Public School Choice
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015, and represents good news for our nation’s schools. This bipartisan measure reauthorized the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. ESSA replaces the NCLB Act of 2002.
The new law builds on key areas of progress in recent years, made possible by the efforts of educators, communities, parents, and students across the country.
ESSA includes provisions that help to ensure success for students and schools.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) took full effect in the 2017-2018 school year.
PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE
The City of Baker School System is required by both Federal law and the Louisiana School Accountability Program to develop and maintain a Public School Choice policy for any school with a School Performance Score (SPS) below levels set by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). School Choice allows eligible students to transfer to an academically acceptable school.
The Superintendent and staff shall be responsible for developing and managing a School Choice Plan, which shall determine the schools to which students may transfer, which students shall have priority in transferring, and all other regulations and procedures for supervising school choice within the school district.
Because we are a small school system consisting of only five schools, we have limited capacity to transfer students within the district. To address this concern, good faith efforts have been made by the City of Baker System to provide choice through cooperative agreements with neighboring school districts. However, the district has not received any positive responses from those neighboring school districts to offer “choice.”
Instead, we offer students in qualifying schools the opportunity to participate in the Course Choice Program. Course Choice is a program that provides a range of learning options through multiple online, blended, and face-to-face providers. Approved course providers offer a full range of academic courses across the state in math, English language arts, science, social studies, foreign languages, Advanced Placement, Career and Technical Education, as well as elective courses and college credit opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.louisianabelieves.com/courses/supplemental-course-academy.
Notification
Notifications of school choice options shall be sent to parents as early as possible. If there are no choice options available, this information shall be included in the notification sent to parents.