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Show iSM E-1Q88 B0fllQ8 By ROSELYN KIRK Davis School District has hired additional addi-tional teachers in grades one through three so that the district can comply with a goal set by the 1977 Utah State Legislature Legisla-ture which requires that the average class size in those grades be cut to 24. DR. LAWRENCE Welling, deputy superintendent, said that six to eight teachers have been hired and have joined or will join the district teaching staff prior to the first of the year. The addition of those teachers should reduce the classroom size or the number of students per teacher to the goal specified by the legislature. That body appropriated $3 million for schools statewide and about $332,000 in Davis District if the goal for reducing classroom size can be met. TUESDAY, Dr. Welling said that the district had submitted a report to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Instruc-tion, Waiter Talbot, showing the district average in the first three grades as of Oct. Dr. Welling said the report shows the average number of students in the first grade was 24.7, second grade, 25.6; and third grade, 26.05. He pointed out that, while the averages are "pretty close to the requirement, that continual growth in the district as new students are admitted could cause that figure to rise. HE SAID a shift in class size can happen hap-pen in a short time. Statistics computed on Sept. 12, less than three weeks previous to the October counts, showed averages to be: first grade, 24.3; second grade, 25.9; and third grade, 25.8. According to Dr. Welling it may be difficult dif-ficult for the state to determine when districts are in compliance when averages vary from month to month. With that problem in mind and considering the money that will be funded to support the program, the district decided to hire the additional teachers, he said. THE STATE superintendent's office had already determined that districts could not hire classroom aides or teaching specialists to qualify, but only certified teachers could count on the quotas. Dr. Welling said that when the district 1 has proved that they comply with the requirements that the money will come to the district through the usual state chan- " nels. HE POINTED out that another problem in meeting the state goal is in finding classrooms that are available to house the : additional classes created. He said the district will try to meet this requirement in "a flexible way. Not all of the new teachers will be in a classroom by themselves." them-selves." Some will work with teachers with a larger teaching load. In other cases, team teaching may be the answer, he said. The school district will attempt to meet the goal by working within the framework of the school itself and seeing how the classroom size can be accommodated within that school. "THIS CLASS reduction is a pilot experiment by legislature. We will need to look at the outcome," he said. The pupil teacher ratio, as well as the average classroom size for each grade is computed by taking the total number of students in membership at the Oct. 1 count, divided by the number of full time teachers assigned to that grade or grades, according to the ruling by the state superintendent's office. This number can exclude such specialized groups as Title I economically disadvantaged students. DR. WELLING said that had Davis District been able to meet the criteria for the first three grades without expending all the money available, that any additional addi-tional funds could have been used in the higher grades. But in Davis District all money will be required to meet the standard. |