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Chaffee Trail’s Virtual School Choice Info Session for Rising Sixth Graders

Katherine Sherman, Chaffee Trail Elementary’s School Counselor

Principal:  Casie Doyle

Parent Liaison:  Jill Ceragioli           

February 2, 2021                       

6 PM 

  • Introductions from Presenters

  • A time of excitement and it can be a time of some stress figuring everything out.

  • We are here to help you navigate it all! J While the information being presented was taken from district websites, please be aware that while this information is current today, check any updates prior to applying.

  • Agenda

  • What is a Magnet Program

  • What is the Lottery?

  • Waitlist and Deadlines

  • School Choice Reference Guide

  • Magnet Application Process

  • DCPS School Choice Office

  • Lottery Priority Levels

  • Transportation and Program Continuity

  • Info Regarding Specific Schools

  • GRASP Academy Presentation

  • Closing/ Questions?

Opening Remarks

Ms. Sherman - Chaffee Trail Elementary's Guidance Counselor

  • What is a Magnet Program?  It is a program designed to attract students to their specific areas of interest.

  • What is a Designated Magnet? It means that all students regardless of their neighborhood must apply.

  • What is a School Choice School? They are the Special Transfer Option and neighborhood schools that have programs created in response to community or school interest. (Parent provided transportation only.)

     

What Exactly Is The Lottery?

  • All students who choose to apply to a school via a magnet program or via Special Transfer Option must go through a lottery.

  • Various situations (for example: being a military member, taking a tour of the school, having a sibling attend the school, etc.) will give you a priority level in the lottery. There are nine different ranked priority levels (will discuss more later) for upcoming sixth graders.

  • You can choose up to two options on your application. Make sure you and your child will be happy with the second choice if you choose one. You don’t have to put two choices.

  • Lottery selections are computer generated and chosen at random.

The Waitlist   

  • It is possible that you aren’t initially assigned your lottery choices. In that case your child goes on a waiting list. They may move up the list if other students decide not to choose the school, move away, etc. 

  • You will likely hear over the summer if your student will get their choice, though it could be after school starts the following year.

  • If they contact you to say your child has moved up the waiting list and now can attend the school you chose, you have 24 hours to accept or reject the offer. If they don’t hear back from you within 24 hours then they will move onto the next child on their list.

  • It is Vital To Keep Your Contact Info Up To Date!

Deadlines 

  • Online application is available in FOCUS 1/1/2021 and the deadline to apply is: 11:59 pm on 2/28/2021

  • How to apply for a magnet school and magnet school priorities? (See pgs.14-15 in the school choice reference guide for how the lottery prioritizes upcoming sixth grade students).

  • 2021-2022 School Choice Reference Guide

School Choice Reference Guide 

It is found on the District School Choice Webpage under the Departments tab and School Choice link 

Reference Guide Info

  • Baldwin Middle/High #38 (6-12) (School-Within-A-School Magnet) 291 Mill Street West, Baldwin, FL 32234 (904) 266-1200 www.duvalschools.org/bmsh Limited transportation. See Page 59 for full description. Magnet Program Communications/ Information Technology MAGNET – Check Transportation Rules CTE Programs Commercial Art Technology Information Technology Program continuity for magnet students to Baldwin Middle/High Geographic feeder to Baldwin Middle/High

  • Johnson, James Weldon #152 (Dedicated Magnet) 3276 Norman Thagard Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32254 (904) 693-7600 www.duvalschools.org/jwjohnson Magnet transportation provided district wide Magnet Programs Gifted Academically Talented CTE Program(s) Information Technology Career Cluster - Digital Discoveries in Society Information Technology Career Cluster - Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Essentials Program continuity for magnet students to Darnell-Cookman SoMA, Paxon School for Advanced Studies, Stanton College Preparatory School and Samuel Wolfson HS Program continuity to Darnell-Cookman, Paxon and Stanton requires students to have successfully completed Algebra 1 by the end of the 8th grade.

Tours 

  • Make sure you take a virtual tour of the schools you and your child are considering.

  • All tours are virtual this year.

  • Some schools are still given higher priority in the lottery if you take the virtual tour. Check with each specific school to find out if they are giving priority for tours.

Magnet School Application

  • Located in your student’s Focus portal

  • The only way to apply is through your child’s Focus account.

Magnet Application Process

  • You Will Need A Focus Account For Your Student. If You Do Not Have A Focus Account Set Up You Will Need To Create One Asap. Please Do Not Wait Until The Last Minute To Create A Focus Account As It Is A Two Step Process That Isn’t Always Completed The Same Day.

  • If you have multiple children, once in Focus click on your fifth grade student’s name on the tabs on the left hand side and the application will come up under your fifth grader’s name.

  • Make sure all of your contact info (names, addresses, phone numbers, emails) is up to date in your student’s Focus account, so that you can be contacted once a decision has been made regarding your application.

  • When you are finished print a copy. You should receive an email from the School Choice Office as well to confirm receipt of your application.

Selection

  • If you are selected to your magnet program you will be contacted via email and/or letter.

  • Make Sure Contact Info Is Up To Date.

  • You must show up to your selected school by the third day of school. If your child is not enrolled by the third day of school your child’s application may be canceled. Remember others may still be on a wait list waiting to get in.  If you have an issue (illness, emergency) prohibiting your student from attending those days please contact the school principal. 

More on Lottery Priority Levels (pg. 14-16 in the School Reference Guide)

  • ENTERING GRADE 6 Current 5th grade magnet students must re-apply! All magnet applications for middle school are processed through the lottery, including those who have program continuity. Seats are allocated according to choice and priority. This means that all first choices are considered first, according to the priorities, followed by all second choices until the seats are filled. Priority 1 - Neighborhood Preference for students who live in the current attendance area of a non-dedicated magnet school. Priority 2 - Former Attendance Area Preference for students who live in the former attendance area of a dedicated magnet. Priority 3 – Military Dependent Transition Preference for a transitioning student who has a parent on active duty. (Students meet eligibility requirements when applicable, follow application procedures, reside in Duval County and in the household of the military affiliated parent, and submit active duty orders and emergency data record.) Please refer to School Board Policy 5.23 for complete details. Priority 4 - Program Continuity with Sibling Preference for magnet students who are in a program that continues at the next school level and who also have a sibling attending the school who is eligible to return the next school year. Siblings are defined as brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, half-brother, half-sister living at the same address. Priority 5 - Program Continuity Preference for magnet students who are attending a program that continues at the next school level. Priority 6 - Sibling Preference for a student who has a sibling residing at the same address who attends a magnet program at the same school and is eligible to return next year. Siblings applying for the first time are not eligible to receive sibling preference. Siblings are defined as brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, halfbrother, half-sister living at the same address. Priority 7 - Tiered Continuity Preference for magnet students who want to switch themes when entering middle school. Priority 8 - Principal’s Signature Preference for students whose parents attend a tour or open house at the magnet school they are applying for and have the principal’s signature indicating attendance. Schools will enter tour/open house attendance electronically through the Parent/Guardian Account. Priority 9 - No Principal’s Signature Preference for students who submit an application but have no signature indicating attendance at a tour or open house. Not Eligible for the Program (e.g., Montessori 1st grade and higher without an immediate full prior year of Montessori experience; Dual Language 2nd grade and higher without passing grade on language proficiency test; applying for a Gifted program and the student has not been staffed Gifted, etc.)

     

Transportation (pg. 59-60 School Reference Guide)

  • Middle schools are not divided into zones. District-wide transportation is provided with a combination of neighborhood routes, shuttles and Express Routes.* There are some differences in the transportation system that apply to specific schools. In the morning, transportation is currently provided to students attending Darnell-Cookman, Kirby Smith, Landon, LaVilla, James W. Johnson, Joseph Stilwell, Young Men’s Leadership Academy and Young Women’s Leadership Academy on neighborhood buses to an area high school followed by shuttle service to the magnet school. Express Route* service is provided in the afternoon.

  • *Express Routes have limited bus stops and are located at or near a Duval County public school or other public location selected by the Transportation Department. The District distance-to-stop policy does not apply to Express Routes. Parents or guardians are responsible for transporting and supervising their children at the bus stop

Transportation

  • Remember that you must apply on your Child’s Focus account for Transportation (deadlines to be announced in the future)

  • Phone number: 904-858-6200

Continuity

  • Program Continuity (you are a part of the same magnet program from elementary to high school) Gives you higher priority in the lottery.

  • Tiered Continuity (When you switch magnets) Gives you some magnet priority, but not as high as Program Continuity.

  • See pages 10-11 in the School Choice Reference Guide for more on Continuity and which schools provide continuity to other schools.

Military Families

Military Families have special preference for dependent children under FL Statute 1003.05  First preference includes magnet schools, advanced studies, advanced placement, dual enrollment, AICE, and IB .  Contact Military Liaison Pauline Andrews Akauola at 390-2650 or email Email Military Transfer Option for more info. 

Magnet School Requirements

  • The following middle schools have academic standards that must be met in order for students to return from one year to the next. (For grades 6-7, pass all courses, for grades 7-8, pass all courses and have an on overall 2.0 unweighted GPA).

    • Darnell-Cookman

    • James Weldon Johnson

    • Kirby Smith

    • Lavilla (also must earn C or higher in each art area)

Alfred I. duPont Middle School

  • Magnet Program: International Business and World Language Academy

  • Limited transportation: See page 59 in catalog for full description

Baldwin Middle/High (School-Within-A-School Magnet)

  • Magnet Program: Communications/Information Technology

  • CTE Programs: Commercial Art Technology and Information Technology

  • Limited transportation. See pg. 59 in catalog for full description

Darnell-Cookman Middle/High (Dedicated Magnet)

  • Magnet/STO Programs

  • Medical Arts

  • Gifted and Academically Talented

  • Magnet Transportation Provided

James Weldon Johnson Middle (Dedicated Magnet):

  • Magnet Programs

  • Gifted

  • Academically Talented

  • CTE Programs

    • Information Technology Career Cluster (Digital Discoveries in Society)

    • Information Technology Career Cluster (Information and Communications Technology Essentials)

    • Magnet Transportation Provided District Wide

Stilwell Middle (Dedicated Magnet):

  • Magnet Program

  • Military Leadership Academy

  • CTE Programs: Business Management & Administration Career Cluster (Computer Applications in Business 1)

  • Information Technology Career Cluster (Coding Fundamentals, Digital Discoveries in Society, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Essentials

  • Magnet Transportation Provided District Wide

Kirby-Smith Middle (Dedicated Magnet):

  • Magnet Programs

    • Gifted-Math, Science, Technology

    • Accelerated-Math, Science, Technology

    • CTE Program

    • Information Technology Career Cluster (Coding Fundamentals, Digital

    • Discoveries in Society, and ICT Essentials)

  • Magnet Transportation Provided)

     

Mandarin Middle School (Special Transfer Option)

  • CTE Programs

    • Arts, A/V Technology & Communication Career Cluster

    • Fundamentals of A/V and Print Technology

    • Fundamentals of Telecommunications

    • Fundamentals of Visual and Performing Arts

    • GATE (Gifted and Academically Talented Education program)

    • AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)

    • Information Technology

  • Business Management & Administration Career Cluster (Computer Applications in Business 1)

  • Information Technology Career Cluster (Coding Fundamentals, Computer Science Principles, ICT Essentials

  • Transportation is Responsibility of Parent/Guardian

Young Men’s/Young Women’s Leadership Academy (Dedicated Magnet):

  • Leadership and Technology Academy

  • Single Gender Education

  • Acceleration Program: Pre-Early College

  • Magnet Transportation provided District wide

Duval Virtual School

  • Virtual home-based, online public school choice option for students

  • Grades K-12 supported by fully certified, highly qualified, and district employed teachers.

Julia Landon (Dedicated Magnet)

  • Gifted/Leadership

  • Academically Talented/Leadership

  • Magnet Transportation provided district wide

Lavilla School of the Arts (Dedicated Magnet)

  • Magnet Program

    • Visual and Performing Arts

  • CTE Programs

    • Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Career Cluster

    • Fundamentals of Visual and Performing Arts

    • Introduction to Arts, A/V Technology and Communication

  • Magnet Transportation Provided District Wide

GRASP Academy

  • Specialized school to support dyslexic learners and those who show characteristics of dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia

  • Grades 1-8

  • Students apply at school

  • District wide transportation provided

  • Guest Speaker from Grasp to speak

Helpful Info

  • To find your neighborhood school go to duvalschools.org/finder

  • Info from the school choice expo (ie. Schools virtual presentations) can be found on the DCPS website (or links from individual schools) until Feb. 28.

Closing Remarks

  • Summary

  • Questions?

  • Remember to sign in and do the survey!

     

Thank you for coming!