Choosing the right school for your child is an important decision. Cincinnati Public Schools offers many educational choices for students. So how can parents decide what's best for their child?
Consider three major areas:
State law requires that children participate in a kindergarten experience prior to entering first grade. Children who turn six prior to September 30 should be enrolled in first grade for that year; children who turn six after September 30 will be enrolled for the following year.
If a student's birthday falls between October 1 and December 31, parents may choose to have their child evaluated for early entry into kindergarten or first grade. CPS is piloting a new procedure for parents wanting to enroll children younger than 5 or 6 in kindergarten and first grade. The process requires an application and testing by a school psychologist. See additional information on the right.
Starting school is an anxiety-provoking situation for children and requires careful consideration. Early entrance should be considered only if the child appears to be 18 months above his/her chronological age in areas of development such as: social, emotional and intellectual.
Neigborhood schools offer strong academic programs based on state academic content standards in a community setting.
Students are assigned to neighborhood elementary schools according to home addresses. The district determines the boundaries for each neighborhood school. To find the elementary school assignment for a specific address, please use our online Street Layout Guide on the right.
Magnet programs attract students throughout the district who are interested in specific areas such as foreign language or the arts, or a teaching style such as Montessori and Paideia.
Magnet programs are offered either to students living anywhere in the district (citywide) or to students living in a specific area (quadrant). To find your child's quadrant number based on your street address, please use our online Street Layout Guide on the right.
There are no school assignments based on address at the high school level. Instead, students select from a variety of high-school programs with special focuses leading students into careers and higher education. To enter some high school programs, students must meet requirements.
Many factors should be considered when choosing a school such as a school's academic performance, its location or the student activities offered. This information is available for each school in the district.
Individual schools are ranked by the Ohio Department of Education on the Ohio Report Card according to student performance on state proficiency tests, attendance and graduation rate.