1994 & 2011 Guiding Principles

  • 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 Issues

    Popular 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