By WILL PERKINS
Glasgow News 1
As Glasgow Independent administrators look at next year’s staffing allocations, Superintendent Chad Muhlenkamp said the district is evaluating class sizes for kindergarten and first grade. He said research shows the ideal class size for teaching young students how to read is around 15 to 18.
The school district’s average teacher-to-student ratio in kindergarten is 1-to-24 with an instructional assistant. First grade has the same ratio without an assistant.
The superintendent said unless a school district does otherwise these are the statewide required ratios. He said capping classes at 18 students for the two youngest grade levels could lead to positive results, and they have first-hand evidence of this correlation.
“We’ve had a few smaller class sizes this year and the data is very promising in what we’ve seen for the success of those students,” Muhlenkamp said. “So if we did that as a district, could we really make a big difference? And that’s what we’re willing to try.”
The school district will finalize this class allocation directive at the February board of education meeting, the superintendent said.
Glasgow Independent’s school board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, at South Green Elementary.
“It’s trying to address that issue for our schools, our students and provide the best possible opportunity for our teachers to hit those early foundational years,” Muhlenkamp said. “The research says: if you try to reduce the class size at the high school level, you’re not going to get your bang for your buck.
“But if you do it early on, in that early, early developmental years, you should be able to get a good return on investment.”
At last month’s board of education meeting, the superintendent said since these two grade levels are foundational in subjects such as reading, decreasing the number of students per classroom may help teachers provide better instruction.
Board member William Thornbury said it’s important to get students reading at grade level by the third grade, and more focused instruction should help achieve that.
He said it’s hard to argue against investing more in a student’s earlier years, to help them succeed moving forward.
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