FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
?
STATE B
EDUCATION
JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
LINDA K. TAYLOR
CONTACT PERSON
NAME:
Mary Jane Tappen
C.
Saavedra
Kay
Kammel
PHONE:
(850) 245-0818
(850) 245-0692
(850) 245-9866
E-MAIL:
Mary.Tappen@fldoe.org
Lisa.Saavedra@fldoe.org
Kay.Kammel@fldoe.org
DPS:
04-122
MEMORANDUM
TO:
District Superintendents
FROM:
Jim Warford
DATE:
May 19, 2004
SUBJECT
: Florida Implementation of No Child Left Behind Choice Options
We are pleased to provide you with additional information regarding the No Child Left Behind
requirements that go into effect in the 2004-2005 school year which require the provision of
school choice for all students attending Title I schools that did not make adequate yearly
progress for two or more consecutive years. As you know, Florida already has an extensive
school choice program in place that provides the widest array of public school choice options in
the nation. It is our intent to continue to lead the way in providing “genuine choice options” to
parents of all of our students.
JIM WARFORD
K-12 CHANCELLOR
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
MEMORANDUM
May 19, 2004
Page Two
Department of Education Policies for LEA Implementation of School Choice
Consistent with the intent and requirements of public school choice with transportation to all
students attending Title I schools identified as “in need of improvement” for not making
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two consecutive years, the Department will require all
school districts to develop and implement a District Choice Plan and to offer parents options.
As mentioned during last month’s regional meetings (April 21-27), in preparation for the release
of the 2003-2004 AYP results, school districts should initiate a careful review of their
implementation of the choice options, parent communication plan, and student prioritization
plan.
Districts will be required to submit web-based reports. The District Choice Plan, District
Supplemental Educational Services Plan, and District Improvement and Assistance and
Intervention Plans reporting databases may be accessed through the Bureau of School
Improvement’s web-page at http://osi.fsu.edu/. Due dates for district reporting are:
?
June 18
– Description of the current Controlled Open-enrollment Plan and NCLB Choice
Parent Communication Plan
?
July 1
- Supplementary Educational Services (SES) Plan, Student Prioritization Plan, and
Draft Choice Plans
?
September 22
– Final Draft Choice Plan including student participation data and District
Improvement and Assistance and Intervention Plans
For additional information, please find the following.
?
Framework For a District’s Choice Plan to Meet the Choice Requirements of NCLB
(
distributed at the regional meetings)
?
Fact Sheet for Parents on Public School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services
(distributed at the regional meetings)
This document is also available on the Department’s Supplemental Educational Services
website at
http://www.firn.edu/doe/family/ses.htm in English and Spanish.
?
Sample
Prioritized Student Tracking Worksheet
(distributed at the regional meetings)
?
Sample parent notification letters (2 different letters)
school districts should send out an initial notification letter parents advising parents of
their potential eligibility for choice and/or supplemental educational services (See Sample
Parent Choice Notification Letter - Prior to Release of AYP Results
).
MEMORANDUM
May 19, 2004
Page Three
Once the AYP results have been released by the Department, should any of the Title I
schools in your school district be identified as in need of improvement, you are required to
notify parents, in an understandable format, of what this identification means, the reasons for
the identification, and parents must be offered meaningful choice options, which includes no
less than two choice options. (See Sample
Parent Choice Notification Letter - After Release
of AYP Results
). School districts are required to
provide parents with notification
of the
choice options available to them
no later than July 1
.
The public school accountability system created by Florida’s A+ Education Plan is producing the
greatest student achievement gains in the nation. By setting high expectations, refusing to lower
standards and adopting a “No Excuses” attitude, Florida can ensure that ALL students achieve at
the highest academic level.
Attachments (5)
cc:
?
Assistant Superintendents
for Curriculum & Instruction
District Choice Contacts
District Transportation Directors
District Title I Coordinators
District School Improvement Contacts
District Finance Officers
