Boston Public Schools launches 2007-2008 school choice process

BOSTON - The Boston Public Schools has launched the school selection process for the 2007-2008 school year, including efforts to communicate with Boston families about the choices available to them, as well as new program offerings beginning in September 2007.

The citywide campaign to engage families in choosing schools builds on the success of last year's school choice process, which included increased outreach to families as well as several changes to the assignment process itself. The district continues to adjust its school selection process and programming to meet the needs of Boston families.

The district will continue its expansion of several programs, including:

• "Kindergarten 1" classrooms for 4-year-olds: Twenty-three new K1 classrooms will open in September 2007 (see list attached), in addition to the 17 new classrooms that opened this year, for a total of nearly 1,700 available seats next year. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has pledged full-day kindergarten for all 4-year-olds by the year 2010. The district has guaranteed a full-day kindergarten seat to every five-year-old since 1998.
• Kindergarten-to-Grade 8 (K-8) Schools: Four additional K-8 opportunities will be available in 2007. The James Curley Elementary School will combine with the adjacent Mary Curley Middle School in Jamaica Plain to become one K-8 school. The Patrick O'Hearn Elementary School will pair with the Harbor School in Dorchester to create a two-campus K-8 model in which students from the O'Hearn are guaranteed a middle school seat at the Harbor School. The Joseph Hurley Elementary School in the South End will expand to a two-way Spanish bilingual K-8 program. The Joyce Kilmer Elementary School in West Roxbury will expand to a two-campus K-8 program by making use of the former Lyndon Elementary School building (now vacant) on Russett Road. In the past five years, BPS has doubled the number of K-8 opportunities from 10 in 2002 to 20 next year.

"The expanded K-8 options and the additional K1 classrooms are the result of several years of planning and consultation with parents, families, and community members," said School Committee Chair Elizabeth Reilinger. "We have made every effort to analyze our school configurations to find options that best serve students and families and raise academic achievement. These most recent expansions build on the work we have done already and are part of our ongoing effort to offer a portfolio of school choices that help meet the needs of Boston families."

The district is using a comprehensive communications strategy to engage families in school choice by providing opportunities to learn more about the registration process and about the schools themselves. In response to parent feedback, the district moved up the date of its annual Showcase of Schools from January to October this year and changed it from a weeknight to a Saturday afternoon to enable more parents to attend. The Showcase, which allows families to meet representatives from all Boston Public Schools in one place, serves as a starting point for families to begin making choices about which schools they would like to visit and learn more about during School Preview Time.

"We continue to adjust the school choice process to meet the needs of families," Superintendent Michael Contompasis said. "That includes finding ways to better inform them about their options, giving them opportunities to meet school staff, and encouraging them to visit schools to find the best fit for their children."

• School Preview Time - offered at the elementary level since 2000 - became district-wide in 2005 and takes place in all 145 Boston Public Schools. Between November 6 and January 19, schools will host open houses, school tours and other activities to welcome prospective families. This year, more than 25 employers - including the City of Boston - are offering their employees paid time off to visit schools. (See attached list of participating employers, and www.bostonpublicschools.org/register for complete schedule.)
• Many BPS middle schools will host High School Fairs at which middle school students and their families can meet representatives from BPS high schools and learn about the various high school opportunities available to them.
• Families can learn more about the school selection process at four Family Information Sessions conducted around the city during October and November. The interactive workshops will include information about how the student assignment process works, how to make informed school choices, and how to register a child for school (See schedule of upcoming sessions attached.)
• Families will receive a variety of publications to help them navigate the school choice process, including Ready, Set, Go! - a step-by-step checklist to register for school.
• The registration section of the BPS web site includes "What Are My Schools?", a searchable on-line database that generates customized lists of schools available for selection. www.bostonpublicschools.org/register/
• Using the district's Connect-Ed automated telephone calling system, families of all BPS students registering for school next year will receive telephone messages at home describing the school choice process.

School choice materials and information are available in schools, Family Resource Centers, Boston public libraries and community centers, and on cable television stations, among other locations.

For more information about school choice, visit the Boston Public Schools website at www.bostonpublicschools.org/register/.

Employers offering paid time off for school visits during "School Preview Time" include:
Bank of America, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, City of Boston, Curry College, Dana Farber, Emmanuel College, Harvard School of Public Health, Liberty Mutual, MA School of Professional Psychology, Mellon Financial, New England Conservatory of Music, Simmons College, State Street Corporation, UMass Boston, Urban College of Boston, Wheelock College, YMCA of Back Bay, New England School of Optometry, Neighborhood Health Plan, Comcast, Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, John Hancock, Suffolk University, Federal Reserve Bank, Paradigm Properties, United Commercial Bank.

Upcoming Family Information Sessions (translation services available):