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INTRODUCTIONDISTRICT OVERVIEWBroward County Public Schools is the sixth-largest public school district and the largest, fully accredited public school district in the nation. The Districtserves the educational needs of a unique urban/suburban mix of more than 233,000 students.NUMBER OF SCHOOLSElementaryK-8MiddleHighCentersVirtual SchoolCharter SchoolsTotalPERSONNEL1401413116168298Total instructional staff15,870Clerical, support staff, etc. 10,898Administrators1,465Total number of (above groups combined)permanent employees28,233Total number ofsubstitute/temp8,656Total employees36,889DIVERSITY sian3.58Native American 2.20Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander 25,6412769,367BCPS serves a diverse studentpopulation. We have students from173 different countries speaking 53different languages.SCHOOL GRADESBREAKDOWNENROLLMENTTraditional SchoolsPre KDistrict elementary, middle, highschools and Broward Virtual School K-56-8A - 1169-12B - 26CentersC - 29D-6Charter SchoolsF-3(Beachside Montessori Village was not open Pre K-12at the time of testing. BCPS centers and theCollege Academy @ BC do not receive lettergrades from the state.)CHARTER SCHOOLGRADES BREAKDOWNA - 22B-8C-5D-5F-2N4 (no grade issued due to Career, Technical, Adult andCommunity EducationApproximately 175,000 adultstudents are served each year.enrollment number)(Charters offering alternative education andthose serving K-2 or K-3 students do notreceive letter grades from the state. TwelveCharter schools were not open at the time oftesting.)DISTRICT REPORTSDuring the course of the school year, the District publishes reports and fact sheets on a wide variety of topics including standardized testingresults, grant program evaluations, and District financial results.The School Board of Broward County also publishes a periodic Strategic Plan that outlines the District’s goals and objectives in such areas asstudent achievement, employee excellence, innovation and more.LEARN /http://www.browardschools.com/pdf/strategic plan.pdf6

2012-2013 SCHOOL CALENDARBROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS*NEWCOMERSHOW TO REGISTERFOR SCHOOLYou must register yourchild for school. For anEnrollment Checklistand Student Registration Form, contact theregistrar’s office at yourassigned school ordownload from the Website.LEARN MORE: OOL LOCATORThe District offersa convenient onlinesystem that locatesyour assigned schooland provides information about the school.To find out the schoolsassigned to your homeaddress, you may eithercall the InnovativePrograms Departmentat 754-321-2380 or usethe online school locator. You must provideyour specific streetaddress and your child’sgrade level in order todetermine the correctschool your child willattend. District –wideschool boundary mapsare also available.LEARN MORE: 219266132027411182515 6 7 812 13 14 1519 20 21 2226 27 51815222929162330310172441118255121926Employee Planning(no school for 017244111825512192661320277142128Schools & AdministrativeOffices ClosedSchools ClosedReport Cards IssuedInterim Reports IssuedEarly Release DayFirst & Last Day of SchoolHurricane make-up days in order of preference:10/25/12, 1/17/13, 3/21/13, 6/06/13*Year-Round Schools Follow Different Calendars7

ALL STUDENTSATOMIC LEARNINGAtomic Learning provides Web-based softwaretraining for dozens of computer applications thatBroward County School students and teachersuse every day. These short, easy-to-view-andunderstand tutorials are an anytime, anywheretraining resource. A username and password arerequired to use the system.LEARN MORE: http://broward.atomiclearning.com/ATTENDANCE POLICYRegular school attendance is vitally important toa student’s academic achievement. A studenthas a “pattern of non-attendance” if he or sheis absent from school a total of 30 hours (5days) in any one marking period or 60 hours(10 days) within 90 days. Unless acceptabledocumentation is available, both unexcused andexcused absences, along with tardiness and earlysign-outs, will be counted when determining astudent’s pattern of non-attendance.Acceptable reasons for an absence include: Student illness Illness of an immediate family member Death in the family Religious holidays of the student’s faith Required court appearance or subpoena by alaw enforcement agency Special events (conferences, state/nationalcompetitions, exceptional cases of familyneed) Medical or dental appointments Having a communicable disease orinfestationA “pattern of non-attendance” may have seriousconsequences. The student’s report card may bewithheld, or he or she may be required to repeata class. The child’s parent may be required toappear in court. If parents receive TemporaryAssistance to Needy Families from the state,TANF payments may be suspended.Parents with questions about the attendancepolicy should contact their home school or theSchool Social Work and Attendance Department,754-321-2490.LEARN MORE: tmBEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CHILDCAREBefore and After School Child Care (BASCC)provides students with a safe, nurturing andcomfortable environment. BASCC promotesan enriching program to include physical,intellectual, emotional, and social development.Either the School Board or a private provideroperates the school site programs.During Before and After School Care, childrenhave the opportunity to have a snack, dohomework with assistance and then participatein several scheduled activities. These includeacademic enhancement, a technology session,creative play or dramatic arts, outdoor activityto enhance fitness and a free choice. Care isprovided every day the school is open, includingearly release days.8Tuition for School Board-operated programs is 163.00 per payment period for a total of ninepayments. (Payment amounts are different foryear-round schools and those schools that endafter 2:00 p.m.) Fees are paid in advance forservices and are due on the given due date.Rates for programs managed by Private Providersmay vary but cannot be more than 20% higherthan School Board Operated Programs.If payment is not made on time, students arewithdrawn from the program. Partial fee waiversmay be available based on eligibility. Pleasecontact your child’s school for further details.LEARN MORE: ex.htmBECON-TVThe Broward Education CommunicationsNetwork (BECON) has been owned and operatedby the School Board since 1966. BECON-TVprovides relevant, entertaining programs forall ages with a focus on encouraging lifelonglearning. BECON-TV programs are shotthroughout South Florida and feature ourcommunity’s students, teachers, parents andofficials.In addition to its broadcast programming,BECON-TV provides curriculum-basedinstructional programs for classroom teachersas well as online courses for school studentsthrough the Broward Virtual School (see p. 13).BECON’s videoconferencing programs supportthe elementary, middle, and high schoolcurricula. Videoconference courses are posted

on the BECON Web site under the DistanceLearning section. Teachers can register forthe courses directly from the website. Lessonplans, class schedules, and teacher resourcesare also posted there.LEARN MORE: http://www.becon.tv/CURRICULUMThe District’s Core Curriculum includesvarious areas of study that support theoverall academic growth of your child, suchas Language Arts, Mathematics, PhysicalEducation and others. These subject areasare managed by separate departments thatdevelop curriculum and learning resources;establish graduation requirements, andensure that the programs meet the SunshineState Standards.For a list of subject areas in the corecurriculum, visit the Core Curriculum Website.LEARN MORE: E MATRIXThe Discipline Matrix is a tool used byadministrators when students have committedserious violations of the Code of StudentConduct. This tool is designed to offerconsistency at all levels across the Districtso that students are disciplined fairly fromschool to school when their behavior requirespunishment beyond the classroom. There aretwo different versions of the Matrix: one forgrades K-5 and one for grades 6-12. Both areavailable online for your review. If you havequestions about the Discipline Matrix, pleasecontact your school administrator.LEARN MORE: http://www.browardschools.com/schools/discipline matrix.htmEXPULSIONThe Code of Student Conduct containsinformation about behaviors that can lead toexpulsion. Each student receives the Codeat the beginning of the school year. It is alsoavailable online.LEARN MORE: (Code of Student .htmFCATThe Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test,or FCAT, is the best known of the standardizedtests. The FCAT is given to Florida studentsto measure what they know and are able toaccomplish in reading, writing, mathematics,and science. The test is part of Florida’s planto improve student achievement. It measureschallenging content standards, called theSunshine State Standards.All public school students in Grades 3through 11 are required to take the FCAT.The FCAT is given to students each year inFebruary (Writing) and in March (Reading,Mathematics, and Science). The tests aregiven only in public schools, though privateschool students who receive opportunityscholarships must also take the FCAT. Homeeducation students are tested only if theirparents or guardians select the FCAT as anevaluation option.In order to help students prepare for theFCAT, the Broward Enterprise EducationPortal (BEEP) offers the FCAT Explorer, a freeonline resource designed to help studentslearn and practice reading and math skills.The FCAT Explorer web site, fcat.htm, has a link for The Parent and FamilyGuide. This guide is designed to supportparents, guardians, and mentors in theirefforts to help students strengthen the criticalskills that are outlined in the Sunshine StateStandards and tested on the FCAT. TheParent and Family Guide is also available inSpanish, and Haitian-Creole.LEARN MORE: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatpub3.aspGUIDANCE COUNSELINGSchool guidance counselors promoteand enhance achievement with an annualcomprehensive guidance plan that ensuresthat every student receives guidance services.Credentialed school counselors providecomprehensive counseling programs thatincorporate prevention and intervention withcontinuous academic, career and personal/development activities that will prepare themfor meaningful participation in a diverse,changing world. These activities includeClassroom guidance, small groups for skillmastery, individual counseling for students9with specific needs and a variety of otherproactive and innovative ways to supportstudent performance.School counselors implement a programbased on the National Standards for SchoolCounseling programs and the AmericanSchool Counselor Association (ASCA)National Model.They also provide resources to staff, students,families and others to ensure that a familyfriendly environment is established andensure that students have access to a safeschool climate necessary for academic andsocial/emotional growth.LEARN MORE: ce/index.htmlIMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTSSee p. 36.LUNCH MENUSMonthly breakfast and lunch menus forelementary and middle schools (includingnutritional values) are posted online as wellas broadcast on BECON-TV. High schoolmeal programs and menus may vary fromschool to school. For details, please call yourschool’s cafeteria.LEARN MORE: nu.htmlPINNACLEThe Pinnacle Internet Viewer allows middleand high school parents to view theirchildren’s current class and assignmentgrades and attendance record online, atany time. The system requires a username(the student’s Broward Schools student IDnumber) and a password (the student’s birthdate in military format). For

Broward County Public Schools is the sixth-largest public school district and the largest, fully accredited public school district in the nation. The District serves the educational needs of a unique urban/suburban mix of more than 233,000 students.