Highcliff Elementary School

Summary:

Highcliff Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving 540 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the North Hills School District, which is ranked 92 out of 610 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highcliff Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with strong performance on PSSA tests. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates were 68.9% in ELA, 58.1% in Math, and an impressive 92.2% in Science, significantly exceeding the state averages. The school's performance is particularly noteworthy in Science, where it outperforms both the state and district. Highcliff's student-teacher ratio of around 12-13 students per teacher is lower than the state average, which may contribute to its academic success.

While Highcliff's performance is generally stronger than nearby schools in the North Hills School District, such as Ross Elementary and McIntyre Elementary, it faces competition from exceptional schools in neighboring districts, like McKnight Elementary in the North Allegheny School District. However, Highcliff's consistent high performance over the past decade, with a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggests that the school serves a student population with a higher socioeconomic status, which may contribute to its academic success.


Detail:

Public K-5

 156 Peony Ave
       Pittsburgh, PA  15229


(412) 318-1582

District: North Hills School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
395th of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,348 Help


Students who attend Highcliff Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    North Hills Middle School
High:    North Hills High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.7 Help
Number of students:  540

Racial breakdown:

White:
84.6%
Two or more races:
7.4%
Hispanic:
4.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  28.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highcliff Elementary School ranks better than 74.1% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the North Hills School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.96. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (84.6%), two or more races (7.4%), Hispanic (4.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 28.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highcliff Elementary School is 12.7, which is the 2nd best among 4 elementary schools in the North Hills School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highcliff Elementary School employs 42.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highcliff Elementary School is $14,348, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the North Hills School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highcliff Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highcliff Elementary School 395th of 1526 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Highcliff Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
White students:


North Hills School District:

SchoolDigger ranks North Hills School District 92nd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Highcliff Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Highcliff Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 74.92 390th 1599 75.6%
2013 75.08 368th 1519 75.8%
2014 81.46 176th 1467 88.0%
2015 79.56 272nd 1474 81.5%
2016 80.04 276th 1554 82.2%
2017 82.72 229th 1547 85.2%
2018 82.68 225th 1530 85.3%
2019 83.51 204th 1544 86.8%
2021 75.55 343rd 1433 76.1%
2022 79.55 297th 1534 80.6%
2023 72.80 435th 1534 71.6%
2024 74.96 395th 1526 74.1%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highcliff Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 74.16 288th 1414 79.6%
2024 65.65 476th 1432 66.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highcliff Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 71.96 430th 1488 71.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highcliff Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 71.25 210th 1043 79.9%
2024 69.71 242nd 1084 77.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highcliff Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 75.41 353rd 1495 76.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Highcliff Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 60.74 478th 1236 61.3%
2024 64.21 437th 1229 64.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary 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.

Highcliff Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Highcliff Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2011 496 18 6 4 0 0 0 0 524
2012 485 19 5 4 0 0 5 0 518
2013 467 16 3 4 0 0 10 0 500
2014 451 12 3 6 0 0 17 0 489
2015 445 11 3 7 0 0 17 0 483
2016 463 18 2 6 0 0 18 0 507
2017 521 26 4 8 0 0 29 0 588
2018 538 28 6 13 0 0 32 0 617
2019 541 34 8 16 0 0 34 0 633
2020 536 27 6 15 0 0 36 0 620
2021 454 20 4 12 0 0 33 0 523
2022 459 23 1 19 0 0 39 0 541
2023 457 19 1 23 0 0 40 0 540

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 Highcliff Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2011 524 36.7 14.2 20.4
2012 518 36.3 14.2 23.9
2013 500 35.3 14.1 28
2014 489 34.3 14.2 29.2
2015 483 35.0 13.8 29
2016 507 38.0 13.3 30.4
2017 588 40.3 14.5 n/a
2018 617 38.7 15.9 27.2
2019 633 44.8 14.1 24.3
2020 620 44.3 13.9 n/a
2021 523 41.7 12.5 24.3
2022 541 40.7 13.2 22.6
2023 540 42.3 12.7 28.1

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 Highcliff Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2011 524 36.7 14.2 20.4
2012 518 36.3 14.2 23.9
2013 500 35.3 14.1 28
2014 489 34.3 14.2 29.2
2015 483 35.0 13.8 29
2016 507 38.0 13.3 30.4
2017 588 40.3 14.5 n/a
2018 617 38.7 15.9 27.2
2019 633 44.8 14.1 24.3
2020 620 44.3 13.9 n/a
2021 523 41.7 12.5 24.3
2022 541 40.7 13.2 22.6
2023 540 42.3 12.7 28.1

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 Highcliff Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $276 (2.1%) $13,092 (97.9%) $13,368
2020 $257 (1.8%) $14,112 (98.2%) $14,370
2021 $421 (2.6%) $15,475 (97.4%) $15,896
2022 $602 (4.2%) $13,746 (95.8%) $14,348

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Highcliff Elementary School

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 204th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 435th of 1534 Elementary schools
 15.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Highcliff Elementary School)63.763.6
 0.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Highcliff Elementary School)76.760.3
 16.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Highcliff Elementary School)73.259.7
 13.5%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Highcliff Elementary School)95.384.2
 11.1%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Highcliff Elementary School)83.354.9
 28.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
5th Grade Math (Highcliff Elementary School)65.162.6
 2.5%
   5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)4342.7
 0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Highcliff Elementary School)7578.3
 3.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)58.553.6
 4.9%
All Grades Math (Highcliff Elementary School)69.462
 7.4%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Highcliff Elementary School)95.384.2
 11.1%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Highcliff Elementary School)80.464.4
 16%
   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 Students633540
 14.7%
African American3419
 44.1%
American Indian00
Asian81
 87.5%
Hispanic1623
 43.8%
Pacific Islander00
White541457
 15.5%
Two or More Races3440
 17.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients24.3%28.1%
 3.8%


Schools Near Highcliff Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Highcliff Elementary School

Students at Highcliff Elementary School are 85% White, 7% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 4% African American.

Students who attend Highcliff Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Hills Middle School
High : North Hills High School

Highcliff Elementary School ranks 395th of 1526 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 540 students attended Highcliff Elementary 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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