An excellent report by California Watch, a new investigative team of reporters created by the Center for Investigative Reporting,  should prompt discussion in Sacramento on the future of California’s class-size reduction program.

The report found that most large school districts had already abandoned the 20:1 student-teacher ratio that was the hallmark of class-size reduction when Gov. Pete  Wilson and the Legislature created it 13 years ago for grade K-3 and some 9^th grade classes. Some districts have expanded early-grade classes to as large as 30 students.

Even with classes that size, districts have continued to get some money from the state. Districts get the full subsidy of $1,017 per student, up to 20 students, if they keep class size at 20 or smaller. For up to 25 students, they get 80 percent of the subsidy and  70 percent for up to 30.

But even the full subsidy generally doesn’t fully cover the cost of a small class; as a result, many districts have decided they can’t afford to keep it.

Small class sizes have always been popular with teachers and parents. But studies of its effectiveness have been mixed. A 2002 study of California’s class size reduction program  found no evidence that it had improved student performance. But that was early in the program, after the state had hired thousands of inexperienced teachers needed to met the ratio.

Class size reduction is one of most expensive reforms, costing the state $1.8 billion per year. Some superintendents would rather have flexibility to extend the school day or have Saturday classes, or keep middle and high school classes from mushrooming to 35 or 40.

With more cuts to school budgets likely, the Legislature should consider giving them that flexibility.

Click here for a discussion on KQED-FM of the class-size reduction with Louis Freedberg, director of California Watch and co-author of the report; Norton Grubb, professor of the Graduate School of Education at UC-Berkeley; and Sheila Jordan, Alameda County superintendent of schools

By John Fensterwald on November 25th, 2009