What are Combined Grade Classes?
Every year, school-based staff are allocated, based on legislative requirements, including class size regulations, Collective Agreement provisions, Board decisions, and available resources. Each individual TDSB school receives a specific number of staff, including teachers, based on the number of students at the school and taking into account the factors listed above.
Based on the number of teaching staff allocated to a school (based on enrolment), it is sometimes necessary to create combined grade classes with one teacher and students from two or three consecutive grades. The creation of combined grade classes is common.
Why do Combined Grade Classes Exist?
The Ministry of Education provides funding for teachers primarily based on student enrolment (at specific dates in the school year). In some cases, there are too many students for one class/teacher but not enough to fund two or three single-grade classes with a dedicated teacher. In these instances, students from two or three consecutive grades are combined into a single class with one teacher.
For example, a school does not receive the funding to form three separate classes with a dedicated teacher when a very small number of students are projected (e.g. a school with a total projection of eight Grade 4 students, nine Grade 5 students, and seven Grade 6 students). In this instance, a combined grade class with one teacher and 24 students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 would be created.
Schools and programs with lower enrolment are more likely to have combined grade classrooms, including classrooms with three grades. Schools and programs with higher enrolment have greater flexibility with classroom organization models.