Portland Public Schools -- News - PPS receives federal school choice grant

PPS receives federal school choice grant

Portland Public Schools has received one of 14 highly competitive grants from the U.S. Department of Education to prepare at-risk students for college and help parents navigate the school choice system. Funding from the five-year Voluntary Public School Choice grant also will explore expanding or replicating successful programs in the school district.

PPS received a Voluntary Public School Choice grant in 2002 and for the past five years has used the money to offer support services to students who transferred from No Child Left Behind-designated schools to other schools in the district. That first grant also helped improve the school choice lottery system technology.

The second grant, through 2012, brings almost $6.5 million to support several aspects of school choice, including developing key partnerships with higher education to ensure that more at-risk students graduate from high school and move on to college.

In addition, Portland Public Schools will emphasize more direct and targeted outreach to parents to provide information on all PPS schools and how parents can navigate the school choice system. Teachers and staff will receive professional development opportunities that focus on helping transfer students who are struggling in their new schools, as well as those students facing challenges in their neighborhood schools.

The school district also will begin reviewing programs located in schools — whether focus option programs or supports such as mentoring and tutoring — to analyze their success with students, with potential replication or expansion to other schools.

Underlying the current grant-funded efforts are two themes: thorough evaluation of all programs to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, and reaching families, including non-English speakers, to ensure they have data to make informed school choices for their students.

The second phase of the grant is a collaboration involving numerous district departments. Project Director Kelley Duron has extensive service with the district, most recently as manager of the district’s Northside Family Support Center. The grant program is managed and supervised through the Enrollment and Transfer Center and the Office of Student, Family and School Support.

For additional information, contact Kelley Duron at 503-916-3391.

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Portland Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

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