Wisconsin DPI: Cracking Down on SAGE Class Size Waivers

Amy Hetzner:

The state Department of Public Instruction gave wide leeway last year to a school district seeking to avoid the strictures of Wisconsin's class-size reduction program, even as the DPI rolled out its plan to clamp down on such exceptions.

The Chippewa Falls School District was allowed to hold classes with one-third more students than the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education program demanded and still receive $100,000.

But such permissiveness is coming to an end, promised state schools Deputy Superintendent Tony Evers.

Already this year, several school systems that previously received funding while exceeding SAGE's 15-to-1 class-size requirements have had their requests denied.

Others have quietly dropped their programs after determining that they would not be able to meet the class-size standards and that DPI staff would become more involved in monitoring their programs, Evers said.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 29, 2007 6:13 AM
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