October 2008
Welcome back to school from the Sudbury Public School Committee. Given the failure of last year’s override and the current financial situation – the budget season has descended upon us earlier than usual. In light of this, we thought that a few points about the Sudbury Public Schools [SPS] would be in order.
The Sudbury Public Schools delivers a public education to approximately 3,250 students in pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade at five different schools. We educate many of the students who go on to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School which was recently ranked by Boston Magazine as the 2nd Best Public High School academically in the State while being the 10th most efficient. The SPS are similarly efficient. Indeed, according to information from the Mass. Dept. of Education [DOE] (see http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/schfin/statistics/function07.xls), in 2007 the SPS spent less per student per year -- $10,395, including costs for insurance and retirement benefits -- than, among others:
Lincoln: $17,253 Weston: $16,463 Concord: $15,514 Brookline: $15,098 Dover: $14,615 Framingham: $14,169 Lexington: $13,574 Hull: $13,419 Wayland: $13,214 Carlisle: $13,122 Wellesley: $12,776 Fall River: $12,686 Marlborough: $12,388 Sherborn: $12,250 Lynn: $12,221 Sharon: $12,203 Chelsea: $12,198 Lawrence: $12,039 Maynard: $12,004 State Average: $11,859 New Bedford: $11,843 Malden: $11,611 Fitchburg: $11,351 Southborough: $11,291 Harvard: $11,187 Chicopee: $10,856 Northborough: $10,709 Belmont: $10,764 Randolph: $10,640
In the same year, SPS continued to be one of the top performing districts in the state on MCAS test results at each grade (3-8) and in each content area (ELA, math, science/technology).
With this by way of background, we turn to the issue of growing class sizes. Class size guidelines were set by the School Committee after a study of class size data in an effort to establish guidelines to aid in budgeting, establish consistency across the district’s schools, and reflect a reasonable class size given surrounding districts and the newer instructional practices. The guidelines are 20 in K; 22 in 1st and 2nd grade; and 24 in grades 3-8.
Dr. Brackett advises that most of the research around the effect of class size has been on achievement (test scores). That research indicates that until you get to very low levels (e.g. 15) student achievement, as measured by a standardize test scores, is not significantly affected. Educators (and parents of children in crowded classrooms) know, however, that “long-term exposure to small classes in the early grades generates substantial advantages for students, and those extra gains are greater the longer students are exposed to those classes.” “The extra gains are greater when class size is reduced to less than 20.” We also know that smaller classes improve the quality and number of interactions between the teacher and individual students. Because our classes have such a wide variety of learning styles and abilities, smaller classes allow for more differentiation of instruction designed to challenge all students in the class. Smaller classes also reduce the distractions in the classroom, allow for more time for the teacher to spend correcting written homework, spending time communicating with parents and spending less time on management. There are higher levels of student participation, more time spent on instruction and more positive relations among students when class size is smaller.
Finally, the current best instructional practices and the type of teaching we expect to see in every classroom is one where there is an active engagement of students, groups of students working and learning together, and learning occurring in a variety of ways throughout the classroom. The days of straight rows of inactive students are gone. These best practices require space and the physical dimension of our classrooms limit the size of the classes if good instruction is to take place.
A recent survey of average kindergarten class size found that of the 72 districts responding, the range of class size was 14 to 24 with an average of 19.4. Another recent study completed by Lincoln Public Schools looked at 18 communities in the region. The median class size guideline for these communities (including SPS) is:
K = 20
1 = 22
2 = 22
3 = 23
4 = 24
5 = 24
6 = 24+
7 = 25
So where is the SPS in all of this? In the wake of the failure of last year’s override requests, the SPS cut just under 22 full-time positions. At the same time, enrollment in the K-5 schools increased by 40 more students than last year. The result of these cuts is that:
- 39% (40 of 98) of our elementary school classrooms are at or over class size guidelines;
- 92% (13 of 14) of our 3rd grade classrooms serve 24 or more students;
- in the Curtis Middle School, 44% (25 of 56) of 6th grade class rooms, 36% (23 of 64) of 7th grade classrooms, and 70% (39 of 56) of 8th grade classrooms serve 24 or more students with 8th grade math and ELA classes ranging as high as 32 and 31 students respectively.
In short, class sizes are too high in far too many classes. In the event that SPS faces significant cuts next year, class sizes – as a function of inexorable math – will jump at some grade levels from the mid 20s to the mid 30s. How can this happen? If you have, for example, a certain grade level at any of the schools with 100 students and 4 teachers, your current class size is about 25. Cut one teacher at that grade level, and the class size will jump into the mid-30s. In our view, such as state of affairs would be unacceptable.
We are obviously early in what we expect will be an exciting year academically for the students, but one which will pose greater than usual budget challenges particularly given the difficult economy in which we are all forced to operate. We urge all parents to stay informed and involved. No one should hesitate to contact any member of the School Committee with any questions, concerns or ideas.
Jeffrey S. Beeler
For the Committee