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Forwarded from Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters: Latest state data shows NYC class sizes rising in most grades – despite administration claims State class size data was just released in selected grades and subjects for the school year 2004-5. (See http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2006Meetings/October2006/1006bra3a.pdf, table 3.9, p. 50) This data shows that in NYC, class sizes rose in nearly every grade and subject compared to the year before. Compare this to the claim in the Mayor's Management Report: "From the 2003-2004 School Year to the 2004-2005 School Year, class sizes were reduced in every grade except grade 1." http://home2.nyc.gov/html/ops/downloads/pdf/2005_mmr/0905_mmr.pdf, p.29) Detailed state tables are also available to compare class sizes in NYC at even more grade levels between 2003-4 and 2004-5 (at http://emsc33.nysed.gov/irts/pmf/2003-2004/2004_Avg-Class-Size.pdf and http://emsc33.nysed.gov/irts/pmf/2004-05/2005_Avg-Class-Size.pdf; see last pages) Together, this data reveals that between 2003-4 and 2004-5 school year, Average class sizes in NYC rose in 1st grade (from 21.8 to 22.6) (This was the only grade that the MMR reported as larger– but instead, at a much lower level --from 21.6 to 21.7 students per class) Average class sizes also rose in 2nd grade (from 22 to 22.1) Though average NYC Kindergarten class sizes were slightly lower than the year before, classes were significantly larger on average than in 2001-2002, before Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein took control of the schools. ( 21.8 compared to 21.3)
According to the new state data, in each of the other elementary grades, except for 3rd, class sizes also grew in 2004-5: In fact, this new state data shows there was not a single HS subject in NYC where classes were smaller than 28.2 students that year– with most averaging about 29. Compare that to average high school class sizes in the rest of the state of between 20-22 students per class. This overall rise in class sizes did not occur because of a lack of funds, but a lack of priorities. Enrollment has been decreasing overall, and since 2000-2001, the state has provided almost $90 million in annual funds to reduce class sizes in K-3. The fact that class sizes grew in 2004 in grades 1 and 2, and Kindergarten classes were larger than before Bloomberg took control of the schools, is a direct result of the fact that every year, fewer classes have been offered in the early grades since 2001-2, 861 fewer classes overall, according to an audit from the State comptroller's office. (see http://www.osc.state.ny.us/audits/allaudits/093006/05n3.pdf, p.33) The audit of the city's use of the state class size funds also found the following: In 2004-5, the city provided only 20 additional classes over the baseline number that existed before the state class size reduction program began, despite $90 million in annual funds. Instead, as the audit concluded, the DoE improperly used millions of these dollars to pay for teaching positions which had existed before the program began – contrary to law: "'we believe that the DoE's calculations are not consistent with the Law, because DoE's method substitutes Program funding for local funding that was used previously for early grade classes (and teachers) that existed prior to the Program's implementation." (, p.4) According to this audit, if DOE officials had actually created the 1586 additional classes that they claimed in 2004-5, class sizes in NYC would have averaged 19.1 students in grades K-3, rather than about 22, as this state data now reveals, and our children would have had the benefits of even smaller classes in these grades on average than the rest of the state. Leonie Haimson Class Size Matters 124 Waverly Pl. New York, NY 10011 212-674-7320 leonie@att.net http://www.classsizematters.org |