Transcript The crisis in NYC class sizes & threat to student privacy Presentation to Community Education Council District 26 February 26, 2013 Karen Sprowal, Class Size.

The crisis in NYC class sizes & threat
to student privacy
Presentation to Community Education Council
District 26
February 26, 2013
Karen Sprowal, 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!
D26 K-3 class sizes over time
26
25.2
25
24
24
C4E goals
23.3
23
22.2
22
Citywide
actual
21.7
21
20
21
20.95
21
20.7
20.5
20.3
20.1
19.9
19.9
D26
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.
What happened in D26?
No. of K-3 students up sharply in D26, while no. sections/teachers
fall
7000
290
6813
6800
286
285
285
285
6600
6553
280
No. students
6465
Total
Students
6400
6321
277
6214
6200
275
273
6000
5984
270
270
5800
265
5600
5400
260
Total
Sections
Also in grades 4-8,
class sizes have increased
D 26 4th-8th class sizes much greater than citywide actual
and C4E goals
32
30
30.42
28.9
29
28.5
28.7
29
29.4
Axis Title
28
26.3
26
25.1
24.8
Citywide
actual
25.3
24.6
23.8
23.3
22
20
26.7
25.8
25.6
24
26.6
C4E
target
22.9
22.9
D26
Also in HS: average city-wide 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
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 sate 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 city 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.
What can CEC’s do?
•
Pass resolutions on class size and privacy; we have samples for yr.
consideration.
•
Write a letter to Commissioner King, to protest the botched C4E process &
DOE’s failure to reduce class size at [email protected]
•
Send comments to [email protected]; deadline
March 18.
•
Collect information about class sizes in your district’s schools, including
violations of union contract & building code.
•
Re privacy: send opt out letter to King re demanding your child’s info NOT
be shared; see our fact sheet for a sample letter.
•
Questions or to join newsletter list, email us at [email protected]