High School Admissions Process School District of Philadelphia, Independent & Charter Schools

the more the options, the better  Look into as many choices as possible  Take initiative to explore as many schools as possible  Talk to your children throughout the process

The School District of Philadelphia Special Admissions Citywide Admissions Neighborhood Schools

Special Admissions  To be considered a qualified candidate: 1. PSSA scores : High Proficient - Advanced - High Advanced 2. Good attendance 3. Good behavior (i.e. lack of discipline problems/suspensions) 4. Grades of “A’s” and “B’s” in core subjects (Math, Science, Social Science, Reading/Language Arts) ** transcripts are also sent to each Special Admissions schools **may request writing sample with the application and interview process?

Citywide Admissions  To be considered a qualified candidate: 1. Participate in an on-site interview at most of these schools to be eligible for lottery selection for admission 2. Have grades of “A, B, or C” 3. Have good attendance and good behavior (less than 10 absences or 5 latenesses) **Submit a written essay

Neighborhood Schools  Open admissions to any student that lives in that school’s neighborhood (“feeder pattern.”)  Students who are not in the school’s feeder pattern but would still like to attend a neighborhood school outside of his/her neighborhood needs to apply. NOTE: admittance of non-feeder pattern students is based upon space after all students within the feeder pattern are admitted and lottery selection.

A Note to Parents  “Students with disabilities and English Language Learners are encouraged to apply to special admission and citywide admission high schools. Admission criteria may be waived for those students who, given accommodations, may be successful in requested schools, as determined by the appropriate school teams.”  Adapted from The School District of Philadelphia Secondary Education Guide.

High School Voluntary Transfer Application Form

Specifics about the Application  Fill out up to date biographical information: **Most Accessible phone numbers and mailing addresses  Make up to 5 appropriate choices, in ranked order  Transcripts to be filled out for all Citywide/Special Admissions schools  Sign and return by due date (TBD: mid October)  As a Charter School student, these must be sent directly to the Office of Student Placement by the final due date

More Specifics High school admission forms and transcripts will be provided when they are available. Students will review high school process during Guidance : including the application, decision making, and essay writing/interview skills Please be on the lookout for more information to come… INCLUDING DUE DATES! (Applications due mid-October)

GENERAL TIMELINE  September-October: Directories, HS Expo, Research schools  September-March: HS visits-tours, shadows (call schools directly)  BY end of OCTOBER: applications DUE  November-January: HS interviews, auditions  January-March: Decision making on applicants  March-April: Notifications for all acceptances/declines/waitlist

Charter Schools  Admission Criteria : *Not part of School District of Philadelphia Admissions process *Must contact schools directly to obtain information about academic, specialty, career and technical program offerings, to learn about admissions/applications  These schools admit students based upon lottery, so even though an application may be submitted early, that doesn’t guarantee admittance, however, apply early!

Independent/Private Schools  Admission Criteria : *Must contact schools directly to obtain information about academic, specialty, career and technical program offerings; and to learn about admissions/applications  SSAT:The Secondary School Admissions Test?? More information available upon request.

Alternative Programs  Cyber high schools  Online schools

  Directory of Schools  Links to school websites Pennsylvania Association for Independent Schools

So in the next few weeks…  Be on the lookout for HS application information to go home on Take Home Tuesdays  Read through the Directory carefully with your child  Contact schools to arrange for School Tours/Shadows for you and your child  Consider different types of schools for your child depending on their strengths/weaknesses  Be aware of all due dates/deadlines!  ATTEND the HIGH SCHOOL EXPO!! OCTOBER 1-3, 2010  If you are applying to private/independent schools, check out the timeline/schedule for SSATs

Questions to Ask Ourselves  Is my child a qualified candidate for the schools of our choice?  What if s/he really wants to go to a particular school but is not qualified? What do I say/do?  Does my child benefit from a smaller setting or a larger setting?  Is a public school, private, or charter school best for my child?  What are all of my options?  What electives/extra-curricular activities are available?  What will be the travel time? Is my child an early riser? Will s/he want to go to and get out of school earlier?  Where will my child’s learning needs best be met?  Are there scholarships available? If so, where?  How do I make sure we don’t miss any deadlines?  Who can I talk to/When can I talk about specific questions/concerns about my child?

BE PROACTIVE!!  Hope for the best, and act on it!  Is there anything extra we can be doing at this time?  Research, research, research  Options, options, options

contact information  Peggy Thrash, School Counselor  , extension 151 