FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
     
    JIM HORNE
    Commissioner of Education
     
      
     
     
     
    STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
      
     
    F. PHILIP HANDY,
    Chairman
     
    T. WILLARD FAIR,
    Vice Chairman
     
     
    Members
     
    LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
     
    CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
     
    JULIA L. JOHNSON
     
    WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
      
     
     
     
    January 6, 2004
     
     
    MEMORANDUM
     
    To:
      
      
    School District MIS Contacts; School District Finance Officers
    From:
       
    Lavan Dukes
     
     
    Subject:
      
    Class Size Reduction Data Amendment Schedule/Reports
     
    The purposes of this Memorandum are the following:
     
    1.
     
    To inform districts of the Schedule for Updating 0203 Class Size Data (baseline) and 0304
    (Survey 2) Class Size Data
    2.
     
    To inform districts of reports available to aid in analysis and improvement of Class Size Data
    3.
     
    To explain how to use Class Size Average reports to analyze district data.
    4.
     
    To provide strategies for accurately reporting class size.
     
    Background
     
    On December 17, 2003 districts were provided a report of district class size averages for 2003-2004
    compared to 2003 baseline district class size averages, indicating district compliance with the required
    class size reduction for 2003-2004. Following is the timeline that has been set for districts to correct and
    update reported data that was used to calculate district class size averages for both the 2003 baseline data
    and the 2003-2004 district class size averages.
    GARNET L. DUKES. JR.
    Bureau Chief
    Accountability, Research, and Measurement
     
    325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 852 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0400 • www.fldoe.org
     

     
    Schedule for Updating 0203 Class Size Data (baseline) and 0304 (Survey 2) Class Size Data
     
     
    January 9, 2004
      
    Class Size data aggregated
    o
     
    January 12, 2004
      
    Class Size reports available
     
    January 16, 2004
      
    Class Size data aggregated
    o
     
    January 19, 2004
      
    Class Size reports available
     
    January 23, 2004
      
    Class Size data aggregated
    o
     
    January 26, 2004
      
    Final Class Size reports available
     
    Formats to be submitted for updating Baseline or 0304 Survey 2 Class Size Data include the following:
     
    0203 – Baseline Data
     
    STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC
    DPSxx.GQ.F70359.Y02033
    STUDENT COURSE SCHEDULE
    DPSxx.GQ.F70356.Y02033
    TEACHER COURSE
    DPSxx.GQ.F70357.Y02033
     
    0304 Survey 2 Data
     
    STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC
    DPSxx.GQ.F60775.Y03042
    STUDENT COURSE SCHEDULE
    DPSxx.GQ.F60776.Y03042
    TEACHER COURSE
    DPSxx.GQ.F60777.Y03042
     
    Updates will be run nightly for all formats received by 4 p.m. EDT.
     
    Class Size Data Reports
     
    The following reports will be available for districts to download from Northwest Regional Data Center,
    Monday, January 5, 2004:
     
    0203 – Baseline Data
    DPSxx.GQ.F70408.Y02033 - Class Average Report - By school/district (includes Charter and DJJ
    Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70412.Y02033 - Class Size Report, Grades PK-3, Based on Class Average Table (includes
    Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70413.Y02033 - Class Size Report, Grades 4-8, Based on Class Average Table (includes
    Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70414.Y02033 - Class Size Report, Grades 9-12, Based on Class Average Table (includes
    Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70415.Y02033 - Class Size Report, District Summary, Based on Class Average Table
    (includes Charter and DJJ Schools)
     
    In ASCII
    DPSxx.GQ.F70424.Y02033 (for PK-3 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70425.Y02033 (for 4-8 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70426.Y02033 (for 9-12 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
     
    Page 2

     
    New Reports include the following:
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70465.Y02033 – Schools found on the Master School ID list, but not the Class Average
    Table
    DPSxx.GQ.F70466.Y02033 - Numerator and Denominators for all schools (including Charter and DJJ)
    found on Class Average Table
    DPSxx.GQ.F70467.Y02033 – Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer for PK-3
    (including Charter and DJJ)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70468.Y02033 - Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer for 4-8
    (including Charter and DJJ)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70469.Y02033 - Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer 9-12 (including
    Charter and DJJ)
     
    In ASCII
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70470.Y02033 (for PK-3 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70471.Y02033 (for 4-8 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70472.Y02033 (for 9-12 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
     
    0304 Survey 2 Data
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70408.Y03042 - Class Average Report - By school/district (includes Charter and DJJ
    Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70412.Y03042 - Class Size Report, Grades PK-3, Based on Class Average Table (includes
    Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70413.Y03042 - Class Size Report, Grades 4-8, Based on Class Average Table (includes
    Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70414.Y03042 - Class Size Report, Grades 9-12, Based on Class Average Table (includes
    Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70415.Y03042 - Class Size Report, District Summary, Based on Class Average Table
    (includes Charter and DJJ Schools)
     
    In ASCII
    DPSxx.GQ.F70424.Y03042 (for PK-3 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70425.Y03042 (for 4-8 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70426.Y03042 (for 9-12 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
     
    New Reports include the following:
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70465.Y03042 – Schools found on the Master School ID list, but not the Class Average
    Table
    DPSxx.GQ.F70466.Y03042 - Numerator and Denominators for all schools (including Charter and DJJ)
    found on Class Average Table
    DPSxx.GQ.F70467.Y03042 – Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer for PK-3
    (including Charter and DJJ)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70468.Y03042 - Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer for 4-8
    (including Charter and DJJ)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70469.Y03042 - Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer 9-12 (including
    Charter and DJJ)
     
    Page 3

    In ASCII
    DPSxx.GQ.F70470.Y03042 (for PK-3 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70471.Y03042 (for 4-8 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
    DPSxx.GQ.F70472.Y03042 (for 9-12 including Charter and DJJ Schools)
     
     
    How to Use Newly Created Reports to Analyze and Correct Class Size Data
     
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70465.Y****S
    shows district schools that are on the District’s Master School ID
    list for the year in question but are not represented by data on the Class Average Table. There
    may be schools that legitimately should not have Class Size Average data reported, such as
    special schools or the District Superintendent’s Office. Districts should check this report to insure
    that all appropriate schools have been reported.
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70466.Y****S
    shows the numerator and denominator used to calculate the Class
    Average for each district school. The numerator represents the total number of students (after any
    modifications have been made, such as reducing by the number of Co-Teachers in a
    term/classroom/period combination) and the denominator represents the number of
    Term/Classroom/Period combinations that have been reported for that school. Districts may use
    these data to determine how many Term/Classroom/Periods are needed for each school to meet
    its cap. The data may also be used to calculate the effect of either decreasing the numerator or
    increasing the denominator to lower class size.
     
    DPSxx.GQ.F70467-F70469. Y****S
    is a list of all term/classroom/period combinations that
    may be incorrectly reported because there are either 10 or more students per
    term/classroom/period OVER the cap or 10 or fewer students in the term/classroom period
    combination. These should be closely analyzed for the district to determine, for instance, if too
    many students have been reported in a term/classroom/period combination, thus inflating the
    district average, or too few have been reported, thus artificially lowering the district average.
     
    These reports are also available in ASCII file format for districts that choose to download them
    into a spreadsheet.
     
    Strategies for Accurately Reporting Class Size
     
    Some common errors districts make in reporting Class Size Data include the following:
     
    1.
     
    Reporting all students in one term/classroom/period combination. This is the most
    common mistake in Class Size Data reporting, is easy to see (very large class sizes) and is
    relatively simple to correct. This occurs when a Classroom ID number has not been
    assigned to a classroom. In this case, districts should create Classroom IDs to indicate
    unique classroom numbers for each classroom.
     
    2.
     
    Overlapping periods. For example, in period 0101, 25 students are in self-contained class
    (homeroom) in Classroom A. Bell rings. All the students leave, and in classroom A,
    periods 0106, 25 DIFFERENT students are in self-contained class. Period 1, Classroom A

    shows 50 students. Solution: Schedule Method = O for homeroom. Homeroom is not a
    core class even though the course number is, and should not be reported.
     
    3.
     
    Wheel classes. When large groups of students are in a term/classroom/period
    combination, districts should analyze the courses (not main course, but all the courses)
    taught in that term/classroom/period combination. If there is more than one course being
    taught, this is probably a wheel situation. Solution: schedule each course on a different
    day (M, T, W, R, F, or S), so that only ONE, F (Friday), shows up in the average. If there
    are only two courses scheduled at the same time, use Schedule Method = A (alternate
    week) to divide total students by two.
     
    4.
     
    Pods. To be certain that multiple classes taught in one large classroom separated by
    temporary “walls” are counted separately, each teacher who is the primary teacher for
    each group of students should be coded with Scheduling Method “C” (Co-Teacher). In
    this way, all of the students in the “pod” will be added together and then divided by the
    total number of teachers coded “C.”
     
    5.
     
    Reporting all PK students in one large term/classroom/period combination or, alternately,
    reporting each PK student in a separate term/classroom period combination. Some
    districts serve a portion of their Prekindergarten population in multiple privately owned
    day care centers, but report all of the students in a single classroom in a dedicated school
    number (artificially inflating the district’s class average), or reporting each student in a
    separate classroom (artificially deflating the district’s class average). Such “classrooms”
    should not be included in the average and should be coded with Scheduling Method “O.”
     
    6.
     
    Reporting Support Facilitation Model Teachers. If two or more teachers are assigned to a
    group of students and each of the teachers is responsible for ALL of the students during
    the ENTIRE period span indicated on the schedule, then all of the teachers should be
    coded with Scheduling Method “C” (Co-Teacher) and the total number of students
    (unduplicated) will be divided by the number of teachers marked with a “C.” Otherwise,
    the primary teacher should be marked with Scheduling Method “S” (Self-Contained) and
    any other teacher in the room should be coded with Scheduling Method “I” (In-class One-
    on-One).
     
     
    Technical Assistance
     
    Specific questions should be addressed to Dr. Martha Haynes (martha.haynes@fldoe.org),
    (850) 245-0400 or the EIS staff member assigned to your district.
     
     
     
     
     
     

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