By KATHERINE PETERSEN
Kathleen Sunderland, who teaches first grade at Vargas School in Sunnyvale, had 29 students in her class last year. This year, she only has 20.
"I've had them only a couple weeks, and there are several huge differences. I can assess the kids' needs better--both emotionally and academically--and spend more time with each child to get to know them better," Sunderland said, adding that she will be more in tune to the work her students need to focus on, and that the reduction in class size allows her more time to praise and encourage each child.
"When they try really hard, I can be right there to praise them," Sunderland said.
The Sunnyvale Elementary School District has revamped all of its first-grade classes in its seven elementary schools, said Superintendent Doris Wilson. The district has 740 first-grade students in 37.5 classes this year--14 more classes than last year. Each student is in a class with 20 or fewer children, and some of the classes are split between two grades, Wilson said.
The class-size reduction effort will cost the district $110,000, but it will receive $481,000 from the state to help pay for lowering the student-teacher ratio.
Because of to two state Senate bills passed in July, the district receives $650 per student in a class with 20 or fewer children.
Although the district found enough rooms to lower the number of students per class, it hired 14 new teachers without cutting corners on teacher qualifications, Wilson said.
"If we decided to do this with second grade next year, we would have to find more classrooms. We don't have enough room now," Wilson said.
The Santa Clara Unified School District also reduced the size of its first-grade classes at its 15 elementary schools, two of which are in Sunnyvale. Braly Elementary School has four first-grade classes, two of which are combination classes, and Ponderosa Elementary School has 5 first-grade classes. The district did not need to use portables for these two schools.
The Cupertino Union School District, which has four Sunnyvale schools, is still exploring options to reduce its class sizes. CUSD Superintendent Pat Lamson is scheduled to make a recommendation to reduce class size at the board's Oct. 8 meeting.
The Sunnyvale School District Board of Education is considering a reduction in class sizes for second grade next year. Either kindergarten or third grade may be considered for the following year, Wilson said.
"Bringing down class ratios to 20-to-1 will improve students' learning, specifically targeting reading and mathematics," Wilson said. The district also has a staggered class schedule, whereby half the students come to school an hour early, and the rest stay an hour late for more individualized attention.
The SESD has hired retired teachers to go into each first-grade class and assess each child in reading skills. The students' current teachers will evaluate their math skills. The students will be assessed again in June with the same non-standardized test. They will also take a standardized test.
Teachers are excited about having fewer kids in their classrooms, Wilson said.
"They will have more room in their classrooms for science, math and art centers when you take out nine or ten kids," she said.
Judy Homrighausen, who volunteers in her son Jonathan's classroom, said he is in first grade with only 17 other students.
"He had 30 children in his kindergarten class last year, and that's a lot of kids who can't sit still for one teacher. The kids will get more attention, and it's good for Jonathan to have the stimulation at the level where he needs it. Also, with smaller classes, I think you don't lose the crowd as easily," she said.
Sunderland said class-size reduction has made it possible for her to make first grade an inviting place for her students.
"It's a comfortable place where they can take risks," she added. "One of my students was afraid to try to write numbers on the first day of school, and the other day he was happy to give it a shot because he knows me well enough to know we can learn from our mistakes. He did a good job. I think he surprised himself."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 25, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.