Calendar 2008=9 - The School District of Philadelphia

documentation that other alternatives arenot available; and the request is for thecurrent school year.School assignments will be made by theRegional Office. Parents cannot request aspecific school. If a transfer is approvedand accepted by the parent, the transferis permanent unless the parent, at somepoint in the future, wants the childreturned to the neighborhood school. Aparent who is not informed of the resultsof the request within two weeks ofsubmitting the completed and documentedform to the home school shouldfollow up by calling the Regional Office.PersistentlyDangerous SchoolsEach year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniareleases a list of persistentlydangerous schools. Parents of childrenenrolled in a school on this list will receivewritten notice from the District and mayapply any time during the school year fora transfer to another school not on thelist. To apply, obtain form EH-36E fromyour child’s school and indicate that yourchild attends a persistently dangerousschool in the section entitled “Reason forRequest.” In the District, the highestpriorities for transfers are children whohave been victims or witnesses ofcriminal activity and who attend a schoolon the persistently dangerous schools list.School assignments will be made by theOffice of Student Placement. Parents maynot request a specific school.Voluntary TransfersThe District accepts applications forvoluntary transfers, beginning the thirdMonday in September and runningthrough the last Friday in October, for thenext school year. Students, includingEnglish language learners and childrenwith disabilities, may apply at this time to:special admission middle schools, andother neighborhood elementary andmiddle schools within the School Districtof Philadelphia. Parents may obtain theVoluntary Transfer Program Elementary/Middle School Pupil Transfer Applicationat the current school and at the Office ofStudent Placement.High School Applicationsand TransfersDuring the same fall period—September15 through October 31, 2008—the Districtwill accept Voluntary Transfer ProgramHigh School Admission applications fromcurrent 8th graders for their high schoolplacements for the following year. At thistime applications are also accepted fromstudents in grades 9 through 11 forconsideration for placement in highschools outside their neighborhoods, incitywide admission high schools andprograms, and in special admission highschools. Current students may obtain theVoluntary Transfer Program High SchoolAdmission application from their schoolcounselor.Students not enrolled in a District schoolmay obtain a Voluntary Transfer ProgramHigh School Admission application fromthe Office of Student Placement.For more information aboutextenuating circumstances transfers,persistently dangerous schools transfers,voluntary transfers and the high schooladmission process, call the Office ofStudent Placement, 215-400-4290.School ChoiceThe Federal No ChildLeft Behind (NCLB) ActThe act established a school choiceprocess for parents of children whoseschools have been placed in “schoolimprovement” status. In the SchoolDistrict of Philadelphia, parents fromschools in any level of “school improvement”receive a letter from the District inthe fall explaining what this means. Then,in January, schools in “school improvement”send home School Choice parentpackets that include a cover letter, aschedule of information sessions forparents about this process, and the listof the schools which may be consideredto receive School Choice transfers. Thereare no District special admission orcriteria-based programs or charterschools on this list. Parents obtain acopy of transfer form EH-35C from thechild’s current school, complete theform, and return it to the current schoolby the cutoff date stated in the letter inSAFE/Bully Hotline215-400-SAFE (7233)Call this 24-hour hotline toreport instances of bullyingor harassment, or dangerousconditions in or around schools.Calls may beanonymous.Information/SchoolClosings Hotline215-400-INFO (4636)Call this 24-hour number tohear announcements andbreaking information aboutcircumstances such as schoolclosings or early dismissals dueto inclement weather.the packet; there is a 4-5 week periodduring which parents may file anEH-35C to transfer their children to anyschool on the School Choice transfer listin the packet. Filing a request does notguarantee that a transfer request will beapproved. In accordance with the law, inconsidering requests for School Choicetransfers, the District gives highestpriority to the lowest achieving studentsfrom low-income families. For moreinformation about the NCLB SchoolChoice transfer process, call the Title IOffice, 215-400-4220.Charter SchoolsWith a commitment to empoweringcommunities and dramatically enhancingschool choice, the School ReformCommission has been a national leader inthe creation of charter schools for theparents and students of Philadelphia.The SRC has taken this District from 37charters in 2002 to 63 fully operational,40