Overcrowded Classrooms in District 27
Mr. Jacobson
INTRODUCTION
You may have noticed recently that your class has a few new students in it. And with the new students in the class, you may think to yourself that there are now a lot of students in your class. If you’ve thought about this you’re not alone because many classrooms today seem to have this issue with overcrowding. During a Math Assessment in 2019, the National Assessment of Educational Progress determined that 60% of 4th graders and 66% of 8th graders in public schools were in overcrowded classrooms (NSBA). And according to UFT President Michael Mulgrew, 300,000 high-need students are in overcrowded classes (ABC News). Overcrowded classrooms can lead to a variety of issues for students such as an inability to pay attention in class, or bad results with reading and math tests. It can also lead to teachers struggling to effectively teach students in their classes, which could result in them being unhappy with their job.
TASK
Our school has been tasked with using the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) to solve the problem of overcrowded classrooms. It’s important that all students get the education they deserve and in order for this to happen, we think that class sizes need to be reduced. With that said, you’ve been assigned a role within the NYC Department of Education to come up with a solution to fix this problem once and for all! In order to fix this problem, they recommend you do the following:
1. Create a survey to get an idea as to how overcrowding affects teachers and students in your school community.
2. Create a Google Slides presentation that focuses on solutions to this problem with overcrowding in classrooms. The presentation needs to include the following:
a. The PPA Steps (feel free to click this presentation to look at how the PPA Steps were used when focusing on another problem we face in schools)
b. Different slides that should have the following: Solutions with regards to overcrowding in classrooms, pictures, videos, links to websites that include statistics with regards to how overcrowding in classrooms is a problem, and remarks or comments from people who’ve made an effort to fix the problem (make sure to use quotation marks and name the person or people who made the comments).
● You will have approximately 2-3 weeks to complete this survey along with the presentation.
PROCESS/RESOURCES
In Groups of 4, you will complete the following:
Step 1 - Define The Problem: Watch the following video about overcrowding in classrooms. With your group, write down some different reasons as to why overcrowding is a problem in schools.
Step 2 - Gather Evidence: Read the article “5 Ways That Overcrowded Classrooms Affect Education” and write down how overcrowding can affect both students and teachers. Then begin to create your survey that will include questions for both students and teachers about how they’re affected by overcrowding in classrooms.
Step 3 - Identify Causes: What causes overcrowding in classrooms in the first place? With your group, read the following articles and write down three or more causes for overcrowding in classrooms:
- Article #1: https://patch.com/michigan/dearborn/overcrowding-schools-why-it-huge-issue
- Article #3:
Step 4 - Evaluate A Policy: Read through the following class size bill that was passed into law back in September of 2022: Article
- After reading the article, write down what the law is supposed to do to help with overcrowded classrooms.
Step 5 - Develop Solutions: With your group, talk about everything that you’ve gathered from the video, articles and survey and begin to develop some solutions for the problem we face with overcrowded classrooms (rewatch video from Step 1 to help you to come up with some solutions). Afterwards, begin making your Google Slides presentation. Make sure to visit the following website (Google Slides) so you can see what goes into making a good presentation. The presentation should include all the steps from the PPA (PPA Steps) along with the solutions you’ve come up with to address the problem of overcrowding in classrooms.
Step 6 - Select The Best Solution: After coming up with your list of solutions, determine which of the solutions is the best solution based on feasibility (the likelihood that it could be done) and effectiveness (ability to produce the desired result).
EVALUATION
Google Slides Rubric
|
Learning Target |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1
|
|
1. Collaborating with group members and working effectively |
I was always able to collaborate with my group members and work effectively with them |
Most of the time I was able to collaborate with my group members and work effectively with them |
Sometimes I was able to collaborate with my group members and work effectively with them |
I couldn’t collaborate with my group members and work effectively with them |
|
2. Creating new slides in the presentation that include different facts |
I always know how to create new slides that included different facts about overcrowding in classrooms |
Most of the time I know how to create new slides that included different facts about overcrowding in classrooms |
Sometimes I know how to create new slides that included different facts about overcrowding in classrooms |
I didn’t know how to create new slides that included different facts about overcrowding in classrooms |
|
3. Adding pictures, different layouts, backgrounds, and transitions |
I always know how to add pictures, different layouts, backgrounds, and transitions to each slide |
Most of the time I know how to add pictures, different layouts, backgrounds, and transitions to each slide |
Sometimes I know how to add pictures, different layouts, backgrounds, and transitions to each slide |
I don’t know how to add pictures, different layouts, backgrounds, and transitions to each slide |
|
4. Adding different links throughout the presentation |
I always know how to add different links to websites on to different slides in my presentation |
Most of the time I know how to add different links to websites on to different slides in my presentation |
Sometimes I know how to add different links to websites on to different slides in my presentation |
I don’t know how to add different links to websites on to different slides in my presentation
|
|
5. Citing my sources on a references slide |
I always made sure to cite sources and add them to my references slide |
Most of the time I made sure to cite sources and add them to my references slide |
Sometimes I made sure to cite sources and add them to my references slide |
I didn’t cite my sources and add them to my references slide |
CONCLUSION
In this unit, you learned many things related to the problem of overcrowding in classrooms. You learned about the impact it has on students and how it affects their learning in the classroom, and you learned about the impact it has on teachers and how it affects their job satisfaction. You watched videos, read different articles, surveyed different people who this has an impact on, put together a presentation and most importantly, came up with solutions, followed by the best solution, to fix this problem! Well done!
- Now that you have chosen the best solution for overcrowding in classrooms, who would be some good people to contact in order to fix this problem once and for all?
STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.4
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-SL.3.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.