BCPS Board Policy & Superintendent's Rule 6400

BCPS Board of Education Policy 6400 - SPECIAL PROGRAMS - Magnet Programs

POLICY 6400
INSTRUCTION:  Special Programs 
Magnet Programs 

I. Policy Statement 
A. The Board’s Commitment.  The Board of Education of Baltimore County (Board) is committed to providing educational choices for parents and students in Baltimore County and supports magnet programs as one tool for achieving this goal. 
B. The Board’s Belief.  The Board believes that magnet programs should offer theme-related curricula and instructional programs that are not available as comprehensive school program options; serve as incubators for innovative instructional practices; draw students from across school attendance boundaries; comply with state rated capacity; and be accessed through a centralized application and admissions process. 
C. The Board’s Power.  The final authority to designate or remove a school as a magnet school rests with the Board. The Superintendent will bring to the Board recommendations to modify the magnet program regarding designating, adding or removing a magnet program and magnet schools and for approval by the Board.   

II. Standards 
A. Guided by the Board’s Equity Policy, 0100, the Superintendent will publish guidelines for the application, qualification, selection and enrollment of students in magnet programs.   
B.  The Superintendent will provide magnet programs equitably in all areas of the county and align magnet program themes within feeder patterns. 

III. Reporting   
The Superintendent shall provide an annual report to the Board on magnet programs.   

IV. Implementation 
The Board directs the Superintendent to implement this policy.


Superintendent's Rule 6400 - SPECIAL PROGRAMS - Magnet Programs

RULE 6400
INSTRUCTION:  Special Programs 
Magnet Programs 

I. Purpose   
To implement Board of Education of Baltimore County (Board) Policy 6400 by establishing clear application, admission and enrollment process guidelines for magnet programs in Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). 

II. Definitions   
As used in this rule, the following definitions will apply:   
A.  Bona Fide Domicile – The place in which an individual has a settled connection for legal purposes and the place where a person has their true, fixed permanent home, habitation and principal establishment without any present intention of leaving.  This does not include a temporary residence established for the purpose of free school attendance in the public schools.   
B. Child – Any individual who meets all state requirements for enrollment and who is not currently enrolled in a public school in Baltimore County.   
C. Child of an Employee – A dependent child of a Board employee.  This includes:   
1. A biological child;   
2. A legally adopted child;   
3. A child for whom the employee has legal guardianship; and   
4. A stepchild, when the employee’s spouse resides with the employee and the employee’s spouse is the child’s biological or adoptive parent.   
D. Eligible Applicant – Any child or student: 
1. For whom a completed application was submitted to the Office of Magnet Programs by the application deadline;   
2. Who meets requirements for enrollment in Baltimore County Public Schools at the time of application and meets the entry grade-level restrictions for the program(s) selected; and    
3. If applying to kindergarten, either:   
a. Meets the age of entry requirement under Maryland law; or   
b. Applies concurrently for, and is granted early admission to, kindergarten by the 31st of January following the magnet application deadline preceding the school year for which admission is sought.
E. Employee – A certificated or non-certificated individual who is employed by the Board for at least 9 months each year on a full-time basis and as defined by § 6–401 and § 6–501 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.  For the purpose of this rule, the definition of employee does not include a temporary employee.   
F. File or Filed – An appeal will be deemed to have been timely filed if, before the expiration of time, it has been:
1.  Delivered to the appropriate administrative office on or before the appeal is due; or
2.  Deposited in the United States mail, as registered or certified or express mail or priority mail or deposited with a delivery service such as federal express, UPS or DHL, that provides verifiable tracking of the item from the point of origin before the appeal is due.     
G. Magnet Programs – Theme-related curricula and instructional programs that are not available as comprehensive school program options; serve as incubators for innovative instructional practices; draw students across attendance boundaries, in accordance with state-rated capacity; and are accessed through a centralized application and admissions process.   
H. Parent – The biological or adoptive parent, legal guardian or person acting in the absence of the parent or guardian.   
I. Primary Work Site – The physical location where the employee receives his/her mail and maintains his/her office.  For BCPS employees with split work sites, the primary work site means the work location identified by the Division of Human Resources’ information system.   
J. Recruitment – Activities that encourage parents to apply to magnet programs on behalf of their child.  Recruitment efforts may target underrepresented groups of students, but do not create any priority or preference for admission.
K. Sibling – A brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister or foster child living in the same household.   
L. Student – A school-aged child who meets specified conditions for establishing domicile in Baltimore County and who is currently enrolled in a public school in Baltimore County.   
M. Terminal Grade – The last grade before transitioning to middle or high school. 
N. Zoned School – The school serving the attendance area where the child resides with their parent who has established a bona fide domicile in Baltimore County. 

III. Accountability and Standards   
A. The Coordinator of Magnet Programs will:   
1. Develop equitable recruitment strategies for magnet programs;   
2. Assist in the recruitment of a pool of applicants which reflects the diversity of the school system;   
3. Develop a plan to increase the percentage of applications from students with disabilities;   
4. Establish the magnet application deadline for each school year;   
5. Make magnet applications and brochures available on the school system’s Web site for magnet programs; and   
6. Provide a sufficient number of printed application information materials to each school for distribution to students enrolled in prekindergarten, Grade 5 and Grade 8.  Each school principal shall be responsible for distributing the magnet application information materials to the parents of students enrolled in the school.   
B. Annually, the Director of Educational Opportunities will:   
1. Review and approve the evaluation components for each high school magnet program to ensure that they are educationally related to the specialized curriculum or instructional strategy;
2. Review and approve the number of available seats, by grade, for each magnet program for the following year;   
3. Assess the extent to which magnet program enrollment reflects the diversity of the school system; and   
4. Set recruitment goals for groups that are underrepresented in magnet programs. 

IV. Application Procedures   
A. The following procedures shall be followed when a student is applying to a magnet program.
B. Manner of Application   
1. The parent must submit a completed application to the Magnet Programs staff by the application deadline.     
a. An application will be deemed “completed” if the application is filled out in its entirety and signed by the parent of the applicant.     
b. Incomplete applications will not be processed, and the application will not be considered.   
2. Applicants may apply for no more than three (3) magnet program(s).                       
3. Any change in a program selection must be made by the application deadline.   
C. Non-BCPS Students   
Parents of high school applicants who receive grade reports from a nonBCPS school for any portion of the prior and/or current school year must submit a copy of the report card by the deadline established by the Coordinator of Magnet Programs.   
D. New Residents   
1. Enrollment in any BCPS magnet program is limited to students who are eligible for enrollment in BCPS as defined in Board of Education Policy and Superintendent’s Rule 5150, Resident and Nonresident Student Eligibility.  A child who establishes a bona fide domicile in Baltimore County after the application deadline, but before the first day of the school year for which the child seeks enrollment, may submit a letter of interest as outlined on the school system’s Web site for magnet programs.     
2. The procedures for the new resident application process, the letter of interest and requisite supporting documentation will be made available to interested parents on the school system’s Web site for magnet programs.   
3. For each magnet program selected, new resident applicants will be placed at the end of the magnet program waitlist. If a magnet program does not have a waitlist, and seats are available, the new resident will be offered placement.   
E. Application Deadlines   
1. The application deadline is mandatory, except as outlined in subparagraph IV (D).   
2. An application will be accepted for consideration if, on or before the application deadline, the application is:   
a.  Deposited in the United States mail, as registered or certified or express or priority mail, or deposited with a delivery service such as federal express, UPS or DHL, that provides verifiable tracking of the item from the point of origin before the application is due.     
b.  Submitted online on or before 1:00 p.m. (EST) on the date of the application deadline.
3. Applications will be deemed untimely filed and will not be considered when the application is postmarked after the application deadline, or the application is received after the application deadline without a legible postmark evidencing the date mailed.     
F. Application Review   
1. All applications will be reviewed by Magnet Programs staff to determine the eligibility of each applicant for each program selected.   
2. The Coordinator of Magnet Programs will notify parents in writing if the application is incomplete or if the applicant is ineligible for any or all of the programs selected.   

V. Qualifications and Admissions Process     
A. Elementary and Middle School Programs   
1. Qualifications   
a. The child or student must be an eligible applicant.   
b. There are no academic evaluations or assessments for admission to an elementary or middle school magnet program.  All eligible applicants are considered for admission.   
2. Admissions   
a. If there are fewer applicants than seats available for an elementary or middle school magnet program, all eligible applicants will be admitted.     
b. If the number of eligible applicants exceed the number of seats available, eligible applicants will be offered placement in the following sequence:     
(1) Priority Placements     
Available seats will first be filled with priority placements, as identified in Paragraph VI.       
(2) Random Lottery     
A random lottery will be conducted to fill all remaining available seats and to generate a wait list.   
B. High School Programs   
1. Qualifications   
a. The child or student must be an eligible applicant.   
b. The parent must submit all academic records required for each high school program selected.   
c. The applicant must complete the assessment evaluation for each high school magnet program selected.   
2. Magnet Assessments   
a. Eligible applicants must attend and complete all required assessments for each magnet program selected.   
b. Failure to attend or complete the required assessments will disqualify the eligible applicant, and the application for admission into the magnet program will be denied.   
3. Appropriate Instruction and Testing Accommodations     
Each eligible applicant with an Individualized Educational Program (IEP), Section 504 Plan, receiving ESOL services and/or an accommodation plan approved by a private school’s learning support coordinator or student support review team that requires instruction and/or testing modifications or accommodations will be accommodated as follows:
a. Current BCPS Students 
School-based staff will review and implement the student’s documented instruction and testing modifications or accommodations.   
b. Non-BCPS Students     
Applicants who are not currently attending BCPS shall submit documented instruction and testing modification or accommodation requirements from the school the applicant currently attends with the magnet school application.  Upon receipt of the magnet school application and the instruction and testing modification or accommodation documentation, the Magnet Programs staff will coordinate with school-based staff to obtain, review and implement the instruction and testing modifications or accommodations.   
4. Admissions   
a. The Magnet Programs staff will determine which applicants qualify for admission.   
b. If there are fewer qualified applicants than seats available for a magnet program, all qualified applicants will be admitted to fill the available seats.     
c. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available seats, qualified applicants will be offered placement in the following sequence:     
(1) Priority placements       
Available seats will first be filled with priority placements, as outlined in Paragraphs VI(B)(2) and VI(C).     
(2) Random Lottery – Total evaluation score of 80% or higher       
A random lottery of qualified applicants who earn a total evaluation score of 80% or higher will be conducted to fill available seats and to generate a wait list.     
(3) Random Lottery by Score     
(a) If available seats remain following sequence 1 and 2, a random lottery of qualified applicants who earn a total evaluation score of 79% will be conducted to fill available seats and generate a wait list.
(b) This lottery process will be repeated in order of descending total evaluation scores (78%, 77%, 76%, etc.) until all seats have been filled. 

VI. Priority Placements   
A. Kindergarten Sibling Priority Placements   
Kindergarten applicants will receive priority placement in an elementary magnet program when the eligible applicant has an older sibling who is:
1. Currently enrolled in a magnet program in the same elementary school; and
2. Continuing in the magnet program during the year for which the kindergarten applicant is seeking placement.
B. Child of an Employee   
When an employee’s primary work site is a school with a magnet program and the employee’s child applies to a magnet program in that school, the child will be given priority placement in the magnet program as follows:   
1. For elementary and middle school magnet programs, the child must be an eligible applicant.
2. For high school magnet programs, the child must be an eligible applicant and earn a total evaluation score of 80% or higher.   
C. High School Program Priority   
1. Up to 20% of the available seats in a program will first be filled by the applicants who earn a total evaluation score of 80% or higher and who earn the highest scores on the magnet assessment(s).   
2. Applicants will receive priority placement in order of descending score on the magnet assessment(s) (100%, 99%, 98%, etc.).   
3. If the applicants earn the same highest score on the magnet assessment(s), and the number of applicants with the same highest score exceeds the number of priority placement seats available, no priority placement will be granted. 

VII. Notification   
A. The Coordinator of Magnet Programs will provide each applicant written notice of the admission status.   
1. Offer of Admission   
a. If the applicant is offered admission into a magnet program, the parent will be required to accept or decline the offer within ten business days.   
b. Failure by the parent to accept the offer of admission by the designated deadline will result in forfeiture of the seat.   
2. Wait List   
a. A wait list will be generated as a result of the random lottery selection process for each oversubscribed magnet program.  The wait list will be maintained by the Magnet Programs staff until the close of business on the last day of the first marking period; no students will be accepted into a magnet program after this date.     
b. If a seat becomes available, the parent of the applicant on the wait list will be notified by the Magnet Programs staff and offered admission to the magnet program.
c. The parent of the applicant must accept or decline the offer of admission within three (3) calendar days of the date of the offer.       
(1) If the last day to accept the offer falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a school system holiday, the period ends on the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or school system holiday.
(2) Failure to respond by the deadline will result in forfeiture of the seat, and the offer will be extended to the next applicant on the wait list.   

VIII. Special Permission transfer   
A. The parent of an applicant who has accepted an offer of admission into a magnet program that is not in the applicant’s zoned school must complete an Application for Special Permission Transfer, K-12 (Superintendent’s Rule 5140, Form A) and Student Contract for Special Permission Transfer (Superintendent’s Rule 5140, Form C).   
B. The guidelines for applying for a special permission transfer are outlined in Superintendent’s Rule 5140, Assignment and/or Special Permission Transfer.   
C. The parent must submit the completed Application for Special Permission Transfer, K-12 (Superintendent’s Rule 5140, Form A) and Student Contract for Special Permission Transfer (Superintendent’s Rule 5140, Form C) at the time of registration to the principal of the magnet program to which the student has been accepted for placement.  The principal will approve the special transfer request for all students who have been accepted to a magnet program.   

IX. Transportation   
A. BCPS provides transportation services during the regular school day to students who reside in the established transportation zone of the magnet program.   
1. Transportation to magnet programs is provided from a limited number of pick-up points located at designated school sites.     
2. Parents are responsible for providing transportation for their child to and from their designated pick-up point.
B. For those students who do not reside within the established transportation zone of the magnet program, parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from the magnet program, unless:   
1. The student can be accommodated by the existing bus routes and designated pick-up points with the approval of the magnet school principal and the Office of Transportation; and   
2. The parent provides transportation for their child to and from the existing pick-up point.   
C. The provisions of this paragraph will not act to limit the right of any student who receives transportation services as a result of disability, including IEP related services or Section 504 accommodations, homelessness or any other program that provides transportation services. 

X. Continued Enrollment     
A. Once a student is enrolled in a magnet program, the student may remain enrolled in that program until the student reaches the terminal grade level offered by that school, except when the student:   
1. Moves out of Baltimore County or fails to meet the enrollment requirements set forth in Board Policy and Superintendent’s Rule 5150, Resident and Nonresident Student Eligibility;   
2. Withdraws from BCPS to attend another school, public or private; or   
3. Withdraws from the magnet program.   
B. A parent may withdraw a student from a magnet program and return that student to the student’s zoned school at any time.  The principal of the zoned school cannot deny the enrollment of the student.   
C. A parent may request that a student be granted a temporary leave from a magnet program.
1.   A request for temporary leave from a magnet program must be approved, in writing and in advance of such leave of absence, by the principal of the magnet program.     
2. A leave of absence from the magnet program may be considered only under the following conditions:   
a. If a student moves out of Baltimore County temporarily, that student may be granted a leave of absence for a maximum of one (1) calendar year from the date of withdrawal.  Failure of the student to re-enroll in the magnet program after the one (1) year period will result in automatic withdrawal from the magnet program.     
b. A student may be granted a leave of absence from the magnet program for medical reasons for the period of time necessary to complete treatment and/or recovery from treatment for any of the following reasons:     
(1) A stay as a patient in a hospital or medical facility for an extended period of time; or     
(2) Enrollment in a licensed full-time substance abuse treatment program.   
3. Requests, which are based on medical, physical or mental health reasons, must be accompanied by documentation from a physician or mental health provider.   
D. Discipline   
1. Students are expected to follow the Code of Student Conduct (Board of Education Policy and Superintendent’s Rule 5500).  Any student who violates the Code of Student Conduct is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or expulsion as provided in Board of Education Policy 5550, Student Behavior Code, and Board of Education Policy 5560, Suspensions and Expulsions.   
2. At the end of the suspension or expulsion period, the student conduct hearing officer, in consultation with the Department of Schools and the magnet school principal, may either return the student to the magnet program from which the student was removed or place the student in the student’s zoned school or other appropriate alternative education program.   

XI. Withdrawal from Program   
A. A student may be withdrawn from a magnet program at the end of the school year if the student fails one or more required courses in a magnet program. Any decision by the principal to withdraw a student from a magnet program because of academic failure in a required magnet course shall be approved in advance by the Coordinator of Magnet Programs.     
B. The principal will provide the student’s parent with a written explanation of the basis for the withdrawal that includes the process for appealing the decision.   
C. A student who is withdrawn from a magnet program shall be enrolled in the student’s zoned school, unless the parent has arranged for admission to another school. 

XII. Appeal Process 
A. The parent may appeal admission and withdrawal decisions made under this rule in accordance with this paragraph.   
B. All appeals filed under this paragraph must be made in writing; no electronic transmittals will be accepted. 
C. Appeal to the Director of Educational Opportunities (hereinafter, “director”)
1. Admission or withdraw decisions made under this rule may be appealed to the director.
2. The appeal must be made in writing and filed with the director within ten (10) calendar days of:
a. The Magnet Programs’ admission decision; or
b. The principal’s decision to withdraw the student from the magnet program.
3. The appeal must include the following: 
a. The full name, mailing address and telephone number for the person filing the appeal or his/her designated representative; 
b. A copy of the decision from which the appeal is being taken; and   
c. A concise statement of the issues presented and the facts about which the person is appealing.
4. The director, or his/her designee, will review the facts of the case and issue a final decision in writing.  The director, or his/her designee, will make every effort to issue a written decision within thirty (30) business days of the receipt of the written appeal. 
D. Appeal to the Superintendent 
1. If the appeal is denied or the party is not satisfied with the decision rendered by the director, he/she may further appeal that decision by filing an appeal with the Superintendent. 
2. The appeal must be made in writing and filed with the Superintendent within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the director’s decision. 
3. The Superintendent, or his/her designee, will review the facts of the case and issue a final decision in writing.  The Superintendent, or his/her designee, will make every effort to issue a written decision within thirty (30) business days of the receipt of the appeal. 
E. Appeal to the Board of Education
1. A decision of the Superintendent, or his/her designee, regarding enrollment or withdrawal under this rule may be appealed to the Board of Education of Baltimore County.
2. The appeal must be made in writing and filed with the Board of Education within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of the superintendent’s decision.
3. The procedures for filing an appeal with the Board of Education are outlined in Board of Education Policy 8340, Appeal Before the Board of Education.   
F. Enrollment during Appeal Process    If the student is currently enrolled in a magnet program, and the appeal has been timely filed, the student may remain in that magnet program until the earlier of one of the following:   
1. The Board has issued its Opinion and Order;   
2. All appeals have been exhausted; or   
3. The current school year has ended.