The Public School Choice (PSC) component of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), formerly known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) required that school divisions offer the parents/guardians of students attending select Title I schools the option to transfer their student to a specified alternate school.

With the United States Department of Education’s approval of the Virginia Department of Education’s Request for ESEA Flexibility, this requirement has been waived. In accordance with these new regulations, the 2011-12 school year was the last in which PSC transfers were offered to APS students. Although Arlington Public Schools will no longer offer transfers to new students or siblings of current transfers under the Public School Choice program beginning with the 2012-13 school year, students already transferred to and attending an alternate school through the PSC program will have the option to remain at their current school or return to their neighborhood school.

Click here for past participation data on PSC.