Florida's Class Size Reduction

THE CLASS SIZE REDUCTION AMENDMENT: DO THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE COSTS?

BY

DANIELLE JOOS

On November 5, 2002 the electors of Florida approved a constitutional amendment setting class size reduction standards.

Article IX, Section 1, Florida Constitution, is amended to read:

Section 1. Public Education. -

The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and other public education programs that the needs of the people may require. To assure that children attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:

1. The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;

2. The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and

3. The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.

4. The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with reducing class size to meet these requirements is the responsibility of the state and not of local school districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of students in each classroom by at least two students per year until the maximum number of students per classroom does not exceed the requirements of this subsection.

In order to meet these requirements the legislature enacted a bill stating that at the start of the 2003-2004 school year each classroom must reduce in size by two students per year. This is to be done until the number of students does not exceed the limits defined by the amendment.

Recently the Education commissioner has made this statement about the progress of the amendment:

In the years since the class size amendment was implemented, districts have made real progress in lowering class sizes. Their efforts are commendable and have resulted in extraordinary reductions, particularly at the prekindergarten through third grade level where we have an average of five less students per classroom. Next year, districts are facing an even greater challenge as we transition to class size requirements calculated at the school level as prescribed by Florida Statutes. This is why the State Board of Education and I have recommended $1.9 billion in facilities funding to help districts meet class size obligations, which should go a long way in eliminating the need for temporary measures, such as co-teaching (John L. Winn).

Although the commissioner feels that there is great progress being made many of Florida's legislators are not feeling as confident about the situation. Many feel that the limits set by the new amendment are too harsh and we should look to what other states have implemented in their fight to reduce class sizes. Tennessee, Wisconsin, and California have all come up with class size reduction programs that are not nearly as severe the one Florida is trying to execute. Is there any evidence from these past tries at that size reduction that it is worth the cost?

Legislators feel that this amendment will adversely affect teacher quality, with there already being a shortage of 30,000 teachers in Florida. They feel that the amendment will decrease the quality of public school teachers especially in low income areas. The amendment will also adversely affect student and parental choice, because it is difficult to maximize the use of classroom space available and still provide students and parents with a choice as to which school they want to attend.

The joint resolution, of the house and senate, has proposed an amendment in which the method, by which class size compliance is calculated, is so that class size is designed by district average with no individual classroom having a teacher to student ratio of more than 5 students over the current constitutional cap. Further more, the joint resolution wants to revise the current amendment to state that class size compliance is calculated according to teacher-student ratio rather than teacher-classroom ratio.

Legislators are also trying to amend the amendment by pursuing other ideas in which they feels billions of dollars would be better spent. Some such proposals were the option of co-teaching, and the 65 cent solution. The 65 cent solution is a major focus for the legislature, because as of right now less than sixty cents of every dollar is spent in the classroom, this solution would require that 65 cents of every dollar be spent on in class expenditures. With many of these amendments passing we are sure to see a new draft of the class size amendment on the next Florida ballot.

Surely class size reductions are beneficial in specific circumstances for specific groups of students, subject matters and teachers. The policy debates, driven by the politics of the situation, do not however, attempt to identify any such specific situations but instead support large reductions in class sizes across all schools, subjects and often grades. There are three things think about when opting for class size reduction. First, nothing in the current decision process encourages targeting class size reductions to situations where they are effective. Although class size will still be reduced further in the lower grades, there is still legislation to lower the class sizes straight though to the twelfth grade. Second, class size reductions necessarily involve hiring more teachers and teacher quality is much more important than class size in affecting student outcomes. Third, class size reduction is very expensive and little or no consideration is given to alternative and more