Increased Class Sizes Disrupt Learning

The start of the 2026-27 school year has led to an increase in class sizes in both Dual Enrollment (DE) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Specifically, the increase in class sizes pertains to English classes. The increase in these class sizes is due to the decline of student numbers from last year. As a result of this loss, many teaching positions have been removed by FCPS to account for decreasing enrollment rates.

The loss in teaching positions means that class sizes have increased as there’s a disproportionate number of students taking each class compared to the amount of classes available due to a lessened number of teachers per subject.

When students drop or change classes the larger class sizes pose an issue. Fixed schedules are built with a specific number of students in each class so when a schedule change happens there is no room for students to move elsewhere preventing flexibility in students schedules.

For some teachers, they will have another class period added to their roster to account for the changing of classes.

Mrs. Amy Wheeler, an English teacher, might have to make the decision to take on another English class, ultimately taking away one of her planning periods.

“The biggest challenge that comes along with giving up a planning period is that you need to give appropriate feedback that will actually help students to move forward,” Mrs. Wheeler said. “I see it [having to take on another English class period] just as a little bit less time to give feedback.”

Many students take AP and DE classes solely on the enticement of receiving college credit, although many don’t comprehend that passing the class does not automatically give the student college credit. For AP classes, there is an end of year exam covering all of the content from the entire year and in DE classes you must register through a partnered college or university and meet a minimum GPA and letter grade to receive college credit for the course.

“Every year, I see it creep in a little bit more that students are taking classes that are probably not their best fit as far as how much work they’re willing to put in,” Mrs. Wheeler added.

Many students find that these increased class sizes, often full of students who don’t take the AP or DE classes seriously, take away from their overall learning experience.

“Teachers are focusing more on hitting points than actually teaching and explaining because of these classes,” junior Anna Valasco said

Students who are not adequately prepared to take these advanced classes can distract and take away the attention of the teacher that could be spent refining students’ work otherwise.

“The increase in students, especially those that may not be prepared to take on the workload, does take away from the students that are there and ready to knock out this college credit and are very serious about their education,” Mrs. Wheeler said.

This idea isn’t only shared by teachers but many students also agree that students don’t care about the classes they’re taking and can’t change their schedule due to a lack of class flexibility disrupting the classroom learning environment.

“In my AP Language there are too many people talking and I can’t get my work done, the environment is very distracting,” Valasco said.

Not only do students believe large class sizes distract them, teachers have also found that these classes make students less productive. Large class sizes lead teachers to have to manage 30+ students per period.

“I walk around to different groups and I work with one group and I get them going, it seems like I lose another group,” Wheeler said. “So then I go and get that group back on track and I’ve lost another group.”

Teachers send out midterm progress reports throughout the quarter to give parents and students a measure of how they are progressing throughout the class.

“If students aren’t where they need to be in a class, the progress reports give students an opportunity to change,” Wheeler said.

Increased Class Sizes Disrupt Learning

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