CASE STUDIES
V. CASE STUDIES
This chapter illustrates the staff allocation process through case studies of six Montgomery County schools. To retain the anonymity of the schools selected for the case studies, the report refers to the schools as Elementary Schools A and B, Middle Schools A and B, and High Schools A and B.
Staff in the Office of the Deputy Superintendent and the Office of School Administration assisted OLO to select the six schools. The case study schools represent different geographic areas of the County, student populations, and types of staff allocations. OLO interviews with the school principal and/or assistant principal, plus relevant MCPS documents, served as the source of the information about each school.
This chapter does not present ideal staff allocation and assignment models, but provides examples of MCPS' staff allocation process.
Consistent with the first four chapters of this report, the case studies describe the allocation of
For purposes of this report, these positions are referred to collectively as "instructional staff." This chapter describes the allocation of instructional assistants, but excludes all other support staff positions. This chapter also does not describe the allocation of principals/assistant principals, counselors, media specialists/assistants, or special education staff Appendix D lists all of the positions allocated to the case study schools (excluding special education staff).
For the 1997-98 school year, each case study explains:
A. Introduction
The following two steps summarize the MCPS staff allocation process:
a) Staff in the Office of School Administration, Office of Instruction and Program Development, and Office of the Deputy Superintendent determine how many positions to include in MCPS' budget request and how many of the budgeted positions to allocate to each school.
b) Given the staff allocation, enrollment data, and course requirements, the principals schedule classes and assign staff.
In general, the following factors drive staff allocation decisions in the first step:
These four categories summarize the many factors considered when allocating staff among the County schools. The staffing guidelines define the specific basis for allocating each position. According to MCPS staff, the staff allocation process is not a precise science and involves some professional decision making that balances available resources and individual school needs. As a result, actual school staffing may not mirror the formulas in the guidelines.
In the second step, principals incorporate specific knowledge about the school, students, and staff members into their decisions about which classes to offer, how many students to assign to each class, and how to use the staff allocated to the school. The principal has considerable discretion in assigning some staff positions. In general, principals assign all classroom teacher positions to teach discrete classes, based on the teachers' talents and preferences. Principals must assign reading, physical education, music, and art staff to positions in the appropriate subject area. The principal has more discretion in assigning special support teachers and instructional assistants.
1. Ratio of Students to Instructional Staff
It is important to recognize that average class size data only captures the number of students assigned to classroom teachers. Therefore, it only partially describes the ratio of students to instructional staff in the school because other teachers and instructional assistants also interact with students routinely.
Class size data, for example, describe the number of students assigned to a classroom teacher, but do not indicate whether special support teachers or instructional assistants also work with the students in the classroom. While these positions do not change the number of students in class, they increase the number of instructional staff teaching and/or assisting the students and teachers. In other words, these additional staff members reduce the ratio of students to instructional staff in the classroom.
The amount of time that the special support teachers and instructional assistants spend in the classrooms and the tasks that they complete vary from position to position and school to school. Some of these staff members spend time on administrative or planning tasks, rather than direct student instruction. The case studies explain how the principals use these staff members in the schools.
The number of mainstreamed students receiving special education services and the special education staff accompanying the students into the regular classrooms also affect the ratio of students to instructional staff in the classroom. MCPS mainstreams into regular classrooms those students receiving intensity one, two or three special education services. The regular enrollment and systemwide class size data include these students. MCPS often mainstreams students receiving intensity four or five special education services into regular classes for some or all of the school day. According to MCPS staff, system wide enrollment and class size data do not include mainstreamed students receiving intensity four and five services.
The impact of mainstreaming on class sizes depends on the number of students receiving intensity four and five special education services, the amount of time that they spend in the regular classroom, and the number of special education staff that accompany the student into the regular classroom. The specifics vary from school to school and year to year.
B. Case Study Elementary Schools
1. School Characteristics
Table 12 (page 44) lists characteristics of the two case study elementary schools. (Chapter I of this report defines the variables listed in the table.) In particular, the data indicate that the two schools differ in terms of enrollment and Education Load. As a result, the staff allocated to the two schools and the principals' decisions about how to use the staff also differ.
2. Staff Allocation
Based on the staffing guidelines, MCPS staff determined which positions and how many FTEs to allocate to each school. Staff in the Office of Instruction and Program Development determine the allocations of ESOL, Head Start, and Title I staff. OSA staff determine the allocation of the remaining elementary school instructional staff, excluding special education staff which are allocated by the Department of Special Education.
Table 12: Case Study Elementary School Characteristics - 1997-98 School Year
Case Study School Characteristics Elementary Elementary
School School
A B
Total enrollment 461 563
Regular education students 428 516
Head Start education students 0 19
Special education 33 28
Educational Load 4.6 65.6
Mobility rate 1 7.7 25.1
Average class size - kindergarten 21.0 24.5
Average class size - grade 1-6 24.3 25.1
Number of classes above the maximum class
size guidelines 0 0
Student/professional staff ratio 13.16 14.52
1. Data is for the 1996-97 school year because MCPS based the current school year
staff allocations on 1996-97 data.
Table 13 (page 45) lists the instructional staff FTEs allocated to Elementary Schools A and B for the 1997-98 school year. The table also indicates whether the positions are allocated according to:
Appendix C includes a full text of the staffing guidelines. Appendix D includes a table listing all of the staff allocated to Elementary Schools A and B.
MCPS publishes positions allocated to schools in terms of fiill time equivalents (FTEs). Table 14 (page 46) shows how MCPS' full time equivalents convert to hours.
Table 13: FTEs Allocated to Case Study Elementary Schools - 1997-98 School Year
Positions Basis for Staff Elementary Elementary
Allocation School A School B
Enrollment = 461 Enrollment = 563
Ed Load = 4.6 Ed Load = 65.6
Classroom and Other Teacher FTEs
Kindergarten classroom formula 1.500 2.500
Grade 1-5 classroom formula 15.000 17.000
EEEP formula 0 0
ESOL formula 0.500 1.800
Head Start formula 0 0.625
Physical Ed., Music, Art formula 3.000 3.200
Reading formula 1.000 1.000
Title I formula 0 0.500
Subtotal 21.000 26.625
Special Support Teacher FTEs
Academic support Educational Load 0 2.500
Cluster magnet support special programs 0 0
Disadvantaged support Educational Load 0 0.500
ESOL support formula 0 0.500
Instructional support combination 0 1.000
Subtotal I 0 4.500
Instructional Assistant FTEs
Cluster magnet special programs 0 0
EEEP formula 0 0
ESOL formula 0 0
Grade I and 2 combination 0 0.375
Head Start formula 0 0.625
ism formula 0.625 0.750
Kindergarten formula 0 0
QIE combination 0 0
Regular combination 0.625 1.625
Title I formula 0 7.375
Subtotal 1.250 10.750
Total Instructional FTES* 22.250 41.875
* Refers to the total FTEs of positions described in this report, including classroom teachers, special
support teachers, all instructional assistants, reading, ESOL, Head Start, Title 1, physical education,
music, and art teachers.
Table 14: Full Time Equivalents (FTES) Converted to Hours
Professional Positions Supporting Services Positions
FTE Positions Hours (Bi-Weekly) FTE Positions Hours (Daily)
1.0 80 1.000 8
.9 72 .875 7
.8 64 .750 6
.7 56 .625 5
.6 48 .500 4
.5 40 .375 3
.4 32 .250 2
.3 24 .125 1
.2 16
.1 8
The data in table 13 indicate that, for the 1997-98 school year:
Of the instructional staff FTEs allocated to Elementary School A, 21 FTEs
(75% of instructional staff allocation) are classroom and other teachers
(includes kindergarten, grade 1-5, EEEP, ESOL, Head Start, Title 1,
physical education, music, and art teachers.) Of the instructional staff
FTEs allocated to Elementary School B, 26.625 FTEs (47% of
instructional staff allocation) are classroom and other teachers.
OSA allocated no special support teachers to Elementary School A and
4.5 FTE special support teachers to Elementary School B (I 1%.)
Elementary School A received 1.25 FTE instructional assistants (6%).
Elementary School B received 10.75 FTE instructional assistants (26%.)
Table 15 (page 47) shows the total number and percent of instructional FTEs
allocated to the two case study elementary schools categorized by the basis of the
allocation. The data indicate that:
Table 15: Basis for the Case Study Elementary Schools' Staff Allocation -
1997-98 School Year
Basis for Allocation Number of Percent of Number Percent of
FTEs Total FTEs Total
Elementary School A Elementary School B
1. Formula/Enrollment 21.625 97% 36.875 88%
(kindergarten, grade 1-5, EEEP,
ESOL, ESOL support, Head Start,
reading, and Title I teachers-, Head
Start, ISM, kindergarten, and Title I
instructional assistants)
2. Educational Load 0 0% 3.0 7%
(academic support and disadvantaged
support teachers
3. Special School Programs 0 0% 0 0%
(cluster magnet teacher, cluster magnet
instructional assistant)
4. Combination .625 3% 2.0 5%
(instructional support teacher; grade 1
& 2 and regular instructional assistant)
Total Instructional FTES* 22.25 100% 41.875 100%
* Refers to the total FTEs of positions described in this report and the case studies, including classroom
teachers, special support teachers, all instructional assistants, reading, ESOL, Head Start, Title 1, physical
education, music, and art teachers.
3. Principals' Decisions
OSA distributed the initial 1997-98 school year staffing grids in May 1997, listing the non-special education staff allocated to the school. (As explained earlier, these initial staffing allocation are considered tentative pending final budget approval.) The principal's discretion comes into play in deciding how to use that staff within the school. In general, the principals decide:
Based on OLO's interviews, the principals make their decisions in consultation with his/her school-based staff and their Director of School Administration in OSA.
a) Kindergarten and Classroom Teachers
In the case of kindergarten and grades I through 6 classroom teachers, principals begin by deciding how many classes to establish at each grade level. According to the principals of the two case study elementary schools, the number of students enrolled at each level primarily drives this decision. In general, principals divide the total number of students at each grade level equally among the classes. Principals may also take specific information about students and teachers into account.
Table 16 lists the kindergarten through grade five class sizes in Elementary Schools A and B. In summary, the 1997-98 school year data indicate that at Elementary School A:
For the 1997-98 school year at Elementary School B, the data indicate that:
Table 16: Case Study Elementary Schools' Class Sizes - 1997-98 School Year
K Gr I Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5
Class A B a A B A B A B A I B A I B
#1 20 24 21 24 27 26 25 26 27 23 22 23
#2 22 23 21 26 27 26 25 28 27 23 21 23
#3 22 24 21 26 26 23 25 26 25 25 24 23
#4 25 26
#5 12 b 11 b
Total 64 96 63 114 80 86 75 80 79 71 67 69
a OSA allocated 2.5 FT'E kindergarten teachers and 1.5 FrE academic support teachers to teach four all
day kindergarten classes at Elementary School B.
b
Grade 1/2 combination class
b) Special Support Teachers
Principals decide how to use the special support teachers allocated to their schools. The special support teachers allocated to Elementary School A and/or B include academic support, disadvantaged support, ESOL support, and instructional support teachers. Based on the information shared by the principals interviewed, the factors and questions considered when assigning these teachers include the following:
How the principal uses these positions may change from year to year or grading period to grading period, as the students' needs change.
According to the principals interviewed, they base these decisions more on the students' academic needs and less on the number of students enrolled. The background and qualifications of the staff members also influence the principal's decisions. In some cases the principal delegates decision making to the classroom teachers. For example, the principal may assign an instructional assistant to work in the second grade, while the second grade teachers determine what tasks the assistant completes.
Academic Support Teacher
Elementary School A did not receive an academic support teacher allocation for the 1997-98 school year. Elementary School B received 2.5 FTE academic support teachers. Of that allocation, 1.5 FTE positions teach kindergarten classes. According to the principal, the remaining 1.0 FTE academic support teacher acts as an dean of students or assistant principal and performs the following tasks:
Disadvantaged Support Teacher
OSA did not allocate disadvantaged support teacher FTEs to Elementary School A. Elementary School B received 0.5 of a disadvantaged support teacher position for the 1997-98 school year. Elementary School B's principal indicated that the disadvantaged support teacher works with students in all grade levels, with an emphasis on first and second grade students. The teacher completes the following tasks:
ESOL Support and Title I Teacher
For the 1997-98 school year, OSA allocated a half time (0.5 FTE) ESOL support teacher to Elementary School B. The principal combined the half-time ESOL support teacher with a half-time Title I teacher and assigned the position to teach ESOL students in kindergarten, first, second, and third grade.
According to the principal of Elementary School B, the students' needs drive exactly how this teacher's time is spent from week to week. Three primary responsibilities include:
Instructional Support Teacher
OSA allocated one full-time instructional support teacher to Elementary School B for the 1997-98 school year and none to Elementary School A. The principal assigned the instructional support teacher to help the classroom teacher teach reading and mathematics to grades three, four, and five students. The instructional support teacher also prepares reading and mathematics lesson plans with the classroom teachers. In addition, this teacher plans staff development and enrichment opportunities for the school's gifted and talented program.
c) Instructional Assistants
Principals also assign instructional assistants to tasks within the school. According to the principals interviewed, they consider similar questions as considered when assigning special support teachers, for example:
Grade I and 2 Instructional Assistant
OSA allocated 0.375 FTE of a grade I and 2 instructional assistant position to Elementary School B and none to Elementary School A. The principal decided that this assistant would help the first and second grade classroom teachers to alleviate the effects of large first and second grade classes. Depending on the teachers' needs, the assistant reinforces reading and mathematics instruction, or helps the teachers prepare lesson plans.
Head Start Instructional Assistant
OIPD allocated 0.625 FTE to Elementary School B for the 1997-98 school year. The principal must use this instructional assistant in the school's Head Start classroom. The Head Start instructional assistant provides instructional support to students in the class and assists the Head Start teacher in all areas of instruction. This staff person also rides the bus with students to and from school and delivers the students' lunches to the classroom.
Instructional System for Mathematics (ISM) Instructional Assistant
Both Elementary Schools A and B received part-time ISM instructional assistant positions. The principal at Elementary School A assigned the 0.625 FTE ISM instructional assistant to manage mathematics assessments and student progress data. In addition, in classes with large disparities in mathematics performance, the ISM assistant reinforces instruction to groups of students at the top or bottom of performance. The assistant tailors the lessons to the students' needs.
Elementary School B's ISM instructional assistant also manages mathematics assessments and student progress data. Other responsibilities include testing and assessing students in mathematics skills, collecting instructional materials, tracking placement tests, assuring correct placement of students, and reporting to teachers and principals on individual student and class achievement.
Regular Instructional Assistant
Elementary School A received 0.625 FTE of a regular instructional assistant position for the 1997-98 school year. The principal at Elementary School A assigned the instructional assistant to work primarily with the second grade because those classes are particularly large this school year. The second grade teachers decide exactly how to use the assistant in the classrooms. Possible tasks include reinforcing mathematics lessons to small groups of students, assisting individual students with writing and editing tasks, and helping teachers with clerical work. Additionally, the regular instructional assistant helps with other general program needs throughout the school.
Elementary School B received 1.625 FTEs of a regular instructional assistants. The regular instructional assistant at Elementary School B reviews and reinforces instruction with students in the fifth grade classrooms. According to the principal, the fifth grade teachers determine when the assistant works in each classroom and what tasks are completed.
Title I Instructional Assistant
OIPD allocated 7.375 Title I instructional assistants to Elementary School B and none to Elementary School A. For the 1997-98 school year, Elementary School B's Title I instructional assistants work with students in kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms. Under the direction of the classroom teachers, they reinforce classroom instruction and provide other assistance as needed in the classroom.
d) Other Teachers
OSA allocated other instructional staff to the two case study elementary schools, including ESOL, Title 1, Head Start, reading, physical education, music, and art teachers. The principal has less discretion in assigning these teachers within the school. The principal must use Head Start teachers to teach Head Start students, ESOL teachers to teach students who are speakers of other languages, and physical education, music, and art teachers to teach in their respective disciplines.
While principals must use reading teachers to teach reading, the principal can decide whether the teacher will teach in existing classrooms on a regular basis, pull students out of classrooms for reading instruction, or some other method of providing reading instruction. Principals also decide how to use the Title I teachers allocated to the school.
ESOL Teacher
OIPD allocated 0.5 FTE ESOL teacher to Elementary School A for the 1997-98 school year. The ESOL teacher instructs and supports 25 students in grades kindergarten through five. Primary responsibilities include:
OIPD allocated two ESOL teachers to Elementary School B for the 1997-98 school year. They teach language acquisition skills in two ESOL classes for kindergarten through grade five students. One of the two teachers teaches the primary level students (K- grade 3) and the other teaches the grades four and five students.
Head Start Teacher
Elementary School B received 0.625 FTE Head Start teacher for the 1997-98 school year. This teacher serves as a regular classroom teacher for the 4 year old Head Start students in the school. The Head Start teacher also maintains communication with parents on the students' progress.
Physical Education, Art, and Music Teachers
In both Elementary School A and B, these teachers teach physical education, art, and music classes to all of the students in the school. They meet with the students in their regular classroom groups. In some cases, Elementary School A and B mainstream intensity four and five special education students into these classes.
Reading Teacher
OSA allocated one full-time reading teacher position to both Elementary Schools A and B. According to Elementary School A's principal, the reading teacher at the school works on a regular basis with all the classroom teachers to prepare and teach reading lessons during regular classroom time. The reading teacher also assesses and analyzes the performance of students who need help with reading and provide extra reading instruction for those students.
Elementary School B's reading teacher also works on a regular basis with all the classroom teachers to prepare and teach reading lessons. The reading teacher and classroom teachers plan and teach at least one reading/writing unit per year in all classrooms. Each reading/writing unit lasts between two and three weeks. The reading teacher also assesses student performance, identifies students who need extra instruction, and develops plans to improve the students' performance.
4. Summary
Each elementary school principal determines how many classes to create at each grade level and how many students to assign to each class. The principals base these decisions on student enrollment and the number of classroom teacher FTEs allocated to the school, as well as other specific information about the staff members and students. The principal also decides how to use the special support teachers and instructional assistants in the school. He/she considers the students needs and the staff members background and qualifications in assigning these staff members. The staff allocated to the schools, and the tasks assigned, change from school year to school year as the school characteristics and student needs change. As the staff allocation and enrollments changes from year to year, the sizes of individual classes in the schools also change.
C. Case Study Middle Schools
1. School Characteristics
Similar to the two case study elementary schools described earlier, the two case study middle schools differ in terms of enrollment, mobility, and Educational Load. These different characteristics result in different staff allocations. Table I lists characteristics of Middle Schools A and B.
Table 17: Case Study Middle School Characteristics - 1997-98 School Year
Case Study School Characteristics Middle Middle
School School
A B
Total enrollment 707 996
Regular education students 673 937
Special education students 34 59
Educational Load 18.1 66.8
Mobility rate 1 6.1 19.6
Average class size - required English classes 26.3 21.7
Average class size - other academic classes 26.1 23.6
Number of classes above the maximum class
size guidelines 6 11
Student/professional staff ratio 14 92 13.58
Data is for the 1996-97 school year because MCPS based the current school year staff allocations on
1996-97 data.
2. Staff Allocation
Staff in the Office of School Administration (OSA) and Office of Instruction and Program Development (OIPD) base staff allocations to middle schools on the Board's adopted staffing guidelines. At the middle school level, OSA allocates the majority of instructional staff and OIPD allocates the ESOL staff
Table 18 (page 57) lists the instructional staff FTEs allocated to the two case study middle schools for the 1997-98 school year. The table includes classroom teachers, special support teachers, instructional assistants, reading teachers, and ESOL teachers. The table summarizes the basis for each allocation, including-
Appendix C includes a full text of the staffing guidelines that indicate the basis for allocating all positions. Appendix D includes a list of all the staff allocated to Middle Schools A and B for the 1997-98 school year, including administrators and all support staff (See Table 14 at page 46 for the conversion of FTEs to hours worked.)
The data in table 18 indicate that for the 1997-98 school year:
Table 19 (page 58) shows the total number and percent of instructional FTEs allocated to the two case study middle schools categorized by the basis of the allocation. The data indicate that for the current school year:
Table 18: FTEs Allocated to Case Study Middle Schools - 1997-98 School Year
Position Basis for Staff Middle Middle
Allocation School A School B
Enrollment=707 Enrollment=996
Ed Load=18.1 Ed Load=66.8
Classroom, ESOL, and Reading Teacher FTEs
Grade 6-8 classroom formula 33.800 46.100
ESOL formula 0 4.000
Reading formula 1.000 1.000
Subtotal 34.800 51.100
Special Support Teacher FTEs
Academic Support Educational Load 0 1.000
Alternative Educational Load 0.500 1.500
Cluster Magnet special programs 0 0
Disadvantaged Support Educational Load 0 1.500
Mainstreaming Support formula 0.200 0,200
Special Needs combination 0 1.000
Subtotal 0.700 5.200
Instructional Assistant FTEs
Computer lab formula 0.750 0.750
ESOL formula 0 0.750
Instructional System for formula 0.750 0.750
Mathematics (ISM)
Regular combination 0.875 0.500
Success for Every Student combination 0 0.500
Teacher assistant combination 0 0.750
Subtotal 2.375 4.000
2
Total Instructional FTES 37.875 60.300
1. Each middle school classroom teacher allocation includes 0.2 FTE release time for the school's gifted
and talented program coordinator and 0.2 FTE release time for the school's Success for Everv Student
program coordinator. The principals select classroom teachers to serve as the coordinators, who use the
allotted release time for planning.
2. Refers to the total FTEs of positions described in this report, including classroom teachers, special
support teachers, all instructional assistants, reading teachers, and ESOL teachers.
Table 19: Basis for the Case Study Middle Schools' Staff Allocation -
1997-98 School Year
Basis for allocation Number 0 Percent of Number Percent of
FTEs T Total FTEs Total
Middle School A Middle School B
1. Formula/Enrollment 36.500 96% 53.550 89%
(grade 6-8, reading, ESOL, and
mainstreaming support teachers;
computer lab, ESOL, and ISM
instructional assistants)
2. Educational Load 0.500 1% 4.000 7%
(academic support, alternative, and
disadvantaged support teachers)
3. Special School Programs 0 0% 0 0%
(cluster magnet teacher, cluster magnet
instructional assistant)
4. Combination 0.875 2% 2.750 5%
(special needs teacher, regular
instnictional assistant, SES
instructional assistant, and teacher
assistant)
Total Instructional FTES* 37.875 100% 60.300
* Refers to the total FTEs of positions described in this report, including classroom teachers, special
support teachers, all instructional assistants, reading teachers, and ESOL teachers.
3. Principals' Decisions
Each middle school principal, with input from his/her teaching staff, decides which courses will be taught, who will teach the courses, and how many students will be assigned to each class. The principals of Middle Schools A and B both reported that they begin the process of scheduling and assigning students to classes by determining how many students will take each r@quired course and how many sections of each required course the school needs to offer. After scheduling the required courses, the principal turns his/her attention to scheduling elective courses. The principals continually revise the master schedule in response to changes in enrollment, student needs, and staffing.
In May, the principals receive the staffing grid that lists all of the non-special education staff allocated to their schools. At that point, the principals can make tentative staff assignments for the next school year. If the staff required to implement a principal's master schedule differs from the staff allocated to the school, the principal must change the master schedule or request additional staff.
The remainder of this section describes how the two principals in the case study middle schools decided to use the allocated classroom teachers, special support teachers, instructional assistants, ESOL teachers, and reading teachers. For classroom teachers, this section focuses on how principals use the classroom teachers at the 7th grade level. For illustration purposes, this section focuses on the actual class sizes of required 7th grade academic classes at Middle Schools A and B for the 1997-98 school@ear. MCPS requires all 7th grade students to take the following academic courses:
A middle school may offer honors level or remedial level classes in these required courses. In addition to the required courses, students take two electives and a physical education class each semester.
a) Classroom Teachers
According to the principals of Middle Schools A and B, most middle school principals organize the classroom teachers into teaching teams that parallel the four required academic classes. At the 7th grade level, the teams typically consist of an English teacher, mathematics teacher, science teacher, and world studies teacher. The team members plan lessons and activities together, and for the most part, teach the same group of students.
According to the principals interviewed, some middle schools also assign other teachers to the teams, such as physical education, foreign language, and special education teachers. In some cases, the schools also "cross team" teachers, meaning that teachers plan and teach with staff from more than one team.
Based on the projected 7th grade enrollment for the 1997-98 school year, the principal of Middle School A created two 7th grade teacher teams. At Middle School A, each team includes an English teacher, mathematics teacher, science teacher, and world studies teacher. The principal also assigned a special education teacher to each team because Middle School A mainstreams all of its students receiving special education services. Instead of having a separate special education classroom, the special education teacher on the team works with the students receiving special education services in the other 7th grade teachers' classrooms.
The principal of Middle School B also created two 7th grade teacher teams for the 1997-98 school year. At Middle School B, each team includes an English teacher, mathematics teacher, world studies teacher, reading teacher, arts teacher, and physical education teacher.
For the two case study middle schools, Table 20 (page 6 1 ) lists the number of students in the required 7th grade academic courses (English, mathematics, science, and world studies). In summary, the 1997-98 school year data in Table 4 indicate that for the 7th grade at Middle School A:
The 1997-98 school year data indicate that for the 7th grade at Middle School B:
Table 20: Case Study Middle Schools' Academic Class Sizes - 1997-98 School Year
Class # of students Class # of students
Middle Middle Middle Middle
School A School B School A School B
English Science
#1 24 18 #1 24 29
#2 22 18 #2 30 26
#3 25 28 #3 23 32
#4 26 29 #4 29 31
#5 23 29 #5 25 27
#6 28 20 #6 26 24
#7 22 28 #7 24 30
#8 30 23 #8 25 26
#9 30 28 #9 22 26
#10 27 25 #10 28 32
#11 28 #11 28
#12 18 #12 29
#13 24
Mathematics Accelerated
#1 26 21 Mathematics
#2 25 21 #1 25 27
#3 29 22 #2 27 30
#4 24 31 #3 30
#5 21 30 #4 28
#6 25 31
#7 32
#8 20
#9 30
#10 18
#11 27
World
Studies
#1 22 24
#2 30 30
43 23 30
#4 26 32
#5 23 26
#6 29 23
#7 29 32
#8 26 32
#9 28 27
#10 21 32
#11 27
#12 25
b) Special Support Teachers
Like the elementary school staff allocations, the middle school allocations include special support teachers. The special support teachers allocated to one or both of the case study middle schools include, academic support, alternative, disadvantaged support, mainstreaming support, and special needs teachers.
OSA allocates special support teachers to address student needs or special programs at all grade levels in a school, with the principals deciding how to assign the allocated teachers. These teachers generally teach students in the regular classrooms. Middle school principals base staff assignment decisions on the same factors that the elementary school principals consider, including:
This section describes how the principals at Middle School A and B decided to use all the special support teachers allocated to their schools for the 1997-98 school year.
Academic Support Teacher
The academic support teacher provides instructional support in schools with high Education Load calculations. Based on Middle School B's Educational Load calculation, OSA allocated 1.0 FTE academic support teacher. OSA did not allocate an academic support teacher to Middle School A.
Middle School B's principal uses this position for a variety of tasks, which change from one marking period to the next, depending on the needs in the school. Currently, the academic support teacher, with the assistance of the classroom teachers, identifies students with special instructional needs and pulls those students out of the regular classroom for extra individual or small group instruction. The academic support teacher also helps the principal handle student behavior and discipline issues.
Alternative Teacher
Based on Educational Load calculations, OSA allocates alternative teachers to support the success of low to average achieving students,. Middle School A's principal decided to add the school's 0.5 FTE alternative teacher allocation to the regular classroom teacher allocation, thereby lowering class sizes in the school. According to Middle School B's principal, the school's 1.5 FTE alternative teachers teach the mainstreamed sixth grade students receiving intensity 3 special education services in the regular classroom.
Disadvantaged Support Teacher
Disadvantaged support teachers teach low to average achieving students in the school. OSA allocated 1. 5 FTE disadvantaged support teachers to Middle School B and no disadvantaged support FTEs to Middle School A for the 1997-98 school year. According to Middle School B's principal, these teachers supplement reading and writing instruction to students in regular classrooms receiving intensity 3 and 4 special education services.
Mainstreaming Support Teacher
These teachers support efforts to mainstream students receiving special education services. OSA allocated 0.2 FTE to Middle School A and B. Since Middle School A's 7th grade teaching teams already include a special education teacher, the principal decided not to also assign a mainstreaming support teacher to those classrooms. Instead, the principal added the 0.2 FTE of mainstreaming support to the school's regular classroom teacher allocation to provide additional classroom teacher time in the school.
At Middle School B, the mainstreaming support teacher and a special education teacher team teach English and reading to mainstreamed students who receive intensity 3 special education services. This teacher also teaches regular 6th grade Reading/English classes, thereby reducing the sizes of the other 6th grade reading/English classes.
Special Needs Teacher
Middle School B received 1.0 FTE special needs teacher for the 1997-98 school year. Middle School A did not receive a special needs teacher allocation. According to the principal at Middle School B, the special needs teacher teaches a Mathematics Functional Skills Support class. The school offers this class each semester for 7th and 8th grade students who have not passed or may have difficulty passing the Maryland Functional Mathematics Test. This teacher also teaches 6th grade mathematics, thereby reducing the sizes of other 6th grade mathematics classes taught by classroom teachers.
c) Instructional Assistants
Computer Lab Instructional Assistant
When MCPS wires schools for Global Access, MCPS requires principals to freeze allocated supporting services positions (or non-professional positions) to free up resources to hire a user support specialist. The principals decide which positions to freeze. In order to meet this Global Access requirement, both Middle Schools A and B froze the 0.75 computer lab instructional assistant FTE assigned to their schools. The computer lab instructional assistant allocations still appear on the schools' staffing grids, with a notation indicating that the principal chose to use the allocation toward hiring the user support specialist.
ESOL Instructional Assistants
The 0.750 FTE ESOL instructional assistant allocated to Middle School B works in the school's ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and METS (Multidisciplinary Education, Training, and Support program) classes. The NIETS program prepares ESOL students with interrupted education for regular classroom instruction. The ESOL instructional assistant reviews and reinforces instruction for the students and provides other general classroom assistance as needed. The ESOL teachers determine when the assistant works in each classroom and exactly how the assistant's time is spent.
Instructional System for Mathematics (ISM) Instructional Assistant
OSA allocated 0.750 FTE ISM instructional assistant to Middle Schools A and B. At both schools the ISM instructional assistant completes ISM program tasks, including testing, data collection, and data dissemination. At Middle School A, ISM assistant also assists classroom teachers and students in the computer lab.
Regular Instructional Assistant
Middle School A's principal decided to assign a portion of the 0.875 FTE instructional assistant allocation to each of the school's teaching teams at all grade levels. The instructional assistant spends two hours of every school day working with the 7th grade teams. The teachers on the team decide when the instructional assistant will work in each classroom and how the time is spent. The regular instructional assistant may review and reinforce instruction, assist the teacher with lesson planning, and complete other tasks in the classrooms as needed.
OSA allocated 0.5 FTE instructional assistant time to Middle School B. The principal froze one hour (0. 125 FTE) of the regular instructional assistant time to provide FTEs to hire a user support specialist. The principal uses the remainder of the regular instructional assistant allocation to review or reinforce lessons with students in the 7th grade English classrooms and to provide other general assistance in the classrooms as needed.
Success for Every Student (SES) Instructional Assistant
Middle School B is one of six County middle schools to receive a 0.5 FTE Success for Every Student instructional assistant to help prepare students for the Maryland Functional Tests. Middle School A did not receive a SES instructional assistant. According to Middle School B's principal, the SES instructional assistant reviews and reinforces lessons in the 8th grade English classrooms as students prepare for the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) assessments, the Maryland Functional Reading Test, and the 8th grade criterion-referenced test.
Teacher Assistant
OSA did not allocate any teacher assistant time to Middle School A for the 1997- 98 school year and allocated 0.750 FTE to Middle School B. The principal decided to freeze five hours (0.625 FTE) of the teacher assistant time allocated to the school in order to hire the user support specialist. According to the principal, the remaining 0. 125 FTE reviews and reinforces lessons in 7th and 8th grade mathematics classes to help students prepare for the Maryland Functional Mathematics Test.
d) Other Teachers
MCPS also allocates reading teachers and ESOL teachers to middle schools. For the 1997-98 school year, every middle school received 1.0 FTE reading teacher to provide reading instruction in the schools. The Office of Instruction and Program Development allocates ESOL teachers based on the number of ESOL students in the school.
Reading Teacher
According the Middle School A's principal, for the 1997-98 school year, the 1,0 FTE reading teacher allocated to the school teaches regularly scheduled classes. The reading teacher teaches four periods of reading/writing workshops each day to 6th grade students.
During the 1997-98 school year, Middle School B's reading teacher teaches students with special reading needs and low reading test scores exclusively. These students are not in the special education program, but require special accommodations and assistance in order to succeed in the regular classroom. The reading teacher assesses students' performance, identifies the students who need extra instruction, and devises an instructional plan to improve reading skills. The teacher may work with those students during the regular classroom reading time or pull individuals or groups of students out of the classroom for additional instruction.
ESOL Teacher
For the 1997-98 school year, the Office of Instruction and Program Development allocated four ESOL teachers to Middle School B and none to Middle School A. According to Middle School B's principal, these four teachers make up the school's ESOL team. One teacher teaches the METS class and the other three teach ESOL levels one through three classes. The principal designated one of the teachers as the team leader, who is responsible for the overall operation of the ESOL program and the ESOL computer lab.
4. Summary
In summary, the two case study middle schools differ in terms of enrollment, Educational Load, mobility rate, and percent of students participating in the Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS). These different characteristics led OSA and OIPD to allocate different staff to the two case study schools. The case study principals assigned tasks to staff members based on student and program needs, as well as the staff abilities. The staff allocated to the schools, and the tasks assigned, change from school year to school year as the characteristics of the schools and needs of the students change. As the staff allocation changes from year to year, the sizes of individual classes in the schools also change.
D. Case Study High Schools
1. School Characteristics
Table 21 lists characteristics of case study High Schools A and B. High schools are generally larger and more complex than elementary and middle schools in terms of enrollment, staffing, and course offerings. For the 1996-97 school year, enrollments at individual County high schools ranged from approximately 546 students to 2,400 students.
High schools offer more required and elective courses and magnet and other special academic programs than elementary and middle schools. As a result, MCPS allocates more instructional and non-instructional staff to high schools. These factors complicate the scheduling and staffing process at the high school level.
While the two case study high schools differ from elementary and middle schools, they also differ from each other in terms of enrollment, mobility, and Educational Load. As a result of these differences, OSA allocated different instructional staff FTEs to the two schools. In addition, OSA allocated positions to High School B to staff a magnet program at the school.
Table 21: Case Study High School Characteristics - 1997-98 School Year
Case Study School Characteristics High School High School
A B
Total enrollment 1,698 1,339
Regular education students 1,628 1,196
Special education students 70 143
Educational Load 11.4 57.1
Mobility rate 5.1 28.4
Average class size - required English classes 26.4 25.1
Average class size - other academic classes 28.3 26.3
Number of academic classes above the 40 15
maximum class size guidelines
Student/Professional staff ratio 18.59 15.94
1. Data is for the 1996-97 school year because MCPS based the current school year staff
allocations on 1996-97 data.
2. Staff Allocation
MCPS bases each high school's instructional staff allocation on the Board's adopted staffing guidelines. The Office of School Administration (OSA) allocates the majority of the instructional staff. For high schools, staff in the Office of Instruction and Program Development (OIPD) allocate the ESOL staff, vocational support teachers, career preparation teachers, and career information assistants. The Guidance Unit in the Office of Pupil and Community Services provides input to the career information assistant allocation decisions. In May, principals receive a staffing grid that lists all the staff allocated to their school for the next school year (excluding the special education staff.)
Table 22 (page 69) lists the instructional staff FTEs allocated to High Schools A and B for the 1997-98 school year. The table includes classroom teachers, special support teachers, instructional assistants, ESOL teachers, career preparation teachers, and vocational support teachers. The table also indicates whether the positions are allocated according to:
Appendix C includes the staffing guidelines describing the basis for allocating all of the positions referred to in this report. Appendix D includes a list of all the staff allocated to the two case study high schools for the 1997-98 school year (excluding special education staff)
The data in Table 22 indicate that for the 1997-98 school year:
Table 22: FTEs Allocated to Case Study High Schools - 1997-98 School Year
Position Basis for Staff High High
Allocation School A School B
Enrollment=1,698 Enrollment=1,339
Ed Load= I 1. 4 Ed Load=57.1
Classroom and Other Teacher FTEs
Grade 9-12 classroom formula 77.300 57.200
Career Preparation special programs 0.500 2.000
ESOL formula 0 6.000
Vocational Support special programs 0.500 1.000
Subtotal 78.300 66.200
Special Support Teacher FTEs
Academic Support Educational Load 0 1.000
Alternative Educational Load 0.500 2.000
Disadvantaged Support Educational Load 0 1.000
ESOL Support formula 0 1.000
Special Programs special programs 0 2.500
Subtotal 0.500 7.500
Instructional Assistant FTEs
Career Information formula 1.000 1.000
Computer lab formula 0.750 0.750
English Composition formula 2.625 2.188
ESOL formula 0 1.500
Regular combination 2.750 1.500
Success for Every Student combination 0 0.500
Teacher assistant combination 0 1.000
Subtotal 7.125 8.438
Total Instructional FTES* 85.925 82.138
* Refers to the total FFEs of positions described in this report, including classroom teachers, special
support teachers, all instructional assistants, career preparation teachers, ESOL teachers, and vocational
support teachers.
Table 23 (page 70) shows the total number and percent of instructional FTEs allocated to the two case study high schools categorized by the basis of the allocation. The data indicate that for the 1997-98 school year:
Table 23: Basis for the Case Study High Schools' Staff Allocation -
1997-98 School Year
Basis for Allocation Number of Percent of Number Percent of
FTEs Total FTEs Total
High School A High School B
1. Formula/Enrollment 81.675 95% 69.638 85%
(grade 9-12, ESOL, and ESOL support
teachers; career information, computer
lab, English composition and ESOL
instructional assistants)
2. Educational Load 0.500 0.6% 4.000 5%
(academic support, alternative, and
disadvantaged support teachers)
3. Special School Programs 1.000 1% 5.500 6%
(career prep., special programs,
vocational support teachers)
4. Combination 2.750 3% 3.000 4%
(regular instnictional assistant, SES
instructional assistant, teacher
assistant)
Total Instructional FTES* 85.925 100% 82.138 100%
* Refers to the total FT'Es of positions described in this report, including classroom teachers, special
support teachers, all instructional assistants, career preparation teachers, ESOL teachers, and vocational
support teachers.
3. Principals' Decisions
High school principals direct the long and complicated process of deciding which courses a school will offer, developing a master schedule, assigning staff, and assigning students to individual classes. At the elementary level, principals determine the number of classes to offer primarily on the number of students enrolled at each grade level. At the middle and high school levels, principals must consider the courses that students are required to take, as well as the electives that they select. In some schools, magnet and other special programs must also be considered.
The relatively large number of students and courses offered at the high school level make the scheduling process more complicated than at the elementary and middle school levels. According to the principal at High School A, the development of the high school master schedule, the staff teaching assignments, and student class assignments, begins as early as January.
In May of each year, the principals receive the staffing grid that lists the staff FTEs allocated to the schools. (These initial staffing allocations are considered tentative pending final budget approval.) Before this time, the principals work on a tentative master schedule and list of staff assignments. If the FTEs required to implement the principals' tentative master schedule differ from the staff allocated to the school, the principal must request additional staff or change the master schedule.
The remainder of this section describes how the two principals decided to use the classroom teachers, special support teachers, instructional assistants, and other teachers. For classroom teachers, this section focuses on teachers at the 9th wrade level. To illustrate a sample of class sizes, this section describes the 1997-98 school year (first semester) class sizes of the following courses taken by a majority of 9th grade students:
a) Classroom Teachers
Typical courses for ninth graders include: algebra, English, Matter and Energy, U.S. History, and a foreign language or technology or art class. Principals organize high school classroom teachers into departments by these subject areas. For example, all of the science classroom teachers in a school comprise the science department and work together to develop and plan for the school's science courses.
Table 24 (page 72) shows the sizes of the "standard" required courses that most 9th grade students take for the 1997-98 school year (first semester) at the two case study high schools. In some cases, students take other English, mathematics, science, or social studies classes offered at the school. For example, a student who took Algebra in 8th grade would take a higher level mathematics course in 9th grade.
Table 24: Case Study High Schools' Academic Class Sizes - 1997-98 School Year
Class # of students Class # of students
High School High School High School High School
A B A B
English 9 Honors
#1 27 27 English 9
#2 23 28 #1 29 32
#3 27 27 #2 26 30
#4 27 28 #3 31 26
#5 28 22 #4 26 29
#6 27 25 #5 28
47 26 23 #6 30
48 20 28 #7 31
#8 30
Matter and Honors
Energy Matter and
#1 33 29 Energy
#2 29 32 #1 34 30
#3 28 21 #2 34 29
#4 33 29 43 34 26
45 34 29 #4 35 28
#6 35 31
#7 30 31
#8 33
#9 34
U.S. Honors
History U.S.
#1 27 32 History 29 32
#2 32 31 #1 32 32
#3 24 34 #2 31 29
#4 32 32 #3 32 27
#5 22 32 #4 28
#6 30 31 #5 21
#7 32 32 #6 31
#8 29 #7
Algebra I
#1 27 32
#2 28 31
#3 30 34
#4 25 32
#5 31 32
#6 27 31
#7 28 32
48 33
#9 33
In summary, the 1997-98 school year data indicate that for High School A's 9th grade required academic classes:
High School B's 1997-98 school year data indicate that for 9th grade classes in Table 24:
b) Special Support Teachers
In addition to assigning classroom teachers, the principals also decide how to use the special support teachers in the school. OSA allocated academic support, alternative, disadvantaged support, ESOL support, and special programs teachers to case study High School A and/or B for the 1997-98 school year.
OSA allocates special support teachers to support specific needs and programs at all grade levels in the schools. Generally, these teachers teach students in the regular classroom or small groups of students outside the classroom. The following paragraphs describe how the principals at High Schools A and B assigned the special support teachers for the 1997-98 school year.
Academic Support Teacher
OSA allocated 1.0 FTE academic support teacher to High School B and no academic support teacher FTEs to High School A. According to High School B's principal, the academic support teacher spends about half time coordinating the ninth grade students transition from middle to high school. For example, the teacher organizes ninth grade parent conferences and orientations; communicates with the middle schools about the needs of the incoming group of ninth grade students; and works closely with the ninth grade teachers to identify potential student problems and needs.
The academic support teacher spends the other half of the time teaching and coordinating academic support for a group of 25 to 30 ninth grade students, who are identified as struggling with the transition from middle to high school. For example, the teacher teaches the students skills such as studying and notetaking and communicates with the regular classroom teachers on the students' progress and needs.
Alternative Teacher
OSA allocated a 0. 5 FTE alternative teacher position to High School A for the 1997-98 school year. This teacher works with the 70 students in the school who are coded as needing special accommodations and assistance to succeed in the regular classroom. The alternative teacher teaches and counsels these students, works with parents and teachers to develop and monitor the students' educational programs, and runs a special learning center. The learning center provides a "home base" for the students, where instructional staff can help them understand, accept, and cope with their learning difficulties.
OSA allocated 2.0 FTEs to High School B. The principal uses the alternative teachers in three departments- 0.8 FTE in the Science Department, 1.0 FTE in the English Department, and 0.2 FTE in the Foreign Language Department. In the science and foreign language departments, the teachers provide instruction to at-risk students who have difficulty with science and foreign language classes. In the English department, the alternative teacher provides additional English instruction to ninth grade students in the regular English classrooms.
Disadvantaged Support Teacher
OSA did not allocate disadvantaged support teacher time to High School A for the 1997-98 school year. OSA allocated 1.0 FTE disadvantaged support teacher to High School B for the 1997-98 school year. According to the principal, half of the allocation supplements guidance office staff time spent on ninth grade student counseling because the school has a large ninth grade this year. The disadvantaged support teacher spends the other half of the time teaching ninth grade students in the Matter and Energy classes. The principal chose to use the teacher in the Matter and Energy classes because many of High School B's students have difficulty with that class.
ESOL Support Teacher
For the 1997-98 school year, OSA allocated 1.0 FTE ESOL support teacher to High School B and none to High School A,. High School B's ESOL support teacher acts as a regular classroom teacher in classes with a large number of ESOL students. The principal decided to use 0.8 of the FTE to teach mathematics and 0.2 FTE to teach science.
Special Program Teacher OSA allocates these teachers to support special programs in the County schools. The 2.0 FTEs allocated to High School B teach the magnet program classes at all grade levels. OSA did not allocate special program teachers to High School A.
c) Instructional Assistants
Career Information Assistant
OSA allocates 1.0 FTE career information assistant to each County high school. This assistant develops and implements a career guidance and information program at the school. Examples of the career information assistant's responsibilities include:
Computer Lab Instructional Assistant
OSA allocates a 0.75 computer lab instructional assistant at each high school. In High School A, the computer lab instructional assistant keeps computer equipment in order and fixes computer problems. This staff person may also provide technical assistance to students in the computer labs. High School B's principal froze this position for the 1997-98 school year to provide the FTEs needed to hire a user support specialist. As explained earlier, when schools become part of the Global Access program, MCPS requires principals to freeze allocated support services positions to free up resources to hire a user support specialist. The principals decide which positions to freeze.
English Composition Assistant
High School A received 2.625 FTE English Composition Assistants for the 1997- 98 school year. The principal assigned the English composition assistants to help 9th and I Ith grade students with writing assignments and to provide feedback on graded papers. The English composition assistants also help teachers grade writing assignments.
High School B received 2.188 FTE English Composition Assistant. High School B's principal also assigned the assistant to help 9th and I I th grade students with writing assignments and to provide feedback on graded papers. High School B's English composition assistants also provide remedial reading and writing assistance to students who have not taken or have not passed the Maryland Functional Reading and Writing Test.
ESOL Instructional Assistant
The 0.750 FTE ESOL instructional assistant allocated to High School B helps the ESOL teachers and students in the school's ESOL classrooms. The assistant may reinforce and review instruction to individuals and small groups of students in the ESOL classes. High School A did not receive ESOL instructional assistants for the 1997-98 school year.
Regular Instructional Assistant and Teacher Assistant
OSA allocated 2.750 FTEs to High School A for the 1997-98 school year. Consistent with the requirements of Global Access, the principal froze 0.875 FTE of this position in order to hire a user support specialist. High School A's principal divides the remaining 1.875 FTE regular instructional assistants' time among the academic departments in the school. The instructional assistants do not provide direct instruction, but may set up laboratories for the science department and assist teachers in the other departments with clerical tasks. An instructional assistant spends four hours on average each week in each department.
OSA allocated 1.5 FTE regular instructional assistants and 1.0 FTE teacher assistant to High School B for the 1997-98 school year. High School B froze 0.750 FTE of its regular instructional assistant allocation in order to hire a user support specialist. The different academic departments in the school share the remaining 0.750 FTE regular instructional assistant and the 1.0 FTE teacher assistant, with the majority of the time spent in classrooms with ESOL and students receiving special education services.
Success for Evety Student (SES) Instructional Assistant
OSA allocated 0.5 FTE to High School B and no FTEs to High School A. The principal at High School B decided to use this instructional assistant to coordinate preparation and administration of the Maryland Functional Tests. This involves preparing students, communicating with parents about the tests, and coordinating the logistics of administering the tests.
d) Other Teachers
OIPD allocates ESOL teachers, career preparation teachers, and vocational support teachers to high schools. Generally, high school principals use the ESOL teachers to support the ESOL students in the school, and the career preparation and vocational support teachers to teach career oriented classes and to coordinate work study and internship programs.
ESOL Teacher
OIPD allocated 6.0 FTE ESOL teachers to High School B and no ESOL teachers to High School A for the 1997-98 school year. According to the principal at High School B, the ESOL teachers are regular classroom teachers in the school l's ESOL classes.
Career Preparation Teacher
OSA allocated a 0.5 FTE career preparation teacher to High School A. The teacher coordinates career oriented programs and teaches courses. The teacher's duties include:
OSA allocated 2.0 FTEs to High School B. The principal assigned these teachers to the following tasks for the 1997-98 school year:
Vocational Support Teacher
During the 1997-98 school year, High School A's principal assigned the 0.5 FTE vocational support teachers to teach two economics classes and one consumer mathematics course. The vocational support teacher also coordinates programs for students interested in business and marketing careers and the on-the-job training program.
High School B's 1.0 FTE vocational support teacher:
3. Summary
High enrollments and large number of course offerings complicate the scheduling and staff assignment process at the high school level. The principals direct the process of deciding which classes to offer and how many students to assign to each class, as well as assigning tasks to the schools' staff members. The staff allocated to the high schools, the courses offered, enrollment, and other characteristics of the student population change from school year to school year. As a result, the sizes of individual classes and the way the principal uses the staff members also varies.