Although some schools are doing well overall, they may have missed certain targets required to fully meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and are therefore listed in “Needs Improvement” status. The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that parents/guardians of children attending “Needs Improvement” schools be notified annually of their school’s academic achievement.  

“Public School Choice” is offered to students attending a school that has not met AYP targets in the same subject/area for two or more consecutive years. This means that, in certain situations, students may transfer to a different school.  

More information about public school choice will be posted to this site each summer (usually mid-to-late July) after the Georgia Department of Education determines AYP status for all public schools. At that time, the Fulton County School System will identify the schools offering public school choice as well as the schools that can receive NCLB transfer students. The school system also will identify a specific time period for accepting transfers. 

The “Public School Choice” application and approval process is different from “Hardship” (which occurs in the winter) and “Open Enrollment” (which occurs in the spring).