CHOOSE YOUR SCHOOL Baltimore City Public Schools 2011–12 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL Please use the checklist below FOR YOU to guide your school choice: Attend City Schools’ middle and high Talk to your teachers, school counselor(s), q school choice fair on Saturday, q school choice liaison, family and peers you November 13, 2010 to talk with school trust to help you with your decision. staff and find out more information about schools that interest you. Consider distance to school and transportation q needs when looking at each school. Think through your choices carefully. (Visit www.mtamaryland.com for public q Consider what interests you most transportation routes and information.) about different schools, like academics, extracurricular activities, athletics and Submit the middle and high school choice other opportunities. q application by Tuesday, December 21, 2010. HELPFUL PHONE NUMBERS City Schools Connect/ Office of Student General Information ..........443-984-2000 Placement ........................410-396-8600 Office of Career and Office of Student Technology Education ......443-642-3814 Records ............................443-642-4640 Office of Family and Office of Student Community Engagement .... 410-545-1870 Support and Safety ............410-396-8672 Office of Office of Teaching Special Education .............410-396-8900 and Learning ....................443-642-3990 CONT ENTS Making a Great Choice CEO LETTER .........................................2 NON-CITY APPLICANTS/RESIDENTS .................... 13 AN OVERVIEW OF SCHOOL CHOICE ...........................3 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ......................................13 THINGS TO CONSIDER DURING THE CHOICE PROCESS ........4 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...................... 14 – 15 CHOICE PROCESS STEPS FOR 5TH AND 8TH MAPS AND GRADE STUDENTS AND LISTS OF SCHOOLS` ..................... 16 – 18 CHOICE TIMELINE .................................5 READING THE SCHOOL HOW MIDDLE SCHOOL PROFILE PAGES: A KEY .....................19 CHOICE WORKS ...................................6 SCHOOL PROFILES HOW HIGH SCHOOL LISTED ALPHABETICALLY .......20 – 84 CHOICE WORKS ...................................8 High #427 Exploration and Career College for Academy CALCULATING YOUR CTE COMPLETER PROGRAMS .........10 COMPOSITE SCORE ...... inside back cover GUIDE TO READING SCHOOL PROFILES ............................12 For more information, call the Office of Student Placement at 410-396-8600 or visit www.baltimorecityschools.org 1 Fall 2010 Making a Great Choice Making a Great DEAR RISING MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, As rising 6th- and 9th-graders this year, you are among Schools’ 2011-12 Middle and High School Choice Baltimore City Public Schools’ luckiest students! You Guide. The guide provides a thorough overview and have the exciting—and extremely important—task of explanation of the choice processes for both middle and choosing your school for next year and beyond. high school. It offers tips for students on how to make the best school choice, and it includes full-page profiles School choice is expanding every year in City Schools. of all 65 middle and high schools participating in this Since last year, all prospective middle and high year’s choice process. These profiles cover schools’ school students have the opportunity to choose their academic programs, themes, special services and extra- school. And with each year, they have more and curricular programs, logistical details—school uniform, different schools to choose from. You can now choose bus lines, bell schedules, etc.—and comments from your school based not just on geographic location, students about what makes these schools great. but school performance, school type, school theme Please read this guide, Choose Your School, carefully. and school programs. This is an opportunity to Let it guide you through the coming weeks as you weigh choose the right school for you. your options. And please take it with you to City Schools’ School choice represents an incredible opportunity, 2011-12 middle and high school choice fair on November and we in City Schools want to make sure it is as 13, so you can make carefully informed decisions about pleasant and easy a process as possible. We also want which schools’ staff you want to meet with, and which to make sure you make the best possible decisions schools you want to visit. to meet your own unique interests and needs. So this City Schools is here to help you build your future. year, middle and high school choice are combined. Be sure to take full advantage of the resources and This way, rising middle school students can make their supports we have to offer. And good luck to you, as middle school choice with high school plans in mind. you make this important life decision. For example, you want to go to an arts high school, you Sincerely, may want to consider applying to a middle school with a strong arts program. To get you started with this year’s school choice process, and to help you through it, City Schools has Andrés A. Alonso, Ed.D. compiled Choose Your School—Baltimore City Public CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools 2 Baltimore City Public Schools • 2011–12 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE AN OVERVIEW OF SCHOOL CHOICE I NTRODUCTION Baltimore City Public Schools is committed to creating more options for students, so that no matter where students live, they can attend schools that meet their interests and needs. Many of City Schools’ middle school students can choose a middle school that works for them—a school of choice. All high schools are Choice Making a Great schools of choice. A S SNAP HOT • In 2009-10, 98 percent of all 8th-graders chose their high school for 2010-11. • In 2009-10, choice was extended to middle school students for the 2010-11 school year. • In 2009-10, City Schools opened six new Transformation Schools (combined middle/ high schools, three of which target overage and undercredited students), two new charter schools and one contract school. • In 2010-11, City Schools opened three new Transformation Schools and two new charter schools, and launched turnarounds and restarts of five schools with program themes and external operators. C HOOSE YOUR SCHOOL Choosing the right school is about finding the best fit. City Schools encourages you to consider all of your available options. In the right school, you will have the support to pursue the right college or career program for you. www.baltimorecityschools.org 3 ThN I GS TO CONSIDER D TURING HE CHOICE PROCESS Making a Great Choice Making a Great Know your options. City Schools has 65 middle and Visit your schools of interest. All schools will have high school options available for you to choose from, an open house day. including schools with highly selective academic • Plan to attend the open house activities at the programs, career and vocational programs, themes schools you are considering. that encourage success through the arts and credit • See open house dates and times on the schools’ recovery programs. This guide provides detailed individual profile pages included in this guide. information on four grade categories of Baltimore • You may also find a list of scheduled open City public schools: houses on the City Schools district web site at • elementary/middle www.baltimorecityschools.org. Under City Schools • middle Now click on Middle and High School Open Houses. • middle/high • For more information about a school’s performance, • high attendance and demographic data, please visit www.mdreportcard.org. Know yourself. Ask yourself the following questions to better understand your school preferences and what Choose. Think about the schools that you have matters most to you as you consider different schools: visited. Begin to compare how the schools differ in the • What are your likes and dislikes? following areas: • What are your career interests? • The extent to which they meet your interests • What are your talents and abilities? • Programs or themes • Parent involvement and input • What clubs, activities and sports do you like? • Distance from home, travel time and Know your supports. City Schools offers support transportation needs throughout the choice process. You should talk with: • Extracurricular activities, clubs and other • The choice liaison at each school who is available to school offerings answer your questions and will help you make a • School or work schedule great choice. Decide. Think about which schools you like most. • Your parents, teachers, guidance counselor and other You should make five school choices. Choices must be students in your school. listed in the order you prefer, for example: • Your choice liaison to get a middle and high school • Choice 1: I love this school. choice application in November. Remember that your parents or legal guardians must sign your choice • Choice 2: I like this school a lot. application, indicating that they are aware of, and • Choice 3: I like this school. agree with, your selections. • Choice 4: I like this school too, but prefer choice 3. • Choice 5: This school is OK, but I prefer choice 4 . All City Schools students should submit their applications to their school. Non-City Schools or non-resident students should submit their applications to the Office of Student Placement. 4 Baltimore City Public Schools • 2011–12 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE CHOICE PROCESS STEPS FOR 5TH* AND 8TH GRADE STUDENTS 1 ALL STUDENTS: Attend the middle and high school choice fair to learn about your school