- Durham Public Schools
- Student Assignment, School Construction, and Boundary Planning
- 1994 & 2011 Guiding Principles
1994 & 2011 Guiding Principles
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1994 Guiding Principles
- Maintain or establish as many contiguous community school districts as possible
- Provide equity for all children in the effects of reassignment
- Keep neighborhoods intact, as much as possible
- Minimize distances children must travel to school
- Provide as much stability as possible to avoid frequent adjustments in the plan
- Meet the parameters established by the school board for the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic mix of student populations in the schools
- Include grandfather clauses for students nearing completion of their education from a particular school
- Provide opportunities for community involvement
(Guiding principles presented at August 11, 2011 work session): and again April 2016
2011 Guiding Principles - Student Assignment (Non-Magnet)
- Utilize school facilities effectively (at least 85% utilized)
- Promote diversity
- Consider K-12 feeder pattern
- Consider student stability
- Consider levels of transportation available
- Consider impact on student performance
2011 Guiding Principles - Magnet Programs
- Utilize school facilities effectively (at least 85 % utilized)
- Promote school diversity
- Provide diverse and relevant program offerings throughout the district that meet student interest and provide expanded learning opportunities
- Consider K-12 feeder pattern
- Consider levels of transportation available
- Consider program continuity across grade levels
- Consider impact on student performance
1994 Magnet IssuesPopular Reason for Considering Choice
- Innovation and revitalization
- Voluntary integration
- Necessity to provide diversity in schools
- Traditional lack of responsiveness to the concerns of parents and students
- Difficulty of reforming public schools
- Attraction of market-driven system
- Improved student achievement
- Improved student, parent, and teacher satisfaction
- Increased parent involvement
- Collegiality and professionalism
- Improved and shared accountability
- Pressure for school improvement at all schools
Problems Associated with Choice
- Resegregation can occur without controls
- A true choice program is expensive
- Uncontrolled recruiting of students and staff can result in “creaming” the best from non-magnets
- Jealousy from non-magnet schools
- Without controls, parents can manipulate the system
- Perception of curricular, staffing, and student superiority can develop
- Curricular balance and student equity problems
- Loss of neighborhood schools