Many parents transfer their children to schools outside their immediate neighborhood each year. It's a complex and confusing process, with no guarantee of success. But persistence may pay off. If your neighborhood school is inadequate, or if you are eligible for a transfer under the federal No Child Left Behind Act because the school is deemed to be in need of improvement, it's worth trying to get permission for your child to attend another school. Continue reading for information about NCLB transfers, transferring to a better school or how to switch high schools.

On this page: Poorly performing schools and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) | Other transfers | Switching high schools

Transfers from poorly performing schools: No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, the city's Department of Education is required to offer low performing students enrolled in New York's many failing schools transfers to better ones. In reality, there is such a scarcity of good schools that there is no room for all of the 185,000 or so children entitled to transfers. In the 2005-2006 school year, about 3,000 of the 185,000 students eligible to transfer actually did so. (To make matters worse, not all the schools that took in transfer students were a significant improvement over the schools the kids left behind.) It's no easy task to get a NCLB transfer.

Parents interested in trying to get one, however, should first make sure that the school their child currently attends is a school which has been identified as in need of improvement. Every spring, schools on the list send a letter home to eligible parents detailing the transfer process and giving a timeline to follow. A list of these schools, some of which are the worst performers in the city, is also available. Deadlines for letters and applications might change each school year, but letters are generally sent home with eligible students in June and November. Call your local enrollment office to get more information.

Please note that to be eligible for this type of No Child Left Behind transfer, a child must be enrolled in a failing school. There are also opportunities for No Child Left Behind transfers available to students who are victims of violent crimes or students who attend a school designated as "persistently dangerous" by the state. For more information on these types of transfer requests, see our page on safety transfers.

Other transfers

Students who qualify for NCLB receive priority for transfers, but others may apply as well. You may pick up a form requesting a variance or "Placement exception request" from your district or enrollment office. The form lists the following reasons for the request: safety (with documentation); medical (with documentation); hardship for childcare reasons; sibling attending school; or other. Almost every district has schools that admit children from across the district, not just those who live in the neighborhood. These include gifted programs, unzoned schools, and other schools of choice. Check our Find a School section for more information.

An important consideration: A choice program must give priority to students who live within the district, if they meet the school's other entrance requirements. In other words, your child has a better chance of getting into an unzoned school in your district than a child from another district.

If your child gets turned down, you can appeal to the central enrollment office. If that doesn't work, you can turn to the chancellor's office. Be forewarned: transfer decisions are rarely overruled. To get your appeal in motion, send a copy of your denial letter with your request for action to the chancellor's office: Joel Klein, Chancellor of the Department of Education, at 52 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007.

Free Choice/Open Enrollment Programs
These programs were created in certain districts to encourage racial/ethnic integration. Call the Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations (212-374-2363) for more information.

Appeal to the State
Parents have a little known - and rarely used - weapon to fight unfavorable decisions regarding their children's education in New York City public schools: appeal to the State Commissioner of Education

• You can also write a letter to the Chancellor about a problem transferring a child.

Switching high schools

Unfortunately, the school system does not make it easy to transfer from one high school to another. One option is transfer alternative high schools, which are for older students and those who have had a tough time at regular high schools. Check our high school profiles on Find a School.

Each borough has an enrollment director who reports to the central Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations.

Other ways to transfer:

Reapply for 10th grade: If you or your child finds out in the fall of freshman year, that she is unhappy with her high school, she can apply for 10th grade admission into other schools. Talk to your child's guidance counselor about this option.

Travel hardship: If you move during high school and your child ends up with a long commute to school, he can claim a "travel hardship" and request a transfer to a school closer to your new home.

Medical variance: If your child has a health-related reason to leave her high school, you can submit documentation to your local enrollment office to request a transfer on medical grounds. See our page on health transfers.

Guidance Transfers: Be forewarned: these are rarely granted. In theory, however, if the program at your child's school is not working out let's say your child is in a law program but really has an interest in computers she can talk to her guidance counselor about getting a "guidance transfer." Ask the counselor for a "T (transfer) form" which you may take to the enrollment center. The counselor may also lobby on her behalf with the enrollment office. This would allow your child to transfer to a program more suitable to her needs or interests. If the borough enrollment office turns down your request, you may appeal to the central Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operation.

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