How many kids are in your child's pre-k3 class?

[Anonymous]

Our charter school combines PK3 and PK4. DS's teachers told me there will be 19 kids total with two full-time teachers (one lead and one assistant). I think there were 18 last year.

[Anonymous]

Our kid's PK3 class had only 14 kids last year. However, may've been a fluke, since it was the school's first year for PK3.

[Anonymous]

Our has 16, one teacher and one aid.

[Anonymous]

does the school get to pick the class size if DCPS? i thought the caps were there for a reason?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21 3 year olds in one classroom is A LOT of 3 year olds. Especially since some are going to be really young 3s who might still need a lot of help in the bathroom etc.

Most private preschools will have classes of 8-10 3 year olds with several adults in the room. 15 seems more reasonable for public preschool. 21 is just nuts.

Maybe this is why IT'S has the 3 strikes and your out potty rule

That is just not true.

[Anonymous]

meridian pcs had pretty big class sizes for PK3 (21-25), it's one of the reason we decided not to go there. you can also do bigger class sizes when they're mixed pk3/pk4.

[Anonymous]

The legal staffing ratio for 3s is 1:8. The legal staffing ratio for 4s is 1:12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At ITS we had 22 student with 2 Teachers and an aide.

And it never occurred to me that this was unusual or inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At ITS we had 22 student with 2 Teachers and an aide.

And it never occurred to me that this was unusual or inappropriate.

It's 1:7 ratio.

[Anonymous]

I know it seems like the appropriate thing to be concerned about but as a mother. I also worried about things like ratios for my 3 year olds. I can tell you the ratio ended up being the last thing that concerned me (as long as it wasn't unmanageable). I found the teacher experience, ability to handle stress, and emotionally reach my child was far more important. My child was 3 at the time of the earthquake and my kid's teachers handled it impeccably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At ITS we had 22 student with 2 Teachers and an aide.

And it never occurred to me that this was unusual or inappropriate.

It's no different than a class with 16 and only 2 adults.

[Anonymous]

15 currently and I was told that the cap for the class was 16

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, that's not life in DCPS. The limit is 16 as far as I know (18 for pre-K), with one teacher and one aid in the classroom. If there are 21 - possibly because ages are mixed and divvied out again in some way - then there would indeed need to be 3 teachers. But the teacher student ratio isn't the only thing to look at. Space counts for something, too. If it's a large group with roughly one competent adult for each 8 kids, then there needs to be breakout space. I can't imagine 21 3yo in a bunch, no matter how many adults are standing around.

Well, if there is a really strict cap, do you think the principal would allow 21 in the class? If there are 21 on the class list, sounds like the cap is flexible. I have seen it go above the supposed 20 cap for PK4 in our school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that's not life in DCPS. The limit is 16 as far as I know (18 for pre-K), with one teacher and one aid in the classroom. If there are 21 - possibly because ages are mixed and divvied out again in some way - then there would indeed need to be 3 teachers. But the teacher student ratio isn't the only thing to look at. Space counts for something, too. If it's a large group with roughly one competent adult for each 8 kids, then there needs to be breakout space. I can't imagine 21 3yo in a bunch, no matter how many adults are standing around.

Well, if there is a really strict cap, do you think the principal would allow 21 in the class? If there are 21 on the class list, sounds like the cap is flexible. I have seen it go above the supposed 20 cap for PK4 in our school.

The DCPS cap for PK4 is 20 from he lottery plus one Early Stages placement, so 21.
Charters have no caps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that's not life in DCPS. The limit is 16 as far as I know (18 for pre-K), with one teacher and one aid in the classroom. If there are 21 - possibly because ages are mixed and divvied out again in some way - then there would indeed need to be 3 teachers. But the teacher student ratio isn't the only thing to look at. Space counts for something, too. If it's a large group with roughly one competent adult for each 8 kids, then there needs to be breakout space. I can't imagine 21 3yo in a bunch, no matter how many adults are standing around.

Well, if there is a really strict cap, do you think the principal would allow 21 in the class? If there are 21 on the class list, sounds like the cap is flexible. I have seen it go above the supposed 20 cap for PK4 in our school.

The DCPS cap for PK4 is 20 from he lottery plus one Early Stages placement, so 21.
Charters have no caps.

Oh, and Montessori DCPS programs have higher caps.