Maine: Some language courses don't meet class-size minimums

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Ten courses don't meet proposed class-size minimums

By Tanya Mitchell Staff Reporter

BELFAST (ME) (Feb 13):

If the revised class-size policy were implemented as proposed, some
advanced placement courses and handful of general offerings could be
history at Belfast Area High School. The SAD 34 Board of Directors will
consider the policy for a second reading and adoption during its 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 13 meeting at Capt.  Albert Stevens School. The comments
from the public portion of the meeting will be limited to 30 minutes,
according to the agenda, and sign-up sheets will be available for people
interested in addressing the board.

The class-size policy has been at the center of debate since last fall.
Vocal opponents of the proposed policy include parents, students and
teachers concerned that enforcing class-size minimums would mean the end
of advanced placement (AP) offerings. Those favoring implementation of the
policy, including Interim Superintendent Wayne Enman, have said a policy
is needed to offer predictability to the staff, to ensure the best
placement of staff and to fiscally manage the district. While former
versions of the policy addressed each high school course of study by level
(AP, college/pre-college, fundamental), the latest draft to come out of
last weeks Policy Committee meeting dictates a more general approach that
no course could have fewer than 12 and no more than 24.

Just as the original drafts allowed for a course to go under or over the
proposed size by between 10 and 15 percent, the latest version allows the
occasional course just above or below the cutoff. No classes shall be
offered with fewer than 10 students or more than the specified maximum
without approval of the Superintendent and notification of the Board of
Directors, the policy states. The latest draft lists exceptions to the
class sizes proposed in the following courses of study: Band and chorus
(minimum of 18 students to a maximum of room capacity), physical education
(up to 25 students), labs/art (minimums and maximums dictated by safety
recommendations) and special education (mandated by regulations).

Of 57 courses offered this semester at Belfast Area High School, one of
two fundamental American studies classes would be impacted, as it has
eight students. When considering course offerings for the entire school
year, at least 10 of the 150 classes offered would be destined for the
chopping block. One of four college English 3 classes would be eliminated
under the proposed policy, as it has nine students (the other three
courses have 24, 21 and 18 students). One of two calculus courses would be
pulled, as it has eight students. There are 17 in the other class. Other
courses falling below the suggested course minimums include: AP English
literature (nine students); accounting 1 (three); AP environmental
sciences (four); AP biology (four) and two courses of AP music theory (one
with five and one with one).

General level geometry could be combined into one course and comply with
the proposed maximum of 24 students, as one class has eight students and
another nine. Some courses fall below the 12-student minimum but above the
absolute minimum of 10. Those include: fundamental geography with 11 (a
second course has 18); American studies, 11 students (three more classes
are offered with class sizes ranging from 14 to 19), the second course
offering of fundamental American studies (11), a 10-student class of core
physics (a second class has 22); college English 2 with 11 students (two
more courses are offered with 17 and 19); AP English and language
composition (10); English 3 (nine, with three more courses ranging from 18
to 24); AP U.S. history (10 ), and general level algebra (11, with another
with 17). Of the eight courses billed as AP, five fall below the minimum
sizes dictated in the latest draft of the policy (including two AP music
theory classes).

Some courses have more than the proposed maximum of 24, including general
level geography (25 in both classes). General level geometry has two
courses with 26 each. Two others have 23 and 16, respectively. One class
of lab physics has 26, while a second has 23. High-level foreign language
courses, another area of concern for parents and college-bound students,
also have low enrollments. French 4 has four and honors French 5 has five.
Spanish 3 has eight students in one class and 10 in another. Spanish 5 has
seven students in one class, one in another. BAHS Principal Butch Arthers
said eliminating higher-level foreign language studies would send the
wrong message to students about how to approach their education and plan
for the future. The French 5 has three or four kids in it, and these are
the kids who took French 2 as a freshman and had planned out their four
years here, said Arthers. It seems unfair to pull the rug out from under
those kids."

At BAHS, Arthers wants to see that type of planning and he stressed that
at a recent meeting with parents of SAD 34 eighth-graders. Thats the big
push right now, at the state and federal levels, is to try to get the kids
more prepared for college, said Arthers. Maybe theyre not all going, but
we need to at least make sure theyll all be prepared. Currently between 60
and 70 percent of BAHS students go on to two- or four-year post-secondary
institutions. Arthers said he does not know how many stay in college after
the first semester or first year.

Arthers said he believes in coming years AP courses will appeal to more
students. There are two AP classes at the junior level that have 10 kids,
but next year, were expecting to see 19 kids taking that class, said
Arthers. Does it make sense to get rid of those classes now? No. Arthers
said many of the classes containing five or fewer youth, such as AP music
theory, exist because staffers make time to teach them. Each teacher must
instruct at least five classes per day, but they have the option of using
their prep periods to offer additional courses in a sixth or seventh
class.

Should the board adopt the proposed policy Tuesday night, Arthers said
students will choose courses they want next year. From there, the schedule
of available courses and the student course requests would be run through
a computer scheduling program. If 26 students sign up for a geography
class, for example, Arthers said ideally there would be two classes of 13.
But, because of scheduling conflicts, a more realistic breakdown of the 26
students could look more like 11 and 15. We would look at those numbers
and if one is below the minimum, well look at how to apply that to us,
said Arthers.

http://waldo.villagesoup.com/Education/story.cfm?storyID=86907

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