Page #
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i
I. INTRODUCTION 1
A. AUTHORITY
B. SCOPE
C. ORGANIZATION OF REPORT
D. METHODOLOGY
E. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
F. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
II. CLASS SIZE DATA 7
A. AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
B. MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE GUIDELINES
C. STUDENT/PROFESSIONAL STAFF RATIO
D. SERVICE RATIO
E. INDIVIDUAL CLASS SIZES
III. MCPS STAFF ALLOCATION PROCESS 25
A. INTRODUCTION
B. STEPS IN THE STAFF ALLOCATION PROCESS
IV. CURRENT MCPS INITIATIVES TO LOWER CLASS SIZE 39
A. MCPS' THREE-YEAR INITIATIVE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LARGE CLASSES
B. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S FY 1999 RECOMMENDATIONS TO LOWER CLASS SIZE
V. CASE STUDIES 41
A. INTRODUCTION
B. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
C. MIDDLE SCHOOLS
D. HIGH SCHOOLS
VI. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 79
A. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
B. RECOMMENDATIONS
VII. AGENCY COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT REPORT 88
APPENDICES 89
APPENDIX A: OFFICIAL ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY CLASS SIZE REPORT
APPENDIX B: MCPS ORGANIZATION CHART
APPENDIX C: MCPS STAFFING GUIDELINES - FY 1998
APPENDIX D: TOTAL STAFF ALLOCATION TO CASE STUDY SCHOOLS
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1: Kindergarten and Elementary School Average Class
Size Calculations 10
Table 2: Middle and High School Average Class Size
Calculations 11
Table 3: Systemwide Average Class Size Data - 1997-98
School Year 13
Table 4: Maximum Class Size Guidelines - 1997-98 School Year 14
Table 5: Student/Professional Staff Ratio Calculation 15
Table 6: Offices Responsible for Determining Staff
Allocations 26
Table 7: 1997-98 School Year Staff Allocation Process
and FY 98 Operating Budget Development Process 28
Table 8: FY 98 Classroom Teacher Staffing Guidelines 30
Table 9: FY 98 Special Support Teacher Staffing Guidelines 33
Table 10: FY 98 Instructional Assistant Staffing Guidelines 34
Table 11: FY 98 Staffing Guidelines for Other Teachers 35
Table 12: Case Study Elementary School Characteristics -
1997-98 School Year 44
Table 13: FTEs Allocated to Case Study Elementary Schools -
1997-98 School Year 45
Table 14: Full Time Equivalents (FTES) Converted to Hours 46
Table 15: Basis for the Case Study Elementary Schools'
Staff Allocation - 1997-98 School Year 47
Table 16: Case Study Elementary Schools' Class Sizes -
1997-98 School Year 48
Table 17: Case Study Middle School Characteristics -
1997-98 School Year 55
Table 18: FTEs Allocated to Case Study Middle Schools -
1997-98 School Year 57
Table 19: Basis for the Case Study Middle Schools' Staff
Allocation 58
Table 20: Case Study Middle Schools' Academic Class Sizes -
1997-98 School Year 61
Table 21: Case Study High School Characteristics -
1997-98 School Year 67
Table 22: FTEs Allocated to Case Study High Schools -
1997-98 School Year 69
Table 23: Basis for the Case Study High Schools' Staff
Allocation - 1997-98 School Year 70
Table 24: Case Study High Schools' Academic Class Sizes -
1997-98 School Year 74
Table 25: Systemwide Average Class Size Data - 1997-98
School Year 82
Table 26: Sample Individual Class Size Data - 1997-98
School Year 83
Table 27: Maximum Class Size Guidelines - 1997-98
School Year 84
Elected officials and community members often cite reducing class size in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) classrooms as a high priority issue. At the request of the County Council, this Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) report explains how MCPS defines and calculates various class size statistics and describes MCPS' process for allocating instructional staff to each school. The report also illustrates, through six case studies, how individual principals decide to assign the staff allocated to their schools. This staff allocation process ultimately determines the number of staff members and students assigned to each classroom.
The Board's adopted staffing guidelines, published in the MCPS budget, outline the basis for allocating staff positions to individual schools. Enrollment based formulas in the staffing guidelines determine approximately 90% of MCPS' instructional staff allocation. The guidelines base other staff allocations on Educational Load calculations and the special programs at individual schools.
MCPS publishes various statistics and guidelines to describe class sizes and ratios of students to teachers. No single statistic adequately summarizes class sizes or illustrates the range of individual class sizes. When reviewing class size statistics, it is important to be aware of the assumptions behind any calculations and to understand both the value and limits of the data presented.
To enhance the Council's understanding of the class size issue, the Office of Legislative Oversight recommends that:
MCPS should provide the Council with an annual summary of key class size data. In addition to "average" class size data, MCPS should provide data that offer a good perspective on the range of individual class sizes throughout the school system. In addition, MCPS should identify specifically where class sizes vary from the Board's adopted maximum class size guidelines and by how much.
MCPS should calculate and publish a new statistic that relates the number of students in each school to the number of "instructional staff" in the school, defined to include all certified teachers and instructional assistants that work directly with students. MCPS' current calculations of student-to-staff ratios do not include instructional assistants, most of whom either help students within the classroom or provide more individualized instruction in small groups outside of the classroom.
Any requests for funds to lower class sizes should outline explicitly how and when the additional appropriation would change MCPS class sizes and the multi-year fiscal impact of the request. To enable the Council to understand the impact of funding requests related to lowering class size, any such request should include an explanation of how and when the initiative is expected to change, for example, the number of large classes, average class size statistics, and/or the ratio of instructional staff to students. MCPS should also describe the multi-year fiscal impact of the request.