Comparing Class Sizes: Sequoia and Woodside High

Class sizes at some Peninsula high schools push past the statewide average, but some have a lower pupil-to-teacher ratio than other California high schools, according to recently released figures from the 2011-12 school year.

Woodside High School, with 1,764 students, boasts the lowest class sizes of area public high schools at 25.7 students per class, though that is still higher than the statewide average. The school's student-to-teacher ratio is lower than the state's, though, at 18.5 to the state's 22.7.

Sequoia High School has one of the largest average class sizes, at 27.2 students per class, which is also above the state's average. However, its student-to-teacher ratio is below the state average, at 20.7.

The state average is 23.6, according to the statistics published on the Ed-Data website.

Carlmont High in Belmont comes in with the biggest average class size, at 27.7. It also has the largest pupil-to-teacher ratio, with 22.9 students per educator.

Check out more area schools here, or do your own comparisons on the Ed-Data website.

School Class Size Comparisons, 2011-12 School Enrollment Average Class Size Pupils per Teacher Number of Teachers

Carlmont High

2114 27.7 22.9 101 Menlo-Atherton High 2000 26.4 21.0 103 Sequoia High
2031
27.2
20.7 110 Woodside High 1764 25.7 18.5 105 Statewide Average n/a 23.6 22.7 n/a

The statistics are published by the the Ed-Data website, a partnership between the California Department of Education (CDE), EdSource, and the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team to provide data about K-12 education.

There's a long-standing debate surrounding the importance of class size. A report issued two years ago by the Brookings Institute indicated significant class size reduction—along the lines of seven to 10 students—had the biggest impact on student achievement, but this was much more pronounced in younger students than at the high school level.

Later this week, Patch will compare class sizes for elementary and middle schools in the Redwood City and Woodside Elementary school districts.

PATCH WANTS TO KNOW - What do you think of Sequoia and Woodside Highs' numbers? Do you think local class sizes need to be reduced? How much do think class size plays into student achievement? Tell us your opinion in the comments below.

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