Transcript The crisis in NYC class sizes & threat to student privacy Class Size Matters Citywide analysis 2013 Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters.

The crisis in NYC class sizes & threat
to student privacy
Class Size Matters
Citywide analysis 2013
Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters
Why is class size important?
• Class size reduction one of 4 reforms proven to work through
rigorous evidence, acc. to Inst. Education Sciences, research arm of
US Ed Dept. *
• Benefits esp large for disadvantaged & minority students, very
effective at narrowing the achievement gap.
• NYC schools have largest class sizes in state;
• 2003, NY’s highest court said students denied constitutional right to
adequate education in part due to excessive class sizes (Campaign
for Fiscal Equity decision).
• 86% of NYC principals say cannot provide a quality education
because of excessive class sizes.
• Smaller classes top priority of parents on DOE learning environment
surveys every year.
•
*Other three K-12 evidence-based reforms, are one-on-one tutoring by qualified tutors for at-risk readers
in grades 1-3, Life-Skills training for junior high students, and instruction for early readers in phonemic
awareness and phonics.
Stagnant achievement in NYC schools
under Bloomberg
• NYC students have fallen further behind their peers in other large
cities, according to national assessments (NAEPs), coming in 2nd to
last in progress since 2003;
• NYC also only large district where non-poor students have lower
NAEP average scores than in 2003.
•
Only 21% of NYC HS grads are considered “college ready”; 13 –
15% of Black and Hispanic students;
• Students needing triple remediation* at CUNY have doubled in last
5 years.
* Triple remediation means make-up classes in reading, writing & math.
Contracts for Excellence
•
In April 2007, NY State settled the Campaign for Fiscal decision by passing
the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) law.
•
State agreed to send billions in additional aid to NYC & other high needs
school districts; to spend in six approved areas, including class size
reduction.*
•
In addition, NYC had to submit a plan to reduce class size in all grades.
•
In 2007, the state approved DOE’s plan to reduce class sizes on average
to 20 students per class in K-3; 23 in grades 4-8 and 25 in core HS classes.
•
In return, NYC has received more than $2.5 billion in cumulative state C4E
funds since 2007.
*other allowed programs include Time on Task; Teacher & Principal Quality; Middle & HS
Restructuring; Full-Day Pre-K; & Model Programs for English Language Learners
City’s class sizes have risen sharply in all grades
since 2007…esp. in K-3; now largest in 14 yrs!
Average class size K-3
(gened, ICT & G&T)
25
24.5
24
23.9
Avg. Class Size
23
22.9
C4E
Target
22.1
22
21.4
21
20
21
20.9
20.7
20.5
20.3
20.1
Citywide
Actual
19.9
19.9
19
18
This year’s class size data is available at http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/data/classsize/classsize.htm
*All class size figures calculated averaging Gen.Ed, CTT and G&T November reporting.
K-3 Class Sizes largest since 1998
(data sources: IBO 1998-2005; DOE 2006-12)
26.0
25.0
24.9
24.5
24.0
23.9
23.2
23.0
22.9
22.4
22.0
22.1
22.1
21.7
21.6
21.3
21.0
20.0
19.0
18.0
21.4
21.1
21.1
20.9
What happened in K-3
K-3 sections dropped consistently each year as student pop
grows steadily
13000
285000
284,66912800
12804
12619
12600
280941
Total Students
280000
12451
12400
277878
Total
Students
12200
275323
275000
12109
12000
270000
11800
11758
269097
268100
265000
11,640
11600
11400
Total
Sections
2012-13 average K-3 class size by borough
26
25.4
25.5
25.1
25
24.5
24.2
24.2
24
23.5
23.1
23
22.5
22
21.5
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Bronx
Staten Island
No. of Kindergarten students in very large
classes has increased sharply
• This year 45% (29797) of Kindergarten students in
classes of 25 or more (25 is UFT contractual max);
• In 2010, for 1st time since 2000, there were more K
students in classes of 25 or more than in classes of 20 or
less;
• In 2011, for 1st time since 1999, there were as many K
students in classes of 20 or less (C4E goals) than in
classes HIGHER than 25.
Almost half of all K students are now in
classes of 25 or more
% Kindergarten students
in classes of 25 or more
50
45
45
42
40
35
33
30
26
25
20
20
17
15
10
5
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
K students in classes of 25 or more by
borough
% of Kindergarten students in classes of 25 or more
60
53
49
50
47
45
41
40
2007
34
2008
30
2009
27
2010
23
2011
2012
20
17
14
17
14
10
0
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island
Bronx
Citywide
45% of Kindergarten students this year
in classes of 25 or more
70%
60%
% Gen Ed and CTT Kindergarten students
58%
50%
45%
40%
40%
39%
42%
41%
40%
38%
38%
37%
% at 25 or more
33%
33%
30%
27%
24%
23%
20%
20%
20%
21%
% at 20 or less
20%
17%
16%
12%
10%
8%
0%
9%
7%
9%
Also in grades 4-8, class sizes have continued
to increase far above C4E goals
Average class sizes 4-8
gened, ICT & G& T
27
26.6
26.7
26.3
26
25.8
25.6
Axis Title
25
25.1
24.8
25.3
C4E
Target
24.6
24
23.8
Citywide
Actual
23.3
23
22
21
22.9
22.9
4-8th grade class sizes
largest in 9 years
4-8 Class Sizes largest since 2004
(data sources:IBO1998-2005; DOE 2006-12)
28.5
28.0
27.5
28.1
27.5
27.2
27.0
27.4
27.0
26.7
26.5
26.6
26.4
26.3
26.0
25.9
25.8
25.7
25.5
25.0
24.5
24.0
23.5
25.1
25.2
26.7
What happened in 4-8th grades?
Grades 4-8 Sections drop each year while student population
decreased only slightly
13200
334000
332000
13047
13000
330000
Total Students
328000
326000
327847
12883
326450
325198
326308
12800
325160
324000
322000
12614
322,207 12600
320000
12400
318000
316000
12444
12247
12200
314000
312000
310000
12,081
12000
Total
Students
Total
Sections
Also in HS: citywide average class
sizes have risen
High School Class Sizes vs CFE Goals
(DOE High School data inconsistent and unreliable)
27.5
27.0
26.6
26.5
26.0
26.1
26
26.8
26.6
26.9
26.5
27.0
26.4
26.2
27.0
26.3
Nov. Class
Sizes*
25.7
25.5
25.2
25.0
C4E goals
24.8
24.5
24.5
24.5
Feb. Class
Sizes
24.0
23.5
23.0
*There is no November reporting for the 2007-08 year, data used is from Feb. report
2012-13 average 4-8 class size by borough
29
28.6
28
27.8
27
26.3
25.9
26
25.4
25
24
23
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Bronx
Staten Island
Why is this important?
• When Bloomberg first ran for office,
promised that he would reduce class size
in grades K-3 to 20 or less.
• Recent study shows that students in
smaller classes in K are more likely to
graduate from college, own home and
have 401K3 more than 20 years later.*
*Raj Chetty et. al. “How Does your Kindergarten classroom affect your earnings? Evidence from Project Star,” NBER Working Paper 16381
Ways that DOE has worked AGAINST
reducing class size
•
Since 2007, DOE has cut school budgets 14%– contradicting C4E
prohibition against supplanting.
•
In 2010, DOE eliminated Early grade class size funding– despite promise in
C4E plan to keep it.
•
In 2011, DOE decided no longer to cap class sizes in 1st-3rd grades at 28,
leading to tripling of class sizes 30 or more in these grades.
•
In 2012, DOE instructed principals to accommodate special needs students
up to contractual class size maximum.
•
DOE has never aligned either “Blue Book” formula or capital plan to goals
in class size plan, as required by state law.
CFE funding also flat-lined; but even when
increased; city’s class sizes grew!
700
25
$645
$645
24.5
600
24
23.9
$531
500
23
22.9
400
22.1
22
300
21.4
$258
21
200
21
20.9
20.7
20.5
20.3
20.1
19.9
100
0
$0
19.9
20
19
Class Size Avgs.
dollars (in millions)
$531
C4E
spending
(in millions)
K-3
average
class sizes
C4E class
size goals
Loss of teachers while DOE had other
priorities
• Number of pedagogues (mostly teachers) has been cut by more
than 5,000 since 2007, despite rising enrollment. *
• Smallest # pedagogues in 2011 employed by DOE since 2003.
• Largest # non-pedagogues in 2011 employed since at least 1980.
• Highest % of non-pedagogues to pedagogues since 1993.
• Spending on testing, contracts, consultants, and more bureaucrats
have all risen sharply.
(*Data source: Office of Management Budget headcounts, through IBO)
But can we afford to reduce class size?
• In 2009, DOE estimated that it would cost $358
million per year to achieve average C4E class size
goals across the city;
• DOE estimated it would cost $448 million per year in
staffing to achieve class size goals in ALL schools;
plus more in capital costs for school construction.
• This year, NYC received more than $530 million in
C4E funds.
Other questions re city’s C4E plan
• Why did the DOE not centrally devote ANY C4E funds to
class size reduction, given its legal obligation to lower
class size?
• DOE finally posted C4E plan for this year only in Feb.,
and holding hearings now, though funds mostly spent,
making mockery of public feedback and process
required in law.
• Is DOE’s C4E plan for last year (2011-12) yet approved
by the state ? If so, where is it posted?
NYS & NYC also violating
student privacy and parental rights
• 9 states/districts including NYS sharing confidential student and
teacher data with inBloom Inc., private corporation funded by Gates
Foundation.
• Data includes student names, grades, test scores, disciplinary &
attendance records, race /ethnicity, economic status, disability and
health issues.
• Data will be stored in a massive electronic data bank, built by
Wireless Generation, run by Joel Klein & owned by Rupert Murdoch
of News Corporation.
• NewsCorp found to illegally spy and/or violate privacy in UK and US.
Then what?
• inBloom, Inc. plans to put this sensitive data on a cloud run by
Amazon.com and transmit it to for-profit companies to help them
develop and market their “learning products.”
• In recent survey, 86% of IT experts say they do not trust clouds to
hold their organization’s sensitive data.
• In its security policy, inBloom Inc. states they “cannot guarantee
the security of the information stored in inBloom or that the
information will not be intercepted when it is being transmitted.’
• All this is happening without parental notification or consent.
Sample data to be shared with
inBloom, Inc.