Some parents got letters as early as June saying that their child’s school must offer “choice.” How is this possible since the PACT scores are not available until September?
NCLB requires that parents be notified as early as possible so that they have the option to transfer their children to another school. This allows parents time to consider just what their decision will be. In order to meet the federal deadline, South Carolina uses historical performance data for a preliminary determination of whether all AYP targets will be met. Individual school districts may choose to send letters to parents based on the district’s review of past school performance before the state provides its list. The state makes its preliminary designation of schools in “needs improvement” status by mid-August with final designation completed by the end of September. Parents are to be notified in August of the possible transfer or supplemental services options. Overcrowding in a school is considered an insufficient reason to turn away students transferring under NCLB. For this reason, some districts decided to make the announcement early to try to ease the disruptions due to the
