Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Summary:

Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Pittsburgh School District, with 399 students. The school has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Pennsylvania middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 significantly underperforms compared to the district and state on standardized test scores, with only 12.1% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 26.7% for the district and 40.4% for the state. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 15% of Pennsylvania middle schools for Asian students and the bottom 30% for African American and Hispanic students in PSSA Math. Additionally, the school has had relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 0.0% to 2.1%, which is higher than the state average.

When comparing Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 to other middle schools in the area, such as Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8 and Pittsburgh Classical 6-8, both in the Pittsburgh School District, the school's performance is consistently among the lowest. Despite the high percentage of low-income students, Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 spends a relatively high amount per student, suggesting that the school's challenges may not be solely due to a lack of funding.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 595 Crane Avenue
       Pittsburgh, PA  15216-3929


(412) 529-8130

District: Pittsburgh School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
745th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $27,360 Help


Students who attend Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 usually attend:

High:    Pittsburgh Brashear High School
    Pittsburgh Carrick High School
    Pittsburgh Obama 6-12
    Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy 6-12

Feeder schools for Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8:

Elementary:    Pittsburgh Banksville K-5
    Pittsburgh Beechwood K-5
    Pittsburgh Grandview K-5
    Pittsburgh Phillips K-5
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  10.8 Help
Number of students:  399

Racial breakdown:

African American:
38.1%
White:
24.1%
Hispanic:
15.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

 Compare Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 ranks worse than 83.6% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 7 ranked middle schools in the Pittsburgh School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.27. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 has the largest middle school student body size in the Pittsburgh School District. Student population at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (38.1%), White (24.1%), Hispanic (15.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 is 10.8. 4 middle schools in the Pittsburgh School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 employs 36.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 is $27,360, which is the highest among 7 middle schools in the Pittsburgh School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8:

SchoolDigger ranks Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 745th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Pittsburgh School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Pittsburgh School District 466th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8?

Rank History for Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

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Rank History for all students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 34.15 630th 805 21.7%
2011 50.00 519th 825 37.1%
2012 46.88 547th 834 34.4%
2013 17.89 631st 758 16.8%
2014 16.60 618th 728 15.1%
2015 15.02 683rd 835 18.2%
2016 13.66 723rd 870 16.9%
2017 16.13 713th 877 18.7%
2018 14.31 719th 861 16.5%
2019 15.62 714th 891 19.9%
2021 11.58 700th 797 12.2%
2022 18.63 691st 883 21.7%
2023 17.43 707th 893 20.8%
2024 14.27 745th 891 16.4%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 11.07 173rd 187 7.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 52.47 46th 143 67.8%
2024 38.48 98th 150 34.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.97 650th 874 25.6%
2024 16.38 745th 877 15.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 17.32 697th 860 19.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 25.85 511th 660 22.6%
2024 23.53 551st 672 18.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 12.87 742nd 870 14.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 3.10 139th 144 3.5%
2024 1.26 144th 145 0.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 27.47 318th 421 24.5%
2024 25.10 327th 408 19.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.47 268th 362 26.0%
2024 21.80 299th 362 17.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 17.41 601st 681 11.7%
2024 24.34 548th 673 18.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, January 10, 2020

Open Quote South Hills has recieved a continued barrage of bad press from other schools in the area to the point , parents and teachers at other school tell stories about it. The school has it's issues but all schools do. South Hills has some of the best teachers in the city and my son has thrived. I want everyone to see that all these sites send out wrong information. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2008 259 144 10 13 2 n/a n/a 19 447
2009 255 154 16 16 1 n/a n/a 22 464
2010 230 169 16 18 0 n/a n/a 23 456
2011 215 154 30 27 2 0 26 0 454
2012 226 148 49 39 2 0 36 0 500
2013 222 205 67 38 1 0 51 0 584
2014 205 221 73 29 0 0 54 0 582
2015 158 193 67 29 1 0 28 0 476
2016 156 195 63 38 1 1 37 0 491
2017 149 177 58 45 0 1 37 0 467
2018 152 173 45 47 0 0 39 0 456
2019 141 177 46 54 0 0 41 0 459
2020 119 177 40 58 0 0 39 0 433
2021 129 181 43 61 0 0 48 0 462
2022 100 147 38 50 0 0 43 0 378
2023 96 152 45 62 1 0 43 0 399

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 447 35.5 12.6 n/a
2009 464 34.0 13.6 n/a
2010 456 31.0 14.7 80.1
2011 454 34.0 13.3 73.1
2012 500 36.0 13.8 73.6
2013 584 41.5 14.0 77.7
2014 582 41.0 14.1 82
2015 476 39.0 12.2 78.4
2016 491 40.0 12.2 73.3
2017 467 37.2 12.5 80.5
2018 456 38.8 11.7 80.5
2019 459 38.8 11.8 99.3
2020 433 39.9 10.8 n/a
2021 462 39.2 11.7 99.4
2022 378 38.8 9.7 99.2
2023 399 36.8 10.8 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 447 35.5 12.6 n/a
2009 464 34.0 13.6 n/a
2010 456 31.0 14.7 80.1
2011 454 34.0 13.3 73.1
2012 500 36.0 13.8 73.6
2013 584 41.5 14.0 77.7
2014 582 41.0 14.1 82
2015 476 39.0 12.2 78.4
2016 491 40.0 12.2 73.3
2017 467 37.2 12.5 80.5
2018 456 38.8 11.7 80.5
2019 459 38.8 11.8 99.3
2020 433 39.9 10.8 n/a
2021 462 39.2 11.7 99.4
2022 378 38.8 9.7 99.2
2023 399 36.8 10.8 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,904 (8.6%) $20,184 (91.4%) $22,088
2020 $2,051 (9.4%) $19,711 (90.6%) $21,762
2021 $1,851 (7.3%) $23,416 (92.7%) $25,266
2022 $3,520 (12.9%) $23,840 (87.1%) $27,360

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 714th of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 707th of 893 Middle schools
 1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)10.38.1
 2.2%
   6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)3936.4
 2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)41.923.7
 18.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)6355.6
 7.4%
7th Grade Math (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)14.913.2
 1.7%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)28.724.7
 4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)10.612.6
 2%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)27.730.3
 2.6%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)35.233.9
 1.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)11.811.3
 0.5%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)27.730.3
 2.6%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8)35.627.8
 7.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students459399
 13.1%
African American177152
 14.1%
American Indian01
Asian4645
 2.2%
Hispanic5462
 14.8%
Pacific Islander00
White14196
 31.9%
Two or More Races4143
 4.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.3%100%
 0.7%


Schools Near Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8









Frequently Asked Questions about Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8

Students at Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 are 38% African American, 24% White, 16% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 11% Two or more races.

Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 ranks in the bottom 16.4% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 399 students attended Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8.

Students who attend Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 usually go on to attend Pittsburgh Brashear High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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