2008-09
Class Size Reduction Data Collection
Sean Millard
sean.millard@fldoe.org
Presentation Purposes
i. Review 2008-09 Legislative Changes
ii. Review Recent Class Size data, e.g., average trends, compliance, percentage of schools
and classes over maximums, etc.
iii. Review steps in calculation of class averages.
iv. Explain how to accurately report class size data.
v. Review 2008-09 processing timeline
2008-09 Legislative Changes
“1003.03 Maximum Class Size.--
(2) IMPLEMENTATION
(B) Determination of the number of students per class room …shall be calculated as
follows …
2. For fiscal years 2006-2007 through 2008-2009, the calculation for compliance for each
of the 3 grade groupings shall be the average at the school level.
3. For fiscal year 2009-2010, and thereafter, the calculation for compliance shall be at the
individual classroom level.” (2008, House Bill 5083)
Trends in Class Size Reduction – Traditional Schools, State Averages
2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-07 2007-08
Grades PK-3 23.07 20.54 18.98 18.16 17.05 16.25
Grades 4-8 24.16 22.43 21.30 20.48 19.48 18.74
Grades 9-12 24.10 24.06 23.65 22.96 22.07 21.55
Trends in Class Size Reduction – Charter Schools Only
2006-07 2007-08
Grades PK-3 19.53 17.21
Grades 4-8 21.11 19.51
Grades 9-12 18.35 17.16
2007-08, Percent of Regular and Charter Schools with a School Average Greater than the
Class Size Maximum, by Grade Group
Grades PK-3 Grades 4-8 Grades 9-12
Regular 3.3 0.71 1.54
Charter 16.59 4.71 1.11
2007-08, Percent of Schools That Did Not Comply, By Grade Group
Grades PK-3 Grades 4-8 Grades 9-12
Regular 2.44 0.59 1.26
Charter 6.83 3.53 0
2007-08, Pre-Appeals and Post-Appeals Non-Compliance Counts
Pre-Appeals:
Regular = 68
Charter = 20
Post-Appeals:
Regular = 22
Charters = 9
2007-08 Percent of Schools in the State that (a) did not Comply After Appeals and (b)
that Required a Compliance Plan
Post-Appeals Compliance Compliance Plan
Regular 0.75 0.42
Charter 2.25 0.85
2007-08, Percent of Regular and Charter Schools with at Least One Class with at Least
One Student Over the Class Size Maximum, by Grade Group
Grades PK-3 Grades 4-8 Grades 9-12
Regular 87 74 67.96
Charter 62.44 60.39 61.11
2007-08, Percent of Regular and Charter Classrooms with at Least One Student Over the
Class Size Maximum, by Grade Group
Grades PK-3 Grades 4-8 Grades 9-12
Regular 28.84 26.5 33.06
Charter 36.15 30.72 16.86
Core Classroom Teachers Needed to Comply
in 2007-2008
Traditional Schools 1,907
Charter Schools 594
Total 2,501
Formats/Elements Used In Class Size Processing
Student Course Schedule Format
District Number, Current Enrollment
School Number, Current Enrollment
District Number, Current Instruction/Service
School Number, Current Instruction/Service
Student Number Identifier, Florida
Course Number
Section Number
Period Number
Grade Level
Term
Day of Week Scheduled, Monday
Day of Week Scheduled, Tuesday
Day of Week Scheduled, Wednesday
Day of Week Scheduled, Thursday
Day of Week Scheduled, Friday
Day of Week Scheduled, Saturday
Day of Week Scheduled, Date Certain
Teacher Course Format
District Number, Current Enrollment
School Number, Current Enrollment
District Number, Current Instruction/Service
School Number, Current Instruction/Service
Social Security Number (Teacher)
Term
Term/Survey Indicator
Course Number
Section Number
Period Number
Facility Type
Classroom Identification (FISH) Number
Scheduling Method
Certification/Licensure/Qualification Status
Team Teacher Training
Staff Experience Format
Experience Type
Experience Length
Other Important Tables
Master School ID table - to distinguish Department of Juvenile Justice Facilities, Charter
Schools, and the Florida Virtual School and its franchises
Core Courses for Class Size Reduction – Appendix S /
DPS.DISTRICT.GQ.F70554.Yyyyy
Mathematics, language arts/reading, science, social studies, foreign language, English for
Speakers of Other Languages, Exceptional Student Education, and courses taught in
traditional self-contained elementary school classrooms.
Term/Survey Indicator
Term 3 will always be Y, Term 1 will always be Y in Survey Period 2, and Term 2 will
always be Y in Survey Period 3.
For the same Classroom/Course/Period/Section, if Term 6 is Y, Term 7 must be N and if
Term 8 is Y, Term 9 must be N.
For the same Classroom/Course/Period/Section, only one of Terms J, K, L may be Y in
Survey Period 2, and only one of Terms M, N, O may be Y in Survey Period 3.
For the same Classroom/Course/Period/Section, only one of Terms E, F, G, H, I may be
Y in Survey Period 2 or 3.
For the same Classroom/Course/Period/Section, only one of Terms B, C, D may be Y in
Survey Period 2 or 3.
For the same Classroom/Course/Period/Section, only one of Terms T, U, V, W, X may be
Y in Survey Period 2 or 3.
Steps in Calculation
1) Count the number of students in each class (term/course/period) in each room.
2) Determine the main course taught in each class based on the majority of students.
* If the same number of students are in a core and non-core course, then the main course
is core.
3) Determine main grade taught in each class based on the majority of students in that
grade in the main course.
* If the same number of students are in two or more grades and in the same room, the
highest single grade (not grade group) with the most students is determined to be the
main grade.
* Example: in the main course, there are
i. two 2nd grade students
ii. two 3rd grade students
iii. three 4th grader students
Main grade = 4th grade
4) Identify the classes in which the main course is a “core” course. (Only these
combinations are used in the remaining steps.)
a. For each grade range (PK-3, 4-8, 9-12) sum the number of students in the core classes.
b. For each grade range (PK-3, 4-8, 9-12) count the number of core classrooms.
5) Calculate the class averages thus: 4a/4b
Every unique classroom must be assigned a Classroom ID/FISH number
DPSdd.GQ.F70393.YyyyyS – Reported Facilities List
File format list of facilities from FISH database (layout
DPS.District.Format.Y0304(F70393)
Is created automatically by DOE twice a day (once in the morning and once in the
afternoon.)
The morning run includes the updates processed overnight. The afternoon run includes
updates since 12 noon.
The files are: DPS##.GQ.F70393.Y0607.BATCH.FISH (PM file) and
DPS##.GQ.F70303.Y0607.INITIAL.FISH (AM file)
MSID Exclusions
School Types 05 (Adult), 07 (Other, e.g., Migrant Non-Enrolled, Superintendent’s
Office, McKay, etc)
School Function Setting = D (DJJ)
School Number, Current Instruction begins with an alpha character (indicating
postsecondary schools, colleges, or universities).
Florida Virtual School Franchises (school number 7004)
Course Number begins with an alpha character and Facility Type is 09 (Facility operated
or owned by an agency or other provider other than the school district in which
instructional services or classes are conducted).
Duplicate students in the same class
Note: students enrolled in both an Inclusion and non-Inclusion course are dropped from
the non-Inclusion course.
Period Number NN88 (where NN is numeric)
Days of the Week Scheduled not equal to Friday
Term/Survey Indicator = “N”
Student Course Schedule records with no matching Teacher Course record
Based on the FTE keys: Year, Survey, District of Instruction, School of Instruction,
Term, Period, Course, Section.
Teacher Course records with no matching Student Course Schedule records
Based on the FTE keys: Year, Survey, District of Instruction, School of Instruction,
Term, Period, Course, Section.
Scheduling Special Situations: Multi-Use Classroom or Pods
Multi-Use Classroom or Pod (Scheduling Method M) = More than one class meets during
the same period in a space designated by one FISH number but separated by temporary
“walls.”
Each teacher who is the primary teacher for each group of students should be coded with
Scheduling Method “M”.
All of the students in the “pod” will be added together and then divided by the total
number of teachers coded “M.”
Scheduling Special Situations: Alternating Week Schedule
Alternating Week Schedule (Scheduling Method A) = Teacher meets with different
groups of students in the same course & classroom on the same day, but on alternating
weeks.
Correct reporting of Scheduling Method A: (i) same course, (ii) same room, (iii) same
period, (iv) same day of the week (but different week).
07082 Scheduling Method A data:
One A-Teacher Course record = 6,952
* CS problem: cannot determine whether there is more than 1 group of students served by
the A-teacher; so, cannot determine whether A-course merits a CS adjustment, e.g., A-
students added together then divided by relevant number of groups of students.
2. Matching* A-Teacher Course records with different courses = 11,794
Problem: Violates definition in Scheduling Method Element.
3. More than one matching* A-Teacher Course records with same course = 40,346.
* Matching by District Inst, School Inst, SSN, begin & end period, term, room.
District Feedback: Possible Revision to Teacher Course Edit 53
Add requirements:
that all relevant A-Teacher Course records match on course.
that there is at least 2 A-Teacher Course records.
Re: (ii), add explanation on Scheduling Method element, code I, that A-Teacher course
records must include section, which will designate each group of students that meets with
the A-teacher on the alternating weeks.
CS adjustment: sum of A-students in courses that match the A-Teacher Course records/#
of matching A-Teacher Course records. If there is only 1 A-Teacher Course record, then
there is no CS adjustment.
Scheduling Special Situations: Team-Teaching
Team-teaching =
(i) Co-teaching (Scheduling Method “C”): “two or more teachers assigned to a
group of students and each teacher is responsible for all of the students during the entire
class period. In order to be considered co-teaching each teacher is responsible for
planning, delivering and evaluating instruction for all students in a class or subject for the
entire class period.” (HB 7081, 2007)
OR
(i) Inclusion-teaching (Scheduling Method “I”): “two or more teachers are
assigned to a group of students but one of the teachers is only responsible for one student
or a small group of students in the classroom.” (HB 7081, 2007)
2002-03 to 2007-08 Survey 2 Team Teaching
School Year 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Classes 4,898 11,735 19,701 19,025 27,380 35,715
CS Team-Teaching Adjustment Formula
Co-Teaching (“C”): # of “C” students in the class/# of “C” teachers in the class.
Inclusion (“I”): # of “I” students in the class/# of non-I teachers in the class + 1.
Note: the product of this adjustment is added to the rest of the students in the class.
* Example: in a class there are 3 “I” students (with 1 “I” teacher) and 17 “S” students
(with 1 “S” teacher).
Adjustment steps:
a. 3/2 = 1.5. 1.5 truncated = 1.
b. 1 + 17 = 18.
Scheduling Guidance – Inclusion Teaching
I-Teachers may instruct up to 2 groups of students (course/sections) during a single
period.
2007, Survey 2, # of I-teachers scheduled for more than two groups of students during a
single period = 601
2. In order for the CS Team-teaching adjustment to be made, all students served by the I-
Teacher must be enrolled either:
with the I-Teacher only in a unique Course & Section; or
b. with both the I-Teacher and the Non-I Teacher.
Note: if 2b, then
i. the I-Teacher and Non-I Teacher may be teaching the same Course, but they
must be teaching different Sections; and
ii. the duplicate I-student will be dropped from the non-I teacher’s course.
Scheduling Guidance: Reporting Period NN88
Report a student in each class that a student attends for any amount of time during each
period.
Standard meeting time courses to which the student is assigned should be coded as a
beginning and ending period, e.g., 0202.
2. Non-standard meeting time courses to which the student is assigned for classes that
meet differing periods during the week should be coded with the first two digits as the
first period the class meets during the week and 88 for the third and fourth digits, e.g.,
0288.
Example, 2: a student meets with a speech therapist once a week but not on a specified
day because the speech therapist travels between different schools. Because of the
speech therapist’s varying schedule, the speech therapist and student meet during
different periods and sometimes even different days of the week.
Team-Teaching Reporting
Teaching strategies implemented on or after July 1, 2005, may be implemented subject to
the following restrictions:
Reasonable limits shall be placed on the number of students in a classroom so that
classrooms are not overcrowded.
At least one member of the team must have at least 3 years of teaching experience.
Teaching experience length (Teaching Experience format ) is reported for each of the
following Experience type codes:
F Teaching in Florida public schools
S Teaching in Florida nonpublic schools
P Teaching in out-of-state public schools
N Teaching in out-of-state nonpublic schools
The sum of the values in the codes F, S, P, and N must equal to 3 or greater
At least one member of the team must be teaching in-field.
* In-field data is reported on Teacher Course format, element
Certification/Licensure/Qualification Status, codes A, H, I, M or S.
4. Each teacher must be trained in team-teaching methods within 1 year after assignment.
* Team-teacher training data is reported on Teacher Course format, element Team
Teacher Training, codes A-D. (Code Z is for team teachers in non-class size courses)
More Special Situations: Term Combining
When multiple terms are scheduled in the same classroom/period based on Term/Survey
Indicator = Y:
Terms: Process (write/combine record)
1, 3: 1 and 3 will be converted to 1
2, 3: 2 and 3 will be converted to 2
1, 6: 1 and 6 will be converted to 6
1, 7: 1 and 7 will be converted to 7
3, 6: 3 and 6 will be converted to 6
1, 3, 6: 1, 3 and 6 will be converted to 6
3, 7 : 3 and 7 will be converted to 7
2, 8: 2 and 8 will be converted to 8
1, 3, 7: 1, 3 and 7 will be converted to 7
3, 8: 3 and 8 will be converted to 8
2, 9: 2 and 9 will be converted to 9
3, 9: 3 and 9 will be converted to 9
2, 3, 8: 2, 3 and 6 will be converted to 8
2, 3, 9: 2, 3 and 9 will be converted to 9
More Special Situations
No core courses taught on Friday:
The algorithm only counts classes taught on Friday.
Some schools have NO CORE COURSES scheduled on Fridays.
If an ENTIRE school has no core courses scheduled on Friday, code the Day of the Week
Scheduled, Date Certain “Y.”
Improving Data Quality: Class Size Reports
F70465 – Schools found on the Master School ID list, but not the Class Average Table
F70466 - Numerator and Denominators for all schools (including Charter and DJJ) found
on Class Average Table (ASCII version in process)
F70588 – F70466 in File Format
F70467 – Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer for PK-3
(including Charter and DJJ)
F70470 - F70467 in File Format
F70468 - Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer for 4-8 (including
Charter and DJJ)
F70471 - F70468 in File Format
F70469 - Classrooms with either 10 students over cap, or 10 or fewer 9-12 (including
Charter and DJJ)
F70472 - F70469 in File Format
More Class Size Reports
F70408 - Class Average Report - By school/district (includes Charter and DJJ Schools)
F70587 - F70408 in File Format
F70412 - Class Size Report, Grades PK-3, Based on Class Average Table (includes
Charter and DJJ Schools)
F70424 - F70412 in File Format
F70413 - Class Size Report, Grades 4-8, Based on Class Average Table (includes Charter
and DJJ Schools)
F70425 - F70413 in File Format
F70414 - Class Size Report, Grades 9-12, Based on Class Average Table (includes
Charter and DJJ Schools)
F70426 - F70414 in File Format
F70415 - Class Size Report, District Summary, Based on Class Average Table (includes
Charter and DJJ Schools)
Checking your Data
DPSdd.GQ.F70465.YyyyyS
Schools on the MSID but not on the Class Average Table
Check to see that all appropriate schools are reported
DPSdd.GQ.F70467-469.YyyyyS
10 or more over the cap of 10 or fewer in term/classroom/period
Very large classrooms may be, e.g., multiple classes reported in one room, Team teaching
reported incorrectly, etc.
Very small classrooms may be, e.g., individual PK students in separate facilities, A-
teachers with only 1 group of students, etc.
Numerators/Denominators
DPSdd.GQ.F70466.YyyyyS (text) or DPSdd.GQ.F70588.YyyyyS (ascii)
Numerator = total number of students in main course/core course term/classroom/periods
after any adjustments, e.g., team teaching
Denominator = total number of main course/core course term/classroom/period
combinations reported for the school
Using Numerators/Denominators
Determining Additional Classrooms/Teachers Needed to Meet Caps
(Numerator/Cap – Denominator)
Average # Periods per Day
PK-3 School: 900 Students/35 Classrooms (Avg. 25.71)
((900/18) – 35)/5 = 3 additional classrooms
Determining Student “Overage”
(Denominator * Cap - Numerator)
Average # Periods per Day
PK-3 School: 900 Students/35 Classrooms (Avg. 25.71)
((35 * 18) – 900)/5 = 54 students over
Improving Data Quality: Appeal Reasons
Unexpected student growth:
Comparison of actual 3rd FEFP calculation (December) of FTE with the projected 1st
calculation (May).
Any increase in actual student FTE is applied to non-compliant schools.
Done automatically regardless of a formal appeal.
Inability to hire teachers
Must provide documentation (e.g., interview schedules, board meeting minutes, etc.)
showing good faith effort made to hire teachers a reasonable amount of time before
survey week.
Data reporting errors
Must provide independent evidence (e.g., student/teacher schedules, etc.) for correct data
during survey week.
Class Size Processing Schedule: Fall 2008-09
“Trial Run” processing three weekends prior to Survey Week.
New initials due by 8 am every Friday; batches accepted until 4 p.m. Friday prior to
weekend run
Data reports available following Monday a.m.
No Staff Edits
Survey 2 week: 10/13/08 - 10/17/08
“Official” processing begins weekend of 10/24/08, ending 11/14/08 or the day of final
FTE processing.
All dates below are Fridays:
September 26th – CS Trial Run #1
October 3rd – CS Trial Run #2
October 10th – CS Trial Run #3
October 17 (Friday of Survey Week) – NO CS RUN
October 24th – CS Run #4
October 31st – CS Run #5
November 7th – CS Run #6
November 14th – CS Run #7*
* May not coincide with the day of final FTE processing
Web Application: Class Size Online
Login page: http://doeweb-prd.doe.state.fl.us/EDS/classsize/index.cfm
Select School Year and Survey
All schools in your district are provided in a drop down menu
For each school, you will see a list of every FISH, Term, Period combination. Main
Course, Core Course, and Main Grade are displayed
For each FISH/Term/Period combination, Course, Section, Facility Type, and whether
the course is Excluded is displayed
For each Course taught in the FISH/Term/Period, Teacher, Scheduling Method and # of
Students by Grade is displayed
Send Questions or Comments to: Sean Millard, sean.millard@fldoe.org