The San Ramon Valley Unified School District is facing serious budget cuts with nearly $26 million in projected reductions planned for next school year. This is on top of $13.5 million that was already cut for this school year.
While these cuts are unfortunately necessary, two proposed reductions stand out as particularly harmful to students: changes to PSAT, SAT and ACT testing, and increasing the average class size by two students.
Both of these cuts will have negative impacts on student success and should be reconsidered.
Currently, the PSAT, SAT and ACT testing support will continue to be hosted on Cal High’s campus. Changes will occur, but they aren’t known at this time.
Some changes should not be considered because they will create a disadvantage for students applying to colleges. The PSAT can qualify students for National Merit Scholarships.
The district needs to continue allowing all students who wish to take this test to do so. The number of students allowed to test should never be limited because it could cost students the opportunity to qualify for thousands of dollars in scholarship money.
The SAT and ACT are important aspects of college applications for students. Without continued district support, students will face a more difficult time taking the test.
Many students have to travel long distances to testing centers in Sacramento, San Francisco, Southern California and even out of state cities. By continuing to have standardized testing available on campus, the district gives students an opportunity to take these tests without traveling and a guaranteed good testing environment.
Increasing class sizes is equally as concerning. Research shows that smaller class sizes lead to better student outcomes. According to the National Library of Medicine, increasing class size beyond 27 students may have disproportionately negative effects on student learning and school readiness.
Cal’s average class size is already 33 students. The harm to learning accelerates rapidly with bigger classes. School readiness becomes unpredictable and potentially chaotic.
Smaller classes allow teachers to provide more individual attention and use different teaching methods. This leads to higher test scores and better long-term results.
In contrast, larger classes make it harder for teachers to give individual help and detailed feedback. This also lowers student engagement and increases behavior problems.
Possible changes to standardized testing and increasing class sizes may save money in the short-term, but they have serious long-term consequences. Students who are less prepared for college may struggle and larger class sizes can lead to significant learning losses.
These changes could also push families to leave the district, which causes enrollment declines and triggering more budget cuts.
Bottom line, the district must find other ways to save money.