Class Size

For over a decade, Class Size Matters has advocated for smaller class sizes in NYC. You can take a look at our timeline below or view our fact sheets here.

December 20, 2019
Class Size Presentations including Citywide and District Trends since 2006

March 17, 2019
Class Size: Why it’s important, what’s happened in NYC and what we need to do

February 27, 2018 
Testimony on the DOE’s Failure to Reduce Class Sizes at Renewal Schools

February 5, 2018 
Briefings on class size and overcrowding in New York City 

January 27, 2018
Presentation on challenging large class size and school overcrowding at the Parent Action Conference  

September 21, 2017 
Class Size Matters releases report Seats Gained and Lost in NYC Schools: The Untold Story

July 6, 2017
Class Size Matters and public school parents file a complaint with the State Commissioner of Education over NYC’s failure to meet the Contract for Excellence goals 

February 22, 2017 
School overcrowding and Capital Plan Briefings February 2017

January 24, 2017
Testimony on Class Size, Teacher Recruitment, and Retention 

December 2016
Summary of academic research on the importance of class size 

November 23, 2015
Testimony: Large Class Sizes Still Prevalent in Renewal Schools

November 16, 2015
Report: Number of K-3 Students in classes of 30 or more risen sharply since 2011

October, 2015
Class Size Reduction Questions for the NYC DOE on the C4E 2015-2015 ‘Plan’

September 25, 2015
Receivership Hearings: Testimony on how to improve Grover Cleveland HS

Receivership hearings: Testimony on how to improve Flushing HS

August 17, 2015
The City’s attempt to bury the news of its rejection of the Blue Book Working Group’s recommendations on class size

July 31, 2015
Update on city’s decision to reject class size recommendations of DOE Working Group

July 15, 2015
Comments on the DOE’s proposed 2015-2016 Class Size and Contracts for Excellence proposal

November 29, 2014
Class Size Matters suggestions to the Blue Book Working group

November 18, 2014
Class size averages drop slightly this fall in grades K-3 and 4th-8th, but grow in HS; At least 367,784 students remain in classes of 30 or more

November 13, 2014
Class Size Matters along with advocates and parents urge Moratorium on Co-locations

October 28, 2014
Testimony before the NYC Council Education Committee on the negative impact of excessive class sizes on students with disabilities

October- November 2014
Data on Class Size trends in selected districts

September 22, 2014
Letter from 73 Education and Psychology Professors Urging the Chancellor and the Mayor to Reduce Class Size

June 17, 2014
New York’s Classroom Space Crunch (oped in Gotham Gazette)

March 26, 2014
Letter to Assembly Leaders about Proposed Elimination of the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) Law

March 20, 2014
Testimony on the DOE Expense Budget

November 11, 2013
NYC Class Sizes Increase for 6th Year in Row & Why

June 10, 2013
NYS Supreme Court Requires DOE to hold borough hearings on its C4E and class size plan

May 18, 2013
The Crisis in NYC Schools: ‘Where are we now?’

February 26, 2013
Class Size Increasing citywide: 2013 data & trends for each district

February, 2013
Sample Resolution Class Size 2013

January 24, 2013
What was Left out of the Cuomo Commission report: Presentation at the Campaign for Educational Equity Conference

January 11, 2013
CFE Letter to the DOE, Demanding that Violations of C4E law be Addressed

January 8, 2013
Letter to State on Failure of C4E Process

December 3, 2012
Class Size: Key Issue in Public Education

November 27, 2012
Princeton Presentation on class size and CFE lawsuit

October 11, 2012
Rebuttal to DOE’s Rationale for Eliminating Reporting on TCUs and Class Size

July 26, 2012
Testimony before the Cuomo Commission on Education Reform

June 6, 2012
Testimony before the City Council Education Committee on the potential impact on class size of  mandatory Kindergarten and the special education inclusion

May 11, 2012
Transparency and Accuracy in Reporting on Class Size Matters and TCUs: Testimony before the Report & Advisory Board Review Commission

April 11, 2012
Failed Strategies for “failing schools”: Testimony before the NYC Assembly Education Committee on the NYC’s Plan for Persistently Low Achieving Schools

March 28, 2012
Testimony on DOE’s FY13 Education Budget; More Cuts to Schools and Larger Class Sizes Next Year?

December 19, 2011
Resolutions and Comments on the Flaws in the DOE’s Contract for Excellence “Plan”

November 15, 2011
Class Size Increases for Fourth Year in a row

October 12, 2011
Letter to Commissioner King  from UFT, Class Size Matters, the NAACP, and AQE on the DOE’s C4E public process .

October 11, 2011
The Need for the City to retain mandated reporting on Class Size and TCU’

October 2011
Is the City Violating the Law when it comes to Class Size? You Betcha

August 4, 2011
Class Size Reduction vs. Race to the Top: Research Support and Benefits

June 29, 2011
Legislation requiring more transparency and accountability passed by NYC Council

June 6, 2011
Testimony about the budget cuts and proposals where the money can be found

May 19, 2011
Petition to get the Mayor and the NYC Council to stop the cuts to the Classroom

April 8, 2011
Testimony on Proposed Budget Cuts to Schools

March 8, 2011
The Diane Rehm Show Interview: Class Size and Student Achievement

March 7, 2011
Debating Class Size on MSNBC

November 10, 2010
Presentation for Three Parks Independent Democratic Club o the Bloomberg/Klein record

November 6, 2010
Class Size Crisis Presentation for the UFT Parent Conference

November 3, 2010
Comments on the HS Progress Reports

October 10, 2010
Comments on A-190, proposed regs. on school closings & co-locations

September 22, 2010
NYC’s Secret Deal to nullify its Class Size Commitments

March, 2009
Parent Commission Recommendations on School Governance

July, 2006
2006 Amicus Brief Submitted by New Yorkers for Smaller Class Sizes

September 20, 2004
Memorandum on Class Size for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity Case Submitted by New Yorkers for Smaller Classes

April, 2000
Smaller is Better: First-hand Reports of Early Grade Class Size Reduction in New York City Public Schools

Fact sheets (undated):

·         Class Size Reduction Fact Sheet

·         F.A.Q.s about Class Size

·         The Contracts for Excellence (C4E) Law

·         7 Myths of Class Size Reduction

·         Class size reduction in the upper grades

·         The Evidence from California

·         Class Size versus Race to the Top

·         Is there a threshold effect in reducing class size?