Class size rules and funding in NYC schools for 2007-8
What are the current class size limits? Are they set by the UFT contract?
Yes. The UFT class-size limits are as follows:
• In kindergarten, 25.
• In grades 1-3, 29.
• In grades 4-6, 32.
• In Title I middle schools, 30.
• In non-Title I middle schools, 33.
• In high schools, 34 for academic classes.
There is also a long standing rule that classes in grades 1-3rd should also be capped at 25 if there is room.
Parents should inform us immediately if there are classes that rise above these limits at their schools.
In addition, there is special funding to reduce class size to 20 or less in grades K-3.
Check the file below -- in the column under "state funds" to see if your school is receiving these funds, and if so, in what grades. And please let us know at leonie@att.net asap if your school is not keeping these classes at 20 or less.
Can PTA/parent fundraising pay for classroom teachers? Classroom assistants? Enrichment teachers?
Official policy has long been that PTA funds cannot be used to hire classroom teachers to reduce class size, though these funds can be used to hire enrichment teachers and/or classroom assistants. Indeed, many parents in some of the wealthier schools pay for "assistant teachers" to work alongside classroom teachers in many grades. These assistants often have all qualifications to be teachers except for formal certification. In some schools, their salaries come out of general PTA funds; in others, parents of children in specific grades are asked to contribute a set amount to pay for their salaries. There are schools where parents are asked to donate as much as $600- $1000 for these purposes.
What are the official sources of funding that can be used to make classes smaller?
Since 1999, hundreds of millions of state and federal dollars have been made available to the city to reduce class size in grades K-3. In the recent state budget, the categorical funding for early grade class size reduction was eliminated; but a provision was added requiring the city to submit a plan to reduce class sizes in all grades as part of its so-called state-funded “contract for excellence,” as the settlement of the CFE case.
As a result, DOE decided to keep the early grade funding as before: “Although the State has eliminated the separate Early Grade Class Size Reduction program, New York City continues to operate under a requirement to lower class sizes…. In the spirit of that requirement, at this time New York City is retaining the EGCSR in its current form.” There are also federal funds that can be used to provide additional “push-in” or team teachers in grades K-3 for schools too overcrowded to reduce class size. See the allocation memo above to check if your school is receiving these funds.
How does a school qualify for these funds?
These funds are allocated by DOE as they have in years past, and schools were supposed to be identified based on need. In reality, in the past, principals lobbied their districts to receive this extra funding.
How does it come to the school - as dollars, as teacher salaries? Does the school have discretion over its use - could a school 'buy' paras and not a teacher?
Yes, the funding comes as dollars to hire teachers, and cannot be used to hire paraprofessionals or aides, because research shows that generally, paraprofessionals provide no added educational benefits.
What grade levels can the early class size reduction funds be applied to?
The state and federal funds are supposed to be used primarily for grades K-3, and class size is supposed to be reduced first in K, then 1st grade, and onwards -- though many schools appear to disregard these rules. In some cases, principals at low-performing schools had the option to use a small part of the funding for grades 4-5 as well. When the Chancellor's district of low-performing schools was formed, class sizes were reduced from K-6, with significant effects on student achievement. But Chancellor Klein dissolved the Chancellor’s district, and now class size reduction for grades higher than 3rd is rare.
Are there other sources of funding that a school can use to reduce class size and for other grades?
Title One (federal) funds can be used to reduce class size, as well as state funds that schools receive as a result of their landing on the SURR (failing) list.
Moreover, there are now two new available sources of funds that principals and School Leadership Teams can use to hire more teachers to reduce class size – the new Fair student funding allocation (FSF) and the Children First allocation.
The FSF allocation comes directly from the state, and it must be used for one of the following five purposes: to hire more teachers to reduce class size or improve the teacher-student ratio, for school “restructuring”, to provide more time on task for students, to expand full day preK, or for new teacher or principal training or mentoring. (see note #2 below.)
Whichever of these categories are chosen, it must be new spending, -- not simply to replace or sustain spending on these areas that may have occurred during the current school year. Thus, if the FSF allocation is used to reduce class size, classes must be considerably smaller and additional teachers hired over the total number at your school in that grade this year. But only about half of all schools will get FSF funds next year.
There are no strings attached to the Children First allocation – which come out of city funds, except that your school must pay for its School Support Organization (SSO) from that budget line.
How can I tell how much is available to my school through these sources?
To see your school’s new FSF funds or Children First allocation click on the excel file here, find your school (sorted by district) and look at columns 5 and 6. Or go to bottom link on this page:
What about the new state law requiring a class size reduction plan that the city must submit to the state by July 1 – what specific funding or class size goals is it likely to include? So far, the DOE has offered no sign that it intends to submit any actual class size reduction plan, despite the state law and regulations that require this. Apparently, the city intends to argue that whatever principals choose to do with the additional state and city funds will be left up to them – with no further guidance from Tweed. We believe this does not constitute a real class size reduction plan, and will argue this to the State.
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Notes:
1 - In March 2006, an audit was released by the State Comptroller’s office showing that the city had egregiously misused the state class size reduction funds and had only created 20 extra classes in 2004-5 compared to before the program began – instead of 1,586 extra classes as claimed. See http://nysosc3.osc.state.ny.us/audits/allaudits/093003/093003-h/02s33.pdf .Nevertheless, the existence of these funds has helped keep class sizes in many schools below the UFT limit in the early grades.
2 - For more on the DOE’s interpretation of these categories, see http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/ChildrenFirst/FairStudentFunding/KeyElements/TransitiontoFSF/default.htm
