Getting More of Less

Funding Pays Off in Smaller Elementary Classes

Lowering class sizes in the early grades has become a familiar mantra, its importance proclaimed by President Clinton, school board members and parents all over.

And now, by Rebecca Dillon.

The second-grade teacher at Germantown Elementary School in Annapolis, like many of her counterparts across the area, is starting the year with the smallest class she has ever taught, 16 students, and with a gush of enthusiasm.

With four small tables instead of 26 desks, children can maneuver without bumping into each other. A fire drill comes and goes with no stragglers. There are enough decks of cards for every student to play War at once, and even when they pipe up with "Cheater!" or "Seven wins!" all the voices put together never break more than a murmur.

This year, for the first time, Dillon doesn't have to play a circle game to learn her students' names. And the whole class can fit cross-legged on the rectangular read-along rug.

"It's a big difference," Dillon said, after checking every student's sentences about the class's new birthday chart. With the class of 26 she had two years ago, "there's no way I could possibly even get to all of them."

The federal government began putting money last year into smaller primary-grade classes, which had been a priority for school systems for several years. This year, Virginia has received $23 million, Maryland $19 million and the District $6 million--all part of Clinton's pledge to place 100,000 new teachers in the schools.

Since the early 1990s, Virginia has been giving out funds to reduce class size in the early grades, including $70.9 million this year. The counties must match some of the money, under a formula based on family income.

Maryland contributed $11.6 million toward class-size reduction this year as part of a pledge by Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D) to hire 1,000 new teachers over five years.

In the District, the teachers union negotiated into its contract a student-teacher ratio of 20 to 1, an agreement that the schools have honored "for the most part," school officials say.

So more of the region's schools than ever are able to teach children in smaller groups, which thrills those educators and parents. Still, the scope of the effort is limited.

The state and federal funds, as well as much of the local money, are targeted at first and second grades and go first to schools with the children from the lowest-income families, because that is where research has shown that smaller classes have the greatest impact.

Only a few systems--such as Anne Arundel County, where Germantown Elementary is located--are able to start this year with all their first- and second-grade classes smaller than 22 students.

In other counties, lack of money or space in already crowded schoolhouses has limited the impact of efforts to cut class size. In Prince George's County, a teacher shortage means that some classes are smaller but lack a certified instructor.