SCHOOL INTEGRATION IN CT
NOTE: THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED (MARCH 2022)
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Approximately 19,000 students participate in our region’s school integration programs, which have been developed in response to Sheff v. O’Neill. Students in Greater Hartford have the opportunity to participate in many different types of integration programs, including: interdistrict magnet schools, Open Choice, reverse choice, vocational-technical high schools, and the interdistrict cooperative grant programs.
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INTERDISTRICT/REGIONAL MAGNET SCHOOLS
See a listing of Greater Hartford’s interdistrict magnet schools here.
Interdistrict magnet schools in Greater Hartford are part of the public education system, but generally offer a specialized theme or focus and are designed to meet Sheff v O’Neill integration goals. Most are built with state support and admission is by lottery.
Magnet schools offer an academic focus or theme that may suit your child’s interests and talents. Magnet schools also offer improved academic achievement; diverse student body; higher attendance rates, graduation rates, and lower drop-out rates; and greater parental involvement. The regional magnet schools offer a far more racially and economically integrated student body than most non-magnet public schools in the region. Our magnet schools promote economic integration, which has a positive impact on student outcomes.
Nearly 17,000 students in Greater Hartford attended Sheff magnet schools during the 2013-2014 school year. In Greater Hartford, there are a few different magnet school providers. There are 21 Hartford host magnet schools, 19 CREC magnet schools, 2 magnet schools operated by LEARN/Goodwin College, 2 magnet schools operated by Bloomfield Public Schools, and 1 magnet school operated by East Hartford.
>>If you want to learn more about magnet schools, the Magnet Schools of America website is a helpful resource.
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HARTFORD REGION OPEN CHOICE PROGRAM
The Open Choice program offers public school students in Hartford the opportunity to attend non-magnet public schools in suburban towns. Open Choice increases diversity in area towns and for participating Hartford students. Currently, 25 school districts in Greater Hartford voluntarily participate in the Open Choice program, which is managed by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC). In 2013-2014, about 2,000 students participated in Open Choice. This program (known first as “Project Concern”) has been operating since 1966; its name later changed to “Project Choice” and is now called “Open Choice.”
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>>Learn more about Open Choice
REVERSE CHOICE
Through a policy known as “reverse choice,” public school students in suburban communities can apply to attend non-magnet public schools in Hartford.
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INTERDISTRICT COOPERATIVE GRANT PROGRAMS (IDCGs)
The Interdistrict Cooperative Grant (IDCG) Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding for programs that increase student achievement and reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation. The IDCG program is administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Section 10—74d.
THE SHEFF INTEGRATION STANDARD
An integrated school, under Sheff standards, is a school with at least 25% white and/or Asian enrollment. Because lottery selection is not based on individual students’ race, this integration goal has also led to strong levels of economic integration in the magnet schools.
LEARN MORE
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You can learn more about these options by attending a school fair or contacting the Regional School Choice Office.
Regional School Choice Office (RSCO)
Parent Information Center
165 Capitol Avenue, Room 270
Hartford, CT 06106
860-713-6990
