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.