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January 29, 2010
DCPS Announces Start of 2010-2011 K-12 Out-of-Boundary Lottery
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Contact:
Jennifer Calloway
| 202-535-1096
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Parents can take advantage of the many options District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has to offer through the 2010-2011 K-12 Out-of-Boundary (OOB) Lottery. Families can apply online to send their child to grades K-12 at any school in any Ward.
 “When it comes to education, District families want and deserve choices,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “This reform effort has resulted in more offerings for DCPS families in every Ward, and we encourage current and prospective parents to look both inside and beyond their neighborhood to find out more.”
ABOUT THE LOTTERY PROCESS
• The last day to enter the OOB lottery for grades K-12 is Feb. 28. There is no advantage to applying early.
• Applicants can each choose up to six schools, up from five last year.
• Applicants for K-12 out-of-boundary seats will receive preference for having a sibling who attends that school or for living in close proximity to the school.
• Each application must be submitted online, and every school is equipped to assist any family that needs access to a computer. Families can also call the Critical Response Team at (202) 478-5738 for additional assistance.
• The lottery will run on March 2. Results will be posted online March 3, and mailed home March 8.
“Our goal is to ensure that parents have every opportunity to choose what they believe is the best educational experience for their child,” said DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee. “Regardless of whether that means applying to a Catalyst school with an arts integration focus, or enrolling their 5-year-old in a kindergarten program close to their job --we want to afford every family meaningful options.”
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ONLINE APPLICATION
DCPS and OCTO collaborated to make critical improvements to the online application:
• Parents can save and edit their application up until the Feb. 28 deadline. This allows families more time to attend open houses, make school visits and ultimately make more informed decisions.
• Based on the family’s address the system will automatically tell parents what their in-boundary school is along with any additional schools close enough to their residence to grant a “proximity preference,” which equates to approximately three blocks for elementary schools and five blocks for secondary schools.
• The online application will also have information about how many seats are available at any given school and the number of applicants the school received for the 2009-2010 school year. This will give families more information as they make their selections.
FEATURED SCHOOLS
Last year for the first time in recent history, DCPS launched a district-wide student recruitment campaign; the goal was to highlight promising schools with space to grow. For the 2010-2011 school year, DCPS has chosen 19 schools all with compelling programs complemented by a range of expanded academic offerings. This includes dual-language instruction, theme-based Catalyst Schools which focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), World Cultures and Arts Integration, and selective city-wide high schools.
2010-2011 Featured Schools
• Barnard Elementary School
• Cleveland Elementary School
• Drew Elementary School
• Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School
• Malcolm X Elementary School
• Payne Elementary School
• Powell Elementary School
• Smothers Elementary School
• Turner @ Green Elementary School
• Browne Education Campus
• Emery Education Campus
• Walker-Jones Education Campus
• Francis-Stevens Education Campus
• Ronald H. Brown Middle School
• Shaw Middle School
• Eastern High School
• Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School
• Roosevelt STAY
• Youth Engagement Academy
Visit www.dcps.dc.gov for more information about the Out‐of‐Boundary Lottery and to view profiles of DC public schools.
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