STUDENT ASSIGNMENT CENTER

Transcription

1 Oakland Unified School District is taking a deep look at public school enrollment in Oakland. Oakland families have a wide range of great public school options, but the process for learning about and enrolling in Oakland public schools is not working as well as it should for our families. It s complicated, outdated and does not provide a level playing field for all communities. As a school district, we are committed to ensuring every student has access to a high- quality school that prepares them for college, career and community success. That s why OUSD is working on ways to improve public school enrollment. We want to build something better, that is easy to use, provides parents the tools they need to make their school choice and is fair for all Oakland families. The following are Frequently Asked Questions about the proposed Better Enrollment Oakland changes to the enrollment process to help inform parents and families. What are some of the issues with the current way families enroll in Oakland s public schools? The complaints we are hearing from families about our current public school enrollment process include: A lack of public information about Oakland school choices. Multiple enrollment applications and deadlines. A lack of clarity about how students are matched with schools. A complicated enrollment process that is especially hard for parents who work long hours or have inflexible schedules. Perceptions that the current enrollment process is unfair and allows some families to game the system at the expense of families in underserved communities. Why is OUSD considering a Better Enrollment Oakland resource? The current enrollment process was designed decades ago before parents choosing schools for their kids was the norm. Today there are more then 35 different Oakland public school applications, timelines, and lottery processes for families to navigate. Better Enrollment Oakland would provide one application, timeline, and school- match process to all Oakland- area public schools, both OUSD public schools and public charter schools. Additionally, Better Enrollment Oakland would give OUSD and each school timely, accurate and complete information to better manage their student enrollment, class- sizes, and program offerings. What are some of the Better Enrollment Oakland improvements? Based off feedback from Oakland parents, recommendations Better Enrollment Oakland include: An easy- to- use, online school finder resource with information for parents about Oakland public schools where they are located, what programs they provide and the results they are achieving for their students. A single enrollment application for all Oakland public schools that can be submitted from a home computer, a mobile device, or in- person at enrollment locations at schools and around our city. A process for matching students with schools that is easily explained, transparent and fair for all Oakland families and communities. Why do families need a choice of public schools in Oakland? Oakland s public schools are making great strides but we have not yet reached the point where there's a good school in every neighborhood or where all students receive a high- quality education. Every family deserves a

2 school they feel provides the right fit for their child and we should be promoting access to quality schools that serve students well. For generations, Oakland public school families have, as a whole, been underserved. This is particularly true for low- income and minority families who are disproportionately concentrated in schools that - - despite bright spots and impressive achievements - - don't consistently provide kids with everything they need for college, career, and community success. We cannot ask our community to wait any longer, and we cannot stand in the way of families that are working to do what's best for their children. Can enrollment improvements be made without a complete change like Better Enrollment Oakland? While some fixes are possible independent of the overall Better Enrollment Oakland effort, the reality is OUSD is a modern school district where families have a choice among different types of public schools and the way we do public school enrollment in Oakland should reflect that. Currently, we have an Options Process that provides real options in name only. Public school options should not be limited by inefficient practices that do not serve families. Better Enrollment Oakland represents a major leap beyond the status quo towards equity, access, and opportunity for Oakland families by transforming what can be a frustrating and obscure process into one that s simple, transparent, and fair for all. Who is behind Better Enrollment Oakland? Better Enrollment Oakland being driven by OUSD with the goal of creating a transparent, fair and equitable enrollment solution that works for all Oakland families. Community and philanthropic organizations are providing financial support to help facilitate community engagement and access the technical and experiential expertise needed for this type of improvement. How are Oakland families being engaged in Better Enrollment Oakland? We deeply believe this effort will only be successful if it is guided by the views and needs of the Oakland community. That is why we have so far brought together more than 200 parents, teachers and school leaders, in 12 public forums, at locations all over the city. These forums which are still ongoing were widely publicized and open to all. We asked families to share their views in a public survey, in which 77% of 450 respondents from across the city shared their belief that the way Oakland does public school enrollment should be updated or replaced. What would Better Enrollment Oakland mean for my family? Families with a student in a transitioning grade (for example, in 8th grade preparing to move on to high school) would find many new tools at their disposal to help choose the best school for their student. The tools will include an online school finder tool for families to access from their computer or smart phone, a printed school options guide, personalized outreach to transitioning students, citywide and regional school expos, and multiple opportunities to visit and tour Oakland s public schools. Based on a parent s personal needs, they may elect to use any, all, or none of these information- sharing opportunities to help determine the best school for their child. Once a family has determined which schools they are most interested in, they would apply to any and all public school options either online or in- person using one application. What would Better Enrollment Oakland mean for schools? For individual schools and OUSD, the current enrollment process creates uncertainty about class sizes and employment needs, a situation that creates instability and makes it hard to staff schools appropriately.

3 Currently, many students receive offers to multiple schools even though they can only use one, and may not use any if they opt- out of the District entirely. This penalizes schools and the community by creating a lack of clarity about who will show up to school on the first day, bumping families who would otherwise have received admission to their preferred school, and creating more combination classes and teacher consolidations that destabilize the crucial early weeks of school. Which schools would be included in Better Enrollment Oakland? All OUSD District schools will be included, and we are working to ensure OUSD public charter schools are also included. Individual public schools would still have flexibility in their admissions standards but those requirements would be transparent and fair. Private schools will not be included, as Better Enrollment Oakland is for public schools only. How does Better Enrollment Oakland fit in with OUSD s strategic plan? Better Enrollment Oakland is a key part of OUSD s Pathway to Excellence strategic plan and it aims to create equity of access to quality schools in a united, accountable school district. What are some things Better Enrollment Oakland would do for Oakland? Here are some examples of what the Better Enrollment Oakland would help provide: A collaborative approach to citywide public school enrollment A fair system that provides equity for all families A single application for use at all public schools A single- best offer system, maximizing the number of families getting the schools they want A central administration function that oversees all student assignments A safe environment for families to reveal their true public school preferences, alleviating the need to overly strategize about which schools to rank in which order Results that are easily explained and audited A shared set of rules for all schools to follow throughout the annual cycle (not just one lottery) A demand- driven method for efficiently enrolling students at schools Accurate enrollment data that can inform citywide planning What are some things Better Enrollment Oakland would not do? Better Enrollment Oakland is by no means a silver bullet to improving Oakland s public schools. Here are some examples of what Better Enrollment Oakland will not do. Support or favor any one type of school governance model (district- managed or charter) Provide any prescription about education policy Control or shape admissions policies at schools Provide an uninformed system where computers are picking schools for students Allow everyone entrance into their most- preferred school Directly improve schools What other cities are trying improvements to public school enrollment? A number of cities across the country have already implemented citywide enrollment resources for public schools, including Washington DC, New Orleans, Denver, and Newark. Other cities such as Detroit,

4 Indianapolis, and Camden, NJ are currently in the process of implementing their citywide enrollment improvements. Will a Better Enrollment Oakland lead to more Oakland public school students attending charter schools? Not necessarily. Better Enrollment Oakland will maximize the number of Oakland families who are able to access the school of their choosing but it will not open additional room at District- run public schools or public charter schools in Oakland. Are public charter schools required to accept students with disabilities? Yes. Public charter schools cannot deny entry to any students with an IEP, regardless of disability severity. The public charter school, or the SELPA that the charter school is a member of must accommodate all students with disabilities. What about students being "counseled or pushed out of schools? One of the goals of Better Enrollment Oakland is to eliminate this practice, both at District- run public schools and public charter schools. The agreement will require adhering schools to commit not to counsel- out students, push out students, arbitrarily change student's grades prior to state testing periods, harass parents or students or any type of hazing behavior that is intended to push students out of a school. Our intention is to foster a welcoming environment for all Oakland students and a commitment from all public schools that students will be treated fairly and provided the resources they need to thrive. What changes to the OUSD enrollment policy are being considered to compliment Better Enrollment Oakland? Per OUSD Board of Education policy, students who apply to attend OUSD schools are prioritized for enrollment in the following way: 1. Siblings are offered spots first; 2. Students living within the school s enrollment boundary; 3. General lottery. This can be problematic because some students cannot enroll in their neighborhood school. Because this can cause hardships for families, OUSD will be exploring opportunities to address this issue, which may include pursuing Board of Education approval of a policy change that would give top enrollment priority to neighborhood students instead of siblings. What role would waitlists play in Better Enrollment Oakland? We are currently asking parents and community members for feedback on the issue of waitlists. Our main desire is to balance the need to provide options for families and respect each school's enrollment and budget process. Waitlists would likely be limited in Better Enrollment Oakland and we would work towards implementing improvements to replace waitlists as a fair and equitable way to give parents choice access to schools and create a stable environment that schools can rely on for their enrollment. Regardless if waitlists were to be continued, redesigned or eliminated, our main objective is to make public school enrollment both transparent and equitable to all parents and schools. How will midyear transfers happen under Better Enrollment Oakland? Better Enrollment Oakland will treat midyear transfers in a fair way, where all schools operate within the same rules. Transfers would be limited to a set of agreed circumstances, such as documented health and safety issues. Currently, OUSD's Board of Education prioritizes and allows students to access their

5 neighborhood space, if available. We look forward to developing a transfer agreement with all LEAs in Oakland to make sure all students are being served in a just and equitable way. How will transportation be impacted by Better Enrollment Oakland? [Insert language re transportation] What are the next steps for Better Enrollment Oakland? The Better Enrollment Oakland plan will be submitted to the OUSD Board of Education for approval in January. Who can I contact with questions? Please do not hesitate to reach out to the following people with any questions or comments you may have: Ryan Phillips (ryan.phillips@ousd.org)