Category Archives: Class Size

DeKalb Class Size Analysis – Elementary Schools – 2017

Posted on May 1, 2017 by | 13 comments

Last year the State Board of Education approved DeKalb County School District as a Strategic-Saiver School System. As such, DeKalb Schools gets flexibility in the form of indefinite waivers for certain state laws, rules and guidelines including class size waivers.
I have been a tireless advocate for pushing money into the classroom and class sizes on average across the county have been drifting down. This is a follow up to the Class Size Average (Nov 2015) report. This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by elementary school. The average class size for the school (grades K-5) were ranked and ordered from smallest to largest.

Legal Max Class Size – Before DeKalb Schools was granted SWSS status, GaDOE rule 160-5-1-.08 set the maximum number of students in a class.
Waiver Max Class Size – The school district was never compliant with the law and received  annual class size waivers. All maximums are subject to an additional +2 waiver for emergency use

Average Class Size For Every Elementary School By Grade

Legal Max Class Size 18 21 21 21 28 28
Waiver Max Class Size 24 27 27 27 34 34
District Class Size Avg 19 21 21 21 25 25
Grade Level
K 1 2 3 4 5 AVG
1 BRIAR VISTA ELEMENTARY 18 17 17 17 22 18 18.17
2 DUNAIRE ELEMENTARY 18 17 16 17 22 21 18.50
3 KELLEY LAKE ELEMENTARY 16 22 19 16 18 20 18.50
4 WADSWORTH MAGNET 19 18 18.50
5 FLAT SHOALS ELEMENTARY 20 17 19 16 21 19 18.67
6 BROCKETT ELEMENTARY 14 20 19 20 20 23 19.33
7 JOHN LEWIS ELEMENTARY 17 20 20 18 21 21 19.50
8 LIVSEY ELEMENTARY 21 22 17 18 22 18 19.67
9 BRIARLAKE ELEMENTARY 16 23 17 21 22 20 19.83
10 KITTRIDGE MAGNET 20 20 20.00
11 MIDVALE ELEMENTARY 15 19 21 19 21 25 20.00
12 TONEY ELEMENTARY 20 21 20 17 20 23 20.17
13 HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY 19 21 18 20 22 22 20.33
14 ROCKBRIDGE ELEMENTARY 18 19 19 18 27 21 20.33
15 MONTCLAIR ELEMENTARY 20 22 19 21 21 20 20.50
16 VANDERLYN ELEMENTARY 21 21 19 21 20 21 20.50
17 ROBERT SHAW ELEMENTARY 15 18 17 24 25 25 20.67
18 KINGSLEY ELEMENTARY 15 20 20 20 24 27 21.00
19 MONTGOMERY ELEMENTARY 18 20 22 20 23 24 21.17
20 BROWNS MILL ELEMENTARY 17 21 17 23 26 24 21.33
21 CARY REYNOLDS ELEM 18 23 22 19 22 24 21.33
22 HENDERSON MILL ELEM 20 19 22 19 24 24 21.33
23 LAUREL RIDGE ELEMENTARY 23 19 22 20 23 21 21.33
24 MCNAIR DISCOVERY ELEMENTARY 20 18 18 18 27 27 21.33
25 OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY 20 21 22 22 20 23 21.33
26 AVONDALE ELEMENTARY 20 25 19 20 21 24 21.50
27 EVANSDALE ELEMENTARY 18 22 20 21 26 22 21.50
28 ASHFORD PARK ELEMENTARY 21 23 20 21 22 23 21.67
29 FERNBANK ELEMENTARY 18 22 24 19 24 23 21.67
30 HIGHTOWER ELEMENTARY 17 20 20 22 26 25 21.67
31 MCLENDON ELEMENTARY 22 21 20 20 20 27 21.67
32 MURPHEY CANDLER ELEM 21 20 18 22 24 25 21.67
33 RAINBOW ELEMENTARY 18 20 18 22 24 28 21.67
34 CANBY LANE ELEMENTARY 20 19 20 23 24 26 22.00
35 BOB MATHIS ELEMENTARY 18 19 24 22 23 27 22.17
36 CHESNUT ELEMENTARY 20 22 20 23 23 25 22.17
37 HUNTLEY HILLS ELEM 14 21 19 26 28 25 22.17
38 SMOKE RISE ELEMENTARY 22 19 22 20 29 21 22.17
39 DRESDEN ELEMENTARY 21 21 22 19 26 25 22.33
40 JOLLY ELEMENTARY 21 20 22 20 24 28 22.50
41 AUSTIN ELEMENTARY 21 25 22 22 21 25 22.67
42 COLUMBIA ELEMENTARY 19 22 22 20 29 24 22.67
43 ALLGOOD ELEMENTARY 21 22 20 21 28 25 22.83
44 BAROCK OBAMA ELEMENTARY 18 19 23 22 26 29 22.83
45 HAMBRICK ELEMENTARY 20 23 21 23 25 25 22.83
46 REDAN ELEMENTARY 19 22 21 21 29 25 22.83
47 ROWLAND ELEMENTARY 17 20 22 22 28 28 22.83
48 DUNWOODY ELEMENTARY 20 21 21 23 26 27 23.00
49 E.L. MILLER ELEMENTARY 16 22 23 21 29 27 23.00
50 FAIRINGTON ELEMENTARY 21 19 24 20 27 27 23.00
51 PLEASANTDALE ELEMENTARY 19 21 20 21 29 28 23.00
52 ROCK CHAPEL ELEMENTARY 23 23 23 23 24 22 23.00
53 SHADOW ROCK ELEM 17 21 21 22 28 29 23.00
54 PANOLA WAY ELEMENTARY 22 21 20 25 25 26 23.17
55 STONE MILL ELEMENTARY 21 22 19 23 29 25 23.17
56 CHAPEL HILL ELEMENTARY 17 20 24 25 25 29 23.33
57 E.L. BOUIE ELEMENTARY 22 20 22 22 27 27 23.33
58 OAKVIEW ELEMENTARY 21 22 24 24 25 24 23.33
59 SAGAMORE HILLS ELEM 19 20 23 25 29 24 23.33
60 STONE MOUNTAIN ELEM 19 20 24 20 29 28 23.33
61 STONEVIEW ELEMENTARY 21 22 22 24 27 24 23.33
62 WOODRIDGE ELEMENTARY 21 21 19 21 30 29 23.50
63 WOODWARD ELEMENTARY 17 22 25 22 27 28 23.50
64 WYNBROOKE 22 21 21 23 28 26 23.50
65 FLATROCK ELEMENTARY 20 20 23 23 27 29 23.67
66 PEACHCREST ES 21 22 22 26 25 26 23.67
67 PRINCETON ELEMENTARY 20 19 22 25 26 30 23.67
68 DEKALB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF ARTS 20 23 23 22 27 28 23.83
69 N. HARRIS ELEMENTARY 23 21 22 23 28 26 23.83
70 PINE RIDGE ELEM 19 22 24 22 28 30 24.17
71 OAKCLIFF ELEMENTARY 23 24 23 25 26 25 24.33
72 SNAPFINGER ELEM 23 24 22 21 29 27 24.33
73 IDLEWOOD ELEMENTARY 22 23 22 24 28 28 24.50
74 MARBUT ELEMENTARY 21 22 22 24 30 30 24.83
75 CEDAR GROVE ELEMENTARY 23 25 25 23 24 32 25.33
76 INDIAN CREEK ELEM 23 24 25 23 29 30 25.67

Related Posts

DeKalb Class Size Analysis
Middle Schools – 2017
May 2, 2017 – Over the last 4 years DeKalb Schools has added over 1,000 school house employees. Middle school class sizes have gone down and are generally below the state max. This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by DeKalb middle school.

DeKalb Class Size Analysis
Elementary Schools – 2017
May 1, 2017 – This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by elementary school. The average class size for the school (grades K-5) were ranked and ordered from smallest to largest.

Class Size Analysis – Elementary Schools
September 8, 2015 – This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by elementary school. The average class size for the school (grades K-5) were ranked and ordered from smallest to largest. Comment on this post and let me know if these class sizes are not accurate in your school.

13 Comments

Posted in Class Size

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2015-16 Class Size Waiver

Posted on September 16, 2015 by | 5 comments

On Monday the DeKalb Board of Education passed the latest annual class size waiver resolution for the 2015-16 school year. Revenues are way up, and assuming no teacher vacancies, the average class size is down across the district. However, the district is asking for a waiver for the same maximum class size we’ve had since 2012 (as seen in chart below) to ensure all funding is captured on FTE count day. While I voted ‘No’, the board passed the resolution.

Dr. Kaveous Preston

Dr. Kaveous K. Preston is DeKalb Schools’ Director of Allotments Scheduling & Budgets, and Office of Federal Programs. Dr. Preston has explained How the District Funds the School House and DeKalb Schools Waivers. He is also available on demand to come to your location to speak about these issues.
Dr. Preston answers some follow up questions I had for him on the class size waiver before the board.
The addition of a 2-student buffer on the 2015-2016 class size maximum is necessary to ensure that full funding is captured for all classes. The GaDOE has asked that school systems put all class size maximums and FTE buffers into the single resolution document for 2015-2016.
Question:  Does that mean the “2015-2016 Proposed Maximum Class Size” includes the 2-student buffer? If so, Are we effectively lowering maximum class sizes by 2.
Dr. Kaveous Preston: The max class size does include the buffer as required by the state, which is the same from last year so we are not lowering maximum class size by 2. On our class size max chart that we give to the schools the buffer is not included due to the fact that we do not want them using it if at all possible.
Example:
Grade 2 –
State Class Size – 21
Waiver – 29
Chart to schools – 27
Question: The “2015-2016 Instructional Allotment Staffing Formula” was used to staff the schoolhouse driving class size. As the year progresses and the size of classes increase when should principals and parents expect to add a new teacher? Even though there is no buffer, will we wait until the “2015-2016 Proposed DCSD Maximum Class Size” is breached to add a new teacher?
Dr. Kaveous Preston: No. We use what we call a 10 student buffer. As soon as the class size average gets within than buffer we contact the principal. We then contact Operations to get a review of the enrollment trends for that specific school. We then make a recommendation to the principal; however the principal has the final decision.
Question: Many schools have no available space to add a teacher. What do principals with enrollment at or over 100% capacity do when they need a new teacher? Where do they put additional teachers and how does that process work?
Dr. Kaveous Preston: This is monitored very closely and principals are notified well before they are within what we call a 10 student buffer of needing a new teacher. If there is a concern with capacity, we contact the operations department and we conduct a school visit to meet with the principal to make immediate and long term plans. This has worked well.
Question: In addition to finding a classroom, adding teachers midyear is fraught with challenges. Parents and students get attached quickly to their teachers, changing teachers midyear is disruptive and there aren’t many unemployed highly qualified teachers.
Dr. Kaveous Preston: We address this by hiring or using extended day in the High Schools at the principals’ autonomy. We give autonomy to the ES and MS on this issue also. I have seen it to where the school wants to hire and where they do not. (In the cases of not, the principal feels that the classes will not grow any further and from my experience they have been correct)
Question: Given there is no buffer, was an analysis performed on how many schools would be affected? What are the results of that analysis?
Dr. Kaveous Preston: The buffer is in the resolution as it was last year. The state just requires that it is all inclusive. The addition of a 2-student buffer on the 2015-2016 class size maximum is necessary to ensure that full funding is captured for all classes. In previous years, this buffer amount was referred to as a class size waiver. The GaDOE has asked that school systems put all class size maximums and FTE buffers into the single resolution document for 2015-2016. This addition will not be used to determine class maximums throughout the year, but will be used only in the event that a class enrollment exceeds the DCSD maximum class size close to the FTE Count Date to ensure that no FTE funding is lost.
Question: If the allotments and max class sizes didn’t change from FY2014 to FY2015, why did we see such a precipitous drop in average class size for all categories from FY2014 to FY2015?
Dr. Kaveous Preston: This was due to better scheduling as you have seen over the past 2 1/2 years. The formula and the max did not change; however the earning did which produced more teachers and a decrease in class size.

OCGA MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE
GRADE(S)/SUBJECT(S) 160-5-1-.08 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016*
Kindergarten 18 22 24 24 24 24
Kindergarten w/Para 20 24 26 26 26 26
K-5 Early Intervention (EIP) self-contained & pull-out classes 14 18 20 20 20 20
1-3 21 25 27 27 27 27
4-5 (E/LA, Math, Science, Social Studies) 28 32 34 34 34 34
6-8 (E/LA, Math, Science, Social Studies) 28 32 34 34 34 34
K-3 Fine Arts 33 35 37 37 37 37
6-8 Fine Arts & World Language (taught as part of Connections) 33 35 37 37 37 37
6-8 World Language for Carnegie Unit credit 32 34 36 36 36 36
4-8 (all others) 33 35 38 38 38 38
9-12 (E/LA, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Languages) 32 34 36 36 36 36
9-12 (all other subjects) 35 37 39 39 39 39
Vocational Labs 28 30 32 32 32 32
Typing/Keyboarding 35 37 39 39 39 39
Instrumental Music (Band) 100 102 104 104 104 104
Choral Music 80 82 84 84 84 84
Physical Education (no para) 40 44 46 46 46 46
Physical Education (with para – Elem Schools only) 54 56 58 58 58 58
Co-op Supervision (Work Study) 56 58 60 60 60 60
K-5 Gifted (Resource) 17 21 23 23 23 23
6-8 Gifted (Resource and Advanced Content) 21 25 27 27 27 27
9-12 Gifted (Resource and Advanced Content) 21 25 30 30 27 27
6-12 Remedial (REP) No para 18 22 27 27 24 24
6-12 Remedial (REP) With para 24 28 30 30 30 30
Alternative Programs (no para) 18 20 22 22 22 22
Alternative Programs (with para) 24 26 28 28 28 28
K-3 ESOL/English for Speakers of Other Languages (no para) 11 13 15 15 15 15
K-3 ESOL/English for Speakers of Other Languages (with para) 13 15 17 17 17 17
4-8 ESOL/English for Speakers of Other Languages (no para) 14 16 18 18 18 18
4-8 ESOL/English for Speakers of Other Languages (with para) 15 17 19 19 19 19
9-12 ESOL/English for Speakers of Other Languages (no para) 18 20 22 22 22 22
9-12 ESOL/English for Speakers of Other Languages (with para) 20 22 24 24 24 24

*Class sizes for students with disabilities are also proposed to be increased for 2015-2016. Maximums in these areas are determined by student exceptionality and will be provided by the Office of Support Services.

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Posted in Class Size, Waivers