First Coast News reports that a district in Florida is meeting class size limits by creating a lower-paid assistant teacher position that still requires a license but requires less prep time. The question I raise in my book about co-teaching arrangements to reduce ratio is whether it has as much effect as a smaller group of kids per room. It’s certainly better than nothing though.

My wife was having a particularly stressful week and I had two days off in a row she didn’t have, so I went in to her first grade class to help. I focused on the four kids she was having trouble with, periodically praising and redirecting their choices, if you will. I also did some 1-on-1 reading testing that I don’t see how she’s ever supposed to have time to do. Things went much better, of course. So no, there’s nothing wrong with having that extra adult. The question is whether that extra adult is always used effectively. There were certain stretches where I did feel I was just watching.

Does having two adults tend to encourage having a larger group of kids in order to produce the chaotic events that will keep the second adult busy?

The Jacksonville Observer reports that a Florida senate committee approved with only one vote against a bill for vote that would put on the ballot a change to the class size amendment. According to the AP it would “keep counts at the school-wide average and permit the addition of a few extra seats where necessary” by removing the next step stipulated for the 2010-11 school year, which mandates absolute class-by-class caps.

All in all, this is not a bad compromise, no? Much worse could have happened.

Georgia, Oklahoma and Nevada are following California and Florida in proposals to undo or temporarily suspend K-3 class size limits. The Wall Street Journal offered this graphic of kindergarten limits by state:

source

Themselves understaffed, Detroit principals understaff classrooms even further in spite of the rules.

Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager Robert Bobb has ordered a full audit of the district’s 5,200 teachers and how they spend their time to ensure that all are teaching students.

Teachers are supposed to teach five classes periods, but often, for whatever reason, “the principal decides he needs help,” said Falcuson.

The years-long practice violates district policy, and became worse after Bobb cut administrators to reduce the deficit. Union officials fear that it is now so widespread that it may be impossible to end.

“There would be no way of knowing (where teachers are),” Falcuson said. “It’s under the table. On paper, oftentimes, administrators have them (teachers) down as teaching five classes when they’re not.”

source

Many assume we won’t be able to find enough teachers to lower class size. The state of Queensland, Australia has 2000 extra certified graduates this year! There are about 54,000 total school employees in Queensland (source).

Education Queensland figures show that of the 2751 teachers applying for jobs in state schools, only 787 have a permanent or short-term contract position for 2010.

Education Queensland should take advantage of a glut in qualified primary school teachers and reduce class sizes in the state’s schools, the teachers’ union and State Opposition said yesterday.

Queensland class sizes were set at 25 from prep year to third grade, 28 between fourth and 10th grade, and 25 for grades 11 and 12.

source

Ministry of Education looks to reduce elementary, junior high class sizes

After a class size of 50 was considered “standard” in the compulsory education standard act enacted in 1958, the size was reduced to 45 in 1964 and to 40 in 1980. Since fiscal 2001, however, class composition has been left up to prefectural boards of education. Prefectures except Tokyo currently have 40 or less students per class, but this is mostly limited to early elementary classes.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100115p2a00m0na005000c.html

A suit was brought against the NYC schools recently for not moving on a plan to reduce class sizes. The best part about the plan is that it’s not just another K-3 “glorified preschool”, but K-12 across the board.

According to that plan, by 2012 the city will reduce class sizes in kindergarten through the third grade classes to an average of fewer than 20 students from 21; in middle grades to 23 students from nearly 26; and in classes of core high school subjects to 24.5 students from 26.6.

Instead, preliminary city data for this year shows that class sizes in the lower grades have an average of 22 students; in the middle grades, 25.8 students; and in the upper grades, 26.8 students.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06classsize.html

It’s a broad coalition:

Class Size Matters joined with the UFT, the NAACP, the Hispanic Federation, and parent leaders from the Bronx and Queens

http://classsizematters.org/classsizelawsuit1510.html

Other info:

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/01/15/queens/queensdiglscz01152010.txt

Budget shortfall extraordinaire in canyon country:

Class sizes for grades kindergarten through sixth will increase from 24 to 36 students, including the merging of first and second grades. Classes at the secondary level (grades seven through 12) will have up to 45 students, district officials said.

Source

Chronicle of Higher Ed:

http://chronicle.texterity.com/chronicle/20090807b/?pg=17

An education blog:

http://www.aboutlearning.com/bernices-blog/165-rigor-in-the-curriculum-what-exactly-is-it.html

Mike Klonsky’s blog:

http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2009/07/two-good-reads.html

California Watch, an investigative journalism group, recently studied class size in the 30 largest districts in California to see what was happening with the voluntary 20-student cap in K-3. This map lets you see exactly who’s opting in and who’s opting out.