Over the summer we have seen a glut of school safety reports. Local, state, and federal agencies have written possible solutions they think will thwart future school violence. Some suggestions might be well-advised, but others have created concerns about questionable student surveillance. It’s difficult to believe any solutions will be successful if no one addresses class size.
In the July report from Homeland Security, “Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence,” they report:
When establishing threat assessment capabilities within K-12 schools, keep in mind that there is no profile of a student attacker.
There have been male and female attackers, high-achieving students with good grades as well as poor performers. These acts of violence were committed by students who were loners and socially isolated, and those who were well-liked and popular (p.1).
Most teachers understand that middle and high school students experience hormonal changes and rapid physical growth. It’s sometimes difficult to separate mental health difficulties from general teenage angst, moodiness, impulsivity, or a variety of other developmental factors.
The omission in the report is lowering class size. Teachers who teach the same students, get to know their students. But this is difficult to do when teachers have over thirty students breezing in and out of their classrooms daily. In total, that’s 150 students!
Note: I’ve been reminded that many teachers will start school with class rosters of more than 150 students. One teacher noted she will have 180 students!
The plan includes forming a multidisciplinary threat assessment team, establishing central reporting mechanisms, identifying behaviors of concern, defining the threshold for law enforcement intervention, identifying risk management strategies, promoting safe school climates, and providing training to stakeholders. It can also help schools mitigate threats from a variety of individuals, including students, employees, or parents.
The report’s Table of Contents emphasizes attention to a variety of issues concerning students in school including:
- Motives
- Communications
- Inappropriate interests
- Weapons access
- Stressors
- Emotional and developmental issues
- Desperation or despair
- Violence as an option
- Concerned others
- Capacity to carry out an attack
- Planning Consistency
- Protective factors
They mention school climate but refer to a 2014, U.S. Department of Education Report, Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline (p. 26).
Smaller class sizes are still not addressed. Teachers are better able to identify unusual student behavior if they know their students. When classes are smaller school feels more like home.
In the movie The Edge of Seventeen, a troubled student confides in her history teacher when life’s problems seem overwhelming. Students need to know that adults and other students in their lives care. But it’s unrealistic to assume this can happen with unmanageable class sizes. Teachers need time to connect with students. Students need smaller class sizes to connect with each other.
School reformers fight against lowering class size. They demand proof that it raises test scores. But lowering class size involves other benefits that are far more important.
Teachers must be given smaller class sizes so they can get to know their students. Without addressing class size reduction, other solutions are piecemeal and likely not to have the best effect on making safe schools.
While reducing class size may seem expensive and unattainable, giving students some smaller classes should be a reachable goal. School and school district officials should work towards this end.
Smaller classes would indeed help teachers be able to relate more with their students, but we all know financially that is impossible. I believe that having a trained paraprofessional assigned to each classroom is the answer to large classes. Not only would that person be able to help in teaching, but there would be stability in the absence of the regular teacher. I’ve often thought that the opportunity for violence in the classroom could increase when a substitute was left in charge of students.
Margaret, why is it impossible? I don’t buy it. Not all classes need to be reduced, but enough to truly personalize (not tech) learning.
But I also agree with you that paraprofessionals are important too. Thanks for commenting.
$$$$ makes it impossible
I am doing the work of fighting our class size in my district. I have been looking for strong evidence based research that gives foundation for doing this. I can only find “reading scores” as a reason. We need some strong pieces that we can give our administration in the argument for smaller class sizes. I appreciate your blog post because now I know I cannot use Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline…. which I thought would have addressed size…
Now, time to organize a research project that will become foundation for this argument….
I would say still use Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline because there are good suggestions, but I would add that finding a way to lower some class sizes is critical to implementing those recommendations.
When teachers get to know their students in smaller setting, would we need so much data collection surrounding behavior? Etc.
That’s how I would go about creating a case. Take each point and show how smaller class size would help or make it unnecessary. Being able to compare costs would be good too.
Thanks, Diane.
Here is a point that is seldom mentioned but worth using as part of your argument.
When the total, 5 or 6 class enrollment becomes excessive teachers are forced to reduce the amount, and often quality of their assignments. For example the middle school social studies teacher below will have 162 students on her roll. Just do the math to realize how constraining this is. If she assigns an essay or research paper and takes just 15 minutes grading each one, it will take her over 40 HOURS! That’s just one of many assignments. So what is a teacher to do? Easy, but not what any parent wants: limit the size and scope of the course requirements; multiple choice tests, and a school year so frantic and chaotic that her energy level falls off the cliff. Principals, superintendents, and BOE members sense none of this. The school doesn’t fall down. And they clamor for higher test scores.
Bravo, I have been on this subject for years. Part of getting to know students is being able to read their original work. I have friends that teach in the private sector who have never carried a total student load of more the 65. I know a former creative writing teacher that used to get to know her children through writing.
Your math is correct, but incomplete. One good hour of class needs four hours of planning. This has to occur over several years unless a teacher wants to,script the class from someone else’s ideas. So, teaching 6 hours five days a week would require 120 hours per week. If your six classes have the amount of students described above, your total work needed now becomes 160 total hours per week. We now have 8 hours to sleep per week. And we have not even called a parent.
Not going to happen.
When class enrollments become excessive teachers are forced to reduce the quantity and quality of the work they require. For example, the middle school social studies teacher below will have 162 students in her classes this school year; if she assigns an essay and spends just 15 minutes grading each one, it will take her over 40 HOURS! If she assigns a research paper and takes 30 minutes per paper, she is looking at 80 HOURS of grading time. If our MSS teacher requires just 15 graded assignments per marking period, and averages only 10 minutes per, she will spend over 400 HOURS grading over the typical 9 week span – that’s 44 hours per week grading!!!!
The solution is easy, but not what any parent would want: assignments that are short and fast to grade, multiple choice tests, no research papers, no written homework, and far fewer graded assignments per marking period than she would prefer. Principals, superintendents, and BOE members have no sense of this degradation whatsoever. The building does not fall down and their work-a-day life goes on as usual. On the other hand our middle school social studies teacher is leading a harried and stressful existence just trying to keep up with 162 adolescents filing in and out of here classroom every day. The toll this takes on the energy level and morale of the classroom teacher is immeasurable. To help make your case, use the time data above as it is irrefutable. Ask the powers that be where the time for running a proper program will come from? – they will have no answer for you.
Thanks, Rick.
Also, Diane, make sure you check class size matters online. It’s a clearinghouse dedicated to research supporting class size reduction.
https://www.classsizematters.org/
And the STAR study in Tennessee.
https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/STARSummer99.pdf
I just received word that I will have 162 students this upcoming year. My colleague, 173. We are the only two teachers in our grade level department. In a title 1 school.
Of course, I am expected to be father, mother, and counselor, as well as differentiate, read and implement IEP’s, meet with our department twice a week (during conference times – to which I strenuously object), plan engaging lessons, call and meet with parents, etc.
For one period a day I will have a co-teacher (SE) in my room. That’s a big help, but not enough. There should be two adults in every title 1 classroom. Period.
I’ll do my best, but I’m sure it will never be good enough. But I can sleep at night.
Thanks for listening.
Understanding you are not Superman or Wonder Woman is the first step. Then trying to make the best of it is the second step. You sound like you have the right attitude and will focus on everything you can do.
It still doesn’t make it right, does it? When will this country start prioritizing what will work for public education?
Thanks for commenting. You sure aren’t alone.
Small class size is a selling point for private schools. Exeter Academy proudly touts its Harkness tables, which seat 12 – 12! – students and one teacher per class. If it’s good enough for Exeter, it’s good enough for ALL kids.
https://www.exeter.edu/exeter-difference/how-youll-learn
Great point! Parents will pay for smaller class sizes if they can because they know the teacher will better understand the needs of their child!
Thank you, Christine!
Small classes are especially important for developing the ability of the student to contrubute. I had the good fortune to go to a high school where student comment was prized. I was able to develop the ability to tie something we were reading with something I was thinking. This does not happen for kids in classes larger than 20. That is about the limit if all the children want to have something to say.
Class sizes of 15-20 are very obtainable, but schools need to be reorganized and the number of administrators needs to be reduced. Our school has been doing it for over 15 years and students still get the arts & electives, (plus the opportunity to participate in 15-20 overnight learning opportunities a year at no cost to families) and we do it with no additional funding. We need to reimagine the way we do schooling and stop rotating students through 5-7 classes a day with 30+ in a class. It’s not good for students and it’s not good for teachers. You want to reduce behavior and safety issues while increasing connections between students and teachers we have to stop building 2000-3000 student schools and but student learning and needs ahead of efficiency.