As part of our Parents' Night Out series, we're proud to present this guide to the OneApp public school enrollment system for parents, educators and advocates.
This is just the beginning of a conversation around access and equity. As with any brief, there are issues that we haven't touched on here that we will in the future, including parent perspectives and policy supports to ensure equitable education experiences for every child.
Psst — have you RSVP'd to tonight's OneApp Happy Hour at Bayou Beer Garden?
Video: OPEN Conversations on OneApp with EdNavigator
Equity Facts
Enrollment & access in New Orleans schools
CHOICE
77.5% of OneApp applicants in 2017 were matched with one of their top three school choices.
QUALITY
28% of New Orleans schools are rated an A or a B, while over one-third (35%) are rated D or F via School Performance Score.
ACCESS
Only half of A-rated schools participate in OneApp. The ones that do receive up to 27 requests for every available seat (11 on average).
Policies
Seat Acceptance Policy
Up until May 15th, parents can accept a OneApp seat by dropping off the seat acceptance form at the child’s school. This is the ONLY thing parents need to do to accept a seat. Schools must also demonstrate that they’ve made multiple attempts to contact parents before removing that seat from the roster.
FamilyLink
OneApp uses sibling attendance as a primary factor in school matches. If you want your children to attend the same school, rank all schools exactly the same on both applications. For a younger sibling, list the older child’s school as the #1 choice.
Changeable Rankings
Did you know that you can change your OneApp rankings up to the end of the round? Submit early and be flexible — you are completely free to shift the rankings through the Parent Portal at oneapp.force.com with no penalties for changes in rank. The last version you submit before the end of the round is the one that will be run.
Local Resources
Personalized Student Support
(888) 693-3628 | ednavigator.org
School Guide & Resource Center
(877) 343-4773 | enrollnola.org
Parent Information Center
(504) 620-2332 | urbanleaguela.org/PIC/
What You Can Do
Exercise your rights
You have a right to be at a public school. Schedule a classroom visit, talk to parents during pickup hours, or take advantage of “drop-in” policies to walk around and get a feel for the environment.
Be prepared
Identify your desired schools before the enrollment period opens. Remember that you’re not required to fill out all eight slots — only list the schools you and your child are truly interested in.
Demand quality
Hold your child’s school accountable for quality — and hold the system accountable to increase the number of A and B schools across the city.