• Class Size Adjustments

    Pittsburgh Public Schools is committed to reviewing and assessing student enrollment at each school and grade-level to ensure every school is appropriately staffed in a way that aligns with District resources and meets the instructional needs of our students and schools. This process sometimes leads to class size adjustments.

    What are class size adjustments?

    Adjusting class sizes is a common practice used by school districts to ensure the correct number of teaching positions are allocated to each school based on the instructional needs of students, school capacity and class-size requirements as outlined in the District’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

    When does the class size adjustment process occur?

    The class size review and adjustment process occurs early in the school year, with the annual goal of all adjustments being made in early October.

    Why does class size adjustments happen?

    Each January, the District uses an established formula to project the number of students that will attend every grade level at each school. This process determines the school’s annual site-based budget and staffing allocations for the following school year. Due to unanticipated fluctuations between a school’s projected and actual student enrollment at the start of the school year, the District will make class-size adjustments to meet student needs and effectively allocate resources across schools. The District also considers unique students’ needs such as the number of bilingual or students with special needs at each school.

    What information is used to determine if class size adjustments will occur?

    At the beginning of each school year, school principals are required to monitor class sizes and submit a report listing the number students physically in attendance in each grade and homeroom to the Office of School Performance.

    Who makes class size adjustments decisions?

    Attendance reports are reviewed by each school’s Assistant Superintendent and Principal prior to sharing with representatives from the following departments:  Program for Students with Exceptionalities, English as a Second Language, the Office of Human Resources, Budget Development, Management, and Operations, and Information Technology. Recommendations are then shared with the Superintendent and Executive Leadership. Once recommendations are finalized, they are reviewed with the school principal and adjustments are made.    
          

    Is class size adjustments an easy process?

    Class size adjustments is not always an easy process due to the number of factors that must be considered including student need, teacher certifications, Collective Bargaining class-size regulations, and teacher seniority.

    How are class size adjustments decisions communicated to teachers and families?

    When a change in teacher placement occurs, the Office of School Performance and Human Resources works in partnership with the School Principal and teacher to make the necessary adjustments. Families of students impacted by teacher movement will receive notification from the Principal prior to any changes occurring.