School Year Admissions Policies

Transcription

1 School Year Admissions Policies Acceptance into Arizona School for the Arts is based on a random lottery, as the number of applicants typically exceeds the number of spaces available. Once admitted to ASA, students may continue through the 5 th 12 th program, including the transition point between the middle and high school levels. A revision of ASA s admissions policies and procedures was approved at the September 2013 meeting of the Governing Board. The process as outlined below will be used for all new students enrolling for the school year. APPLICATION PROCEDURES When to Apply The Admissions Season is the period when parents/guardians can complete an online application for each student. Lottery entries are accepted each year between October through January for the following school year. Important dates and deadlines are listed in the admissions timeline on ASA s website. After the lottery drawing, the admissions portal will re-open and applications may be taken on a first-come, first-served basis and placed on a post-lottery waitlist. How to Apply During the Admissions Season, parents/guardians can complete an application and upload the required admissions paperwork for each student through the admissions portal. In order to be placed in the lottery, applications must be completed at 100% and submitted by 11:59 pm on the lottery deadline date listed on the admissions timeline. Applicants who receive a lottery number will be placed in numerical order behind students who do not require lottery numbers. All students must complete the appropriate placement tests and auditions to be considered for ASA. If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled testing dates, you must contact ASA immediately. Otherwise, your application will be incomplete and you will be moved to the bottom of the waitlist. Here are the steps: 1. > admissions tab> click the online application 2. Admissions Portal login page a. Reapplying? Enter address and password b. New applicant- create a new account 3. Complete an online application for each student a. Once you ve successfully submitted the application, his/her admissions checklist will be activated 4. Locate your students admissions checklist and upload his/her admissions paperwork a. The admissions paperwork must be scanned into one file and then uploaded into your student s checklist. If you have scanned your documents individually you can create a zip file instead. ASA requires the following documents: i. Cover Page- click here ii. Current Report Card (ASA accepts grades of C- or higher for credit)

2 iii. Current attendance report if not included on report card iv. Final Report Card from last school year v. Cumulative attendance report for last school year if not included on final report card vi. Standardized testing results for the last 2 school years b. Special educational records (if applicable) i. Most current IEP ii. Most current 504 plan 5. Academic placement tests: a. 5th: math, reading, writing b. 6th- 9th: math, reading/writing c. 10th -12th: submit high school transcript d. All homeschooled applicants must take our Math and English assessment test. 6. Arts auditions: a. Refer to the Arts Auditions and Placement online b. Look at the specific grade level for the incoming student Special Instructions for the following applicants: Homeschooled Student: Attendance Report: Provide us copy of Affidavit of intent to homeschool Report Card: Provide us a copy of Homeschool Curriculum Report o Must provide instruction in at least the subject of reading, grammar, mathematics, science, and social studies. o Your report must include what you specifically teach for each subject, when you teach it, and at what pace you move through each lesson. Standardized Testing: Results or Letter o Since standardized testing is not a requirement, please provide us a letter stating that you did not participate, otherwise please upload your testing results. Pursuant to ARS article B. "A child who enrolls in a kindergarten program or grades one through twelve after receiving instruction in a homeschool program shall be tested pursuant to this article in order to determine the appropriate grade level for the educational placement of the child." Private School Student: Standardized Testing: Results or Letter o Since standardized testing is not a requirement, please provide us a letter stating that you did not participate, otherwise please upload your testing results. Out of State Student: Standardized Testing: Results or Letter o Provide us any assessment results administered by your state Department of Education. If you did not participate, please provide us a statement instead. Special Ed Student: Special Educational Records: o Provide us copies of the applying student s most recent documents (i.e. 504 plan, IEP /MET plan) o NOTE: Records is requested solely for purposes of ensuring continuity of services upon enrollment and it will not be considered in making enrollment decisions

3 Lottery ASA s Admissions Season is NOT first-come, first served and only applications completed during the Admissions Season are included within the lottery pool. Applications completed after the lottery drawing will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis behind lottery applicants. There is one application process for all students interested in enrolling in ASA; however, there are two types of applicants: those who do not require a lottery number and those who do. 1. No lottery number needed: a. Children of faculty, staff, and Board members b. Siblings of current ASA students or siblings of ASA alumni c. Students who hold a lottery number for the current school year and are still on the waitlist (see more information below about these rollover waitlist applicants) 2. Lottery number required: a. Students who have not previously applied b. Students who applied and declined, did not respond to a previous offer for enrollment, or accept offer of rolling over their lottery number c. Students who applied after the January 2017 lottery d. Students who withdrew from ASA In the admissions process, lottery is the number drawn at a public board meeting for the prospective student. The lottery number only determines the order in which the application is processed. Lottery number should not be confused with waitlist position, which is determined after applications are put in numerical order for each grade level. Program for academic placement means in which class the child will be placed so as to best meet his/her needs to access the school curriculum. Program for arts enrollment purposes means music, ballet, and theatre arts. Students will be placed in the appropriate classes and grade levels for which they have demonstrated eligibility as determined by previous standardized and criterion-referenced testing, previous school evaluations, and ASA placement tests. The ASA administration has the sole authority to place the student at the appropriate grade level for both arts and academic classes according to openings available. Because ASA is committed to the success of each student s pursuit of a college education, supplemental instruction in English and/or Math is provided during the school day and may be required based upon a student s academic performance. When made, placements in bridge classes are additional to the regular academic class schedule. Placement in a bridge class is made by the content teacher and administration and is required for the entire academic year. Supplemental academic classes may replace up to 2 arts credits each year. Please note that ASA has advanced English classes in grades 5-10 and accelerated math classes in grades 5-8. Enrollment Priorities ASA enrolls students in accordance with Arizona Revised Statute A.R.S and has developed policies regarding enrollment priorities. In the lottery process, enrollment priority will be given to students who meet the following criteria in the order listed: 1. Children of faculty, staff, and board members (non-lottery) 2. Siblings of current and/or graduated ASA students (non-lottery) 3. Rollover waitlist applicants (holds existing lottery number) 4. New Lottery applicants (assigned new lottery number) Students who have never applied Students who applied and declined or did not respond to an offer for enrollment

4 Students who applied after the January 2017 lottery Students who withdrew from ASA 5. Post- Lottery applicants (No lottery number assigned) Definition of Sibling: A sibling is defined as an individual having one or both parents in common or a step-sister or stepbrother that resides under the same roof as the applicant. Documentation may be requested to confirm sibling preference. Sibling Priority Status: Applicants of currently enrolled and/or graduated students will receive sibling preference (nonlottery) and are placed on top of the waitlist. For new applicants, one lottery number is issued for all siblings in a family. If one sibling is randomly selected by lottery for enrollment, the other sibling(s) will be given sibling status in the admissions process. Rollover Status: Applications with an existing lottery number will receive a Rollover Invitation (via ) by the end of September In order to receive Rollover status, you must accept the Rollover Invitation. You will keep your existing lottery number (this is not your waitlist number) and "rollover" to the top of the next following school year waitlist until an opening becomes available. Rollover applicants must complete the following steps in order to maintain the rollover status: o Complete an updated application by the specified deadline including submission of all required paperwork. o Take any required arts and/or academic placement tests Rollover applicants are processed before new lottery applicants for the next following school year. Please see above. If the Rollover applicant has a sibling(s) also applying, they will receive their own lottery number. o All new applicants will get a lottery number. This means that a sibling of a current rollover student will get a lottery number. As soon as one of the siblings is accepted the other sibling will receive sibling status and will be placed above rollover and new lottery applicants. However, we issue the new sibling his/her own lottery number so that this student has equal opportunity for admissions. WAITLIST PROCEDURES The waitlist is generated shortly after the lottery drawing is held and will be post on the admissions portal. Your waitlist position determines your place on the waitlist and this is a live number you may monitor as often as you would like. All applicants who submitted a complete application during the admissions season will be placed on a grade-specific waitlist based on lottery results. Completed applications after the lottery drawing will be placed behind lottery applicants for the grade level based on the date he/she submitted the completed their admissions checklist; however, students with applicable and verifiable enrollment priorities will be placed accordingly to their priority type. Consult the section of this document on Enrollment Priorities for more information. Since the incoming 5 th - grade class are all new students, we will take the first 112 waitlisted applicants and the rest will remain on the waitlist until an opening becomes available. For all other grades, shortly after the re-enrollment process for returning students has ended, the first wave of offers will be sent via until all spots are filled. Each time an opening becomes available in a particular grade, the school will contact the parent of the student next on the waitlist for the grade and offer them the open spot for their child. If the parent declines the spot, it will be offered to the parent of the next student in line on the waitlist for that grade, and so on in accordance with the requirements of A.R.S A.

5 Parents with children on the waitlist are encouraged to advise ASA of any change in their contact information so that they may be reached if a spot opens for which their child is eligible. Parents are also asked to notify the school and decline the seat from the enrollment portal if they no longer wish to have their child included on the waitlist, so that the waitlist can be updated accordingly. It is not possible for us to determine your child s chances of being offered a spot if they are on a waitlist. Once our classes are full, any spots that open up are the result of student withdrawals. Although we do typically see a number of spots open up before the start of school, we have no way of knowing in which grades spots will open up or how many spots will become available. So be sure to monitor your waitlist position through your admission portal account as this is a live number. ACCEPTING/DECLINING OFFERED ENROLLMENT 1. How to Accept an Offer of Enrollment When an applicant is offered enrollment via , his or her parent/guardian will receive instructions on how to accept the enrollment offer and complete the student s files at ASA. These parents/ guardians will be asked to login to their online admissions account to: a. Accept/Decline the offer of enrollment; b. Complete the online enrollment form (emergency contact, medical information, media release, and more) c. Print a copy of the completed required enrollment paperwork; and d. Pay the Annual Activity fee. The enrollment paperwork consists of the Enrollment e-form, Student Record Transmittal Request, Primary Language other than English (PHLOTE) Form, Arizona Residency Documentation Form or Affidavit of Shared Residency, Newly Accepted Notice (and/or copy of the Official Withdrawal Form) and copies of the student s proof of identification and Immunization Records. Parents will also be asked to provide custody information (e.g. court decision regarding sole custody), Medical Alert (e.g. physician s instructions for severe health conditions), and Legal Alert (e.g. custody or restraining order information) if applicable. All forms must be filled out in full, signed, and submitted to the school in order to maintain a space for the upcoming school year. Once an applicant has accepted an offer of enrollment and printed their required documents, they will be asked to bring their completed enrollment paperwork to the school in order to finalize enrollment and complete the student s enrollment file. The school will provide specific drop-off dates and times for submitting completed enrollment paperwork. Arizona Residency Documentation: A.R.S (B) requires school districts and charter schools to obtain and maintain verifiable documentation of Arizona residency upon enrollment in an Arizona public school. Students with out- of-state or international addresses at the time of application may complete the application process. Only applicants who are offered enrollment must provide proof of residency in the state of Arizona no later than the first day of the school year. Annual Activity Fee The school request the Annual Activity fee becomes due when enrollment paperwork is submitted (i.e. once your student has secured a spot at the school). The Annual Activity fee for each student is $150 ($300 max per family) and is not tax credit eligible. The Annual Activity fee covers the following:

6 Performances (some exclusions apply) Special in-school presentations/concerts/assemblies Social and school-wide events and activities School ID (2) Daily Planner Families may request financial payment plans or waiver upon request. 2. Newly Accepted Parent Meeting One parent must attend a newly accepted parent meeting. The topics of this meeting will include a presentation of schoolwide and program goals, as well as a review of the responsibilities and expectations of families who elect to enroll their children at ASA. All families are required to complete and sign the Parent Financial Commitment form, which will be distributed at the annual meeting. Arts programs are not funded by the State of Arizona. Arts program budgets are based on parent commitment of cash donations and fundraising activities. While a financial commitment is not required, performing arts program budgets and faculty salaries are dependent upon parent contributions. Additional information will be shared directly with newly accepted parents once they ve complete their enrollment paperwork. 3. Registration Process One parent must attend a registration date prior to the first week of school and submit completed requested documents and pay any fees owed. There will be more information to be shared directly to parents of newly accepted students during the summer. Pursuant to ARS (J) Arizona School for the Arts. does not admit any pupil who has been expelled from another educational institution or who is in the process of being expelled from another educational institution. Arizona School for the Arts Admissions Office admissions@goasa.org opt