What's your number? Class sizes in Oregon's public schools

7/29/2019 What's your number? Class sizes in Oregon's public schools

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Whats Your

Number?

class sizes in oregons public schools


2/12

Last school year, Beaverton teacher

Stephen Hammond, above, had 35

students in his 8th grade science class.


3/12

The rooms are designed or 30, max. Kids are

sitting on table tops. You cant teach kids andhelp them solve their individual questions with

that big o a class.


4/12

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40%

30%

20%

10%

-20%

0

-10%

CLASS SIZES

SCHOOLPOSITIONS

K-12 Schools: Mass Layoffs

and Increased Class Sizes

Teachers

Classied

Staf Administration

Elementary

Middle School

High School

Source: COSA/OASBO School District Surveys,

Sept. 2009, 2010 and 20112011-12

2010-11

2009-10


5/12

3rdlargest class sizes in the nation

7%Per-pupilspending is less than national average

OregOn eDUCATIOn: BY THe nUMBerS

#47in the nation or

spending on higher edOregon is

Site: The Oregonian (May 2011, Sept. 2012); Oregon Daily Emerald (June 2008)


6/12

Reducing class size, particularly in the early grades, is one o theew educational strategies shown to increase learning and nar-

row the achievement gap between ethnic and racial groups.

The Institute o Education Sciences, the research arm o the US

Department o Education, concludes that class size reduction is

one o only our, evidence-based reorms that have been proven

to increase student achievement through rigorous, randomizedexperiments -- the "gold standard" o research.

Studies rom Tennessee, Wisconsin, and elsewhere demon-

strate that students who are assigned to smaller classes in

grades K-3rd do better in every way that can be measured: they

score higher on tests, receive better grades, and exhibit im-

proved attendance.

Those students whose perormance improves the most are

those who need the most help: children rom poor and minor-

ity backgrounds, who experience twice the gains as the average

student. Alan Krueger o Princeton has estimated that reducing

class size in the early grades shrinks the achievement gap by

about 38 percent.

And yet though minority students benet the most rom smaller

classes, they are more likely to be enrolled in classes o 25 or

more. Indeed, the gap in class size between schools with high

and low minority populations has increased in recent years.

In another national survey, 88 percent o teachers, and 85 per-

cent o superintendents and principals agreed with this state-

ment: I the public schools nally got more money and smaller

classes, they could do a better job. Again, their support or this

improvement strategy ar outstripped any other.

What the Research Says

on Class Size

Text excerpted rom Class Size Matters, www.classizematters.org


7/12

National surveys of

educators believethat class size

reduction is the most

effective method toimpov th quality

of tachi.


8/12

Melissa McNeil, a ourth and

th grade teacher at Central

Point Elementary school, had 39

students in her class last year.


9/12

I had a really difcult time wrapping my head

around this reality. How do I t that many desks

in my classroom? I guess we dont need a reading

table anymore. I cant bear to think that these kidsare getting an elementary experience devoid o

everything that I loved when I was a kid.


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Take a picture o your classroom (i students are in class, be sure

to ollow your districts/buildings policy). Send the picture to usat [email protected] and upload it to OEAs acebook page at

www.facebook.com/oregonEA. Well include it in a photo gallery

and share it with your local elected ofcial.

how to tell yourclass size story

Have a riend or colleague use a smart phone to lm you telling your

personal story. Share how class size impacts teaching and learning

in your classroom. Keep it to 60 seconds or less. Upload the video

to YouTube and email us a link to it: [email protected].

Go to www.oregoned.org/classsize and use the Tell Your Story

link. Your story will be shared with ellow educators, the public

and Oregon legislators.

Theres no impact like a handwritten note! Use the postcard to

the right; draw your class size number in the open box, and on the

backside, write a little bit about how class size has impacted you.Mail the postcard back to OEA, and well hand-deliver it to your

legislator!

VIDEO

WRITTEN

PICTURES


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M

ynameis:

_____________

____________

_______

M

yemaili

s:

_____________

____________

_______

M

yjobis:

_____________

____________

_______

Iworkat:

_____________

____________

_______

M

ySchoolDistrictis:

_____________

____________

_______

M

yclasssizeis:

A

saneducatorIamc

oncernedaboutthe

increasing

classsizesinOregonspublicschools.Ic

allon

O

regonselectedofcialstostopunderu

ndingour

studentsuturesand

startinvestinginourschools.


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Thisishowclasssizeimpactsmystudents

:

OregonEducationAssociation

C/OGRDepartment

6900SWA

tlantaSt.

Portland,OR97223

Place

stamp

here

Documents

What's your number? Class sizes in Oregon's public schools