, which includes teachers, textbooks,
-> furniture and supplies."
->    Eastin further explained, "School districts had to meet a
-> stringent eligibility test to qualify for funding.  While it is very
-> good news that these additional classrooms are being funded, the
-> reality is that we received $351M in total eligible requests for
-> facilities.  That means that $151M in requests are going
-> unfunded in the first year.  We expect districts to phase in
-> class size reduction, and therefore we expect more demand in the
-> coming years."
->    Eastin urged the Legislature and the Governor to take steps
-> to "ensure that these other districts receive help to fund their
-> pressing facilities' needs for class size reduction, as well as
-> growth in their student population."
->    According to Eastin, the law limits the funding to $25,000
-> for each classroom through this incentive program, "even though the
-> cost of providing a classroom is actually closer to $40,000 or
-> $50,000.  As a result, even those school districts that are
-> funded are only receiving about half of the money they need to
-> build additional classrooms or to purchase portables."
->    In the long term, Eastin said a state bond with a major
-> portion committed to class size reduction is necessary "if we are to
-> complete this task fairly and equitably across California."
-> She regrets the Legislature was not able to place one on this
-> year's election ballot.
->    Eastin lauded the efforts of educators statewide, who have
-> done a "tremendous job of meeting the challenge of reducing class
-> size quickly."  Approximately 570 school districts applied for
-> the one-time facilities funding, out of 895 districts that have K-3
-> classrooms.
->    A list of school districts by county and the funding they
-> received to implement the facilities phase of the class-size
-> reduction program is available at the California DoEd's websit at
-> http:\\goldmine.cde.ca.gov
->
-> *5   CLASS SIZE:  KEEP IT SMALL IN MINNEAPOLIS
->    In 1990, Minneapolis voters approved an excess levy that
-> paid for the addition of more than 500 teachers, which brought
-> the city's public school class size down to among the lowest in the
-> metro area (Drew, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/31).  While
-> the smaller class size did not "produce the kind of academic
-> gains" expected, many educators  and parents contend its benefits are
-> less measurable, writes the paper.
->    Dale Jacobson, a sixth-grade teacher:  "The class size has
-> made a huge difference; I feel like I'm doing a much better job now
-> than when I had 35 kids. . . . I feel like I'm doing more
-> teaching now."  Jacobson explained that with more than 30
-> students in his class he was forced to "teach to the middle,"
-> causing higher-achievers to be bored and others to be overwhelmed by
-> the work.  In a smaller class, he is more able to organize
-> students in smaller groups and customize learning.
->    More students in a class also prevent Jacobson and other
-> teachers from moving around through the class to question
-> children or to review their work.  Working one-on-one with
-> students is another benefit of smaller class size, reports the
-> paper.
->    The paper explains that funds for the levy allowed the
-> district to reduce class size from about 28 to 18 students in
-> grades K-2, from around 30 to 25 in grades 3-8 and from about 33 to
-> 26 in grades 9-12.
->    Jeff Burk, Burroughs Community School principal, noted that
-> large class size often translates into more discipline problems and
-> "less time spent on learning and instruction," writes the
-> paper.  "There's a whole lot more opportunity to know your
-> students, know their needs and be able to spend more time with
-> them," he said.  Jacobson added that smaller class size makes it
-> easier for him to establish a relationship with parents.
->    School district officials noted a "significant gain" in
-> achievement scores of Minneapolis students last spring,
-> regardless of race or class.  They attribute part of the success to
-> smaller class size.  Yet, the paper, citing research on class size,
-> reports that smaller class size does not "translate into
-> higher academic achievement" until the student-teacher ratio
-> drops to about 15-to-1 or better.
--- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10
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