Administrative Procedure 6148 - Lottery and Audition Administration and Selection Procedures

I. Purpose

The purpose of this administrative procedure is to provide a comprehensive framework for the operation of the Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) lottery and audition selection process.  The primary purpose of the lottery and audition process is to provide an equitable and efficient means of providing access to specialty programs where the number of applicants potentially exceeds the available seats in the program.  This administrative procedure is created to ensure equal access and equity for acceptance into these programs. At the discretion of the Superintendent, this administrative procedure may be applied to other programs.

II. Policy

The Prince George's County Board of Education (Board) expresses support for a general, vocal, and instrumental music program of instruction in PGCPS. (Board Policy 6124.1)

III. Background

1. PGCPS offers programs of choice that provide a unique or specialized curriculum or instructional approach.  These programs are designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population and to accommodate parental preference where possible.  Entry into programs of choice is generally managed through a computerized, random selection process called the lottery.
2. The entry grade differs for each program. For the Montessori, French Immersion, or Spanish Immersion programs, applicants who are beyond the entry grade must be currently participating in a comparable program or have a demonstrated skill level in the immersion language to be considered for entry. Preferential entry consideration will be given to applicants at the entry grade who have a sibling continuing in the same program. This preferential consideration is only available at the entry grade for applicants meeting the age and other entry requirements and does not guarantee placement.  Siblings who have been previously admitted to a specialty program covered by this administrative procedure are not eligible for preferential entry in another specialty program.

IV. Definitions

1. Applicability / Types of Programs
   1. Continuous Enrollment - Students admitted by lottery or audition and are currently enrolled in a Specialty Program will automatically remain enrolled each school year, if they continue to meet the eligibility criteria and elect to do so.
   2. Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) – The Creative and Performing Arts program is designed to develop the interests and talents of students in the arts while enhancing their academic discipline through an interdisciplinary approach stressing creativity, artistic expression, and culture.  The enhanced disciplinary academic program encourages creative and artistic expression, as well as self-discipline, focus, and critical thinking skills. Experiences and training are designed to challenge and develop artistic skills – and 21st-century skills – of all students as well as provide exceptional opportunities for artistically talented children and prepare students for college and careers. While entry into Grades K-5 of a Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) program is managed by the lottery, entry at grade 6 or above requires that students pass an audition in their area of concentration. Where admission is governed by audition, no preferential entry consideration is given to applicants with a sibling continuing in the same program.
   3. Dual Language Spanish 
      1. Dual Language Education is also known as Two-Way Immersion. The Spanish Dual Language Program gives equal emphasis to English and non-English language speakers. Students learn Spanish and English through content-based instruction in selected core subjects with a cross-cultural understanding for both native and non-native speakers. Students read, write, listen, and speak in both languages, becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.
      2. The benefits of bilingualism are numerous, including greater flexibility in thinking, high rates of academic achievement, and cross-cultural learning and communication. Students will be prepared to compete within the context of the global society. The model targets 50% of its seats to native English speakers and 50% to native Spanish speakers.  Admission is by lottery, and the entry level is kindergarten.
   4. French Immersion – The French Immersion program is a full immersion model where all academic subjects are taught in the French language in kindergarten through grade eight.  French-speaking teachers immerse students  in French as they learn the PGCPS curriculum in mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts. English reading/language arts instruction begins in second grade.  Admission is by lottery, and the entry level is kindergarten.
   5. Montessori – Montessori schools provide an interdisciplinary, discovery-based approach to learning presented sequentially over the years a child spends in the program.  Children are placed in multi-age classrooms.  Three (3) to five (5) year olds are guided in developing coordination, concentration, a sense of order, and independence.  Six (6) to nine (9) year olds and nine (9) to 12-year-olds learn through interdisciplinary, hands-on learning activities. Middle school students are offered experiences designed to help them delve into the interconnections of ideas and events. Admission is by lottery, and the entry level is Pre-Kindergarten ages three (3) or four (4).   Pre-Kindergarten students are accepted on a probationary status for the first eight (8) weeks, beginning with the day they become active participants in the class.
   6. Spanish Immersion – Language Immersion is an educational approach in which students are taught the curriculum content through the medium of a second language, Spanish. Children learn their core subjects (reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science) in Spanish. Spanish-speaking teachers immerse students completely in Spanish as they learn the PGCPS curriculum. In this way, immersion students not only learn the content, but also gain knowledge of the language in which it is taught. Admission is by lottery, and the entry level is kindergarten.
   7. Talented And Gifted (TAG) Centers – Talented and Gifted Centers provide a full-day, intensive educational program appropriate for identified Talented and Gifted students in Grades 2 through 8.  Each Center offers a full day of enriched and accelerated educational experiences for TAG-identified students admitted through the lottery or residing within the school's comprehensive attendance area.  TAG identified students not assigned to a TAG Center program receive TAG services in their neighborhood elementary or middle school, or TAG in the Regular Classroom (TRC). An approved transfer into a neighborhood school that hosts a TAG Center Program does not grant admission into that TAG Center Program.  The TAG in the Regular Classroom (TRC) Program offers appropriate advanced activities using strategies of Differentiated Instruction within the regular classroom. The TAG Pull-out Program provides TAG-identified students in the attendance area school with an enriched, thematic, interdisciplinary educational experience beyond the PGCPS core curricula.

V. Procedures

1. The Department of Student Enrollment Services will organize and maintain lottery databases to include applications, placements, and waitlists.
2. The Department of Specialty Programs and the Arts will make information available about specialty programs process and the Department of Student Enrollment Services will make information available about lottery application procedures. These departments will jointly organize program information sessions and address parent/legal guardian program inquiries before conducting the lottery.  Schools of choice may also conduct independent promotional and informational events regarding their programs, but may not make representations regarding access that are inconsistent with this administrative procedure.  Applications must be submitted to the appropriate office, depending on whether the application is for an audition or a lottery program. Specialty schools may not commit, secure, or hold spaces in a specialty program and are specifically prohibited from making placements.
3. Enrollment in PGCPS Specialty Programs is limited to bona fide residents of Prince George's County. Students placed in Out-Of-Home Care or a residential facility in Prince George's County by an out-of-county agency, which is financially responsible for the student's education, or students residing in the County in an approved informal kinship care placement at the time of the application are eligible to apply. No other exceptions are permitted.
   1. In keeping with the Board's non-discrimination policies, students with special needs, as documented by an Individualized Education Program (IEP), will be afforded the same access to specialty programs as students without special needs if the specialty school can meet their needs with the current staff and facilities.  Students whose special needs allow them to fully participate in the general education settings sixty percent or more of the time and are not medically fragile may be presumed capable of participating in a specialty program.
   2. At the superintendent's discretion, other programs may be covered under these same provisions. Information applicable to Charter Schools is provided in Administrative Procedure 3506 - Public Charter Schools.
4. Eligibility Criteria
   1. Placement into Talented and Gifted (TAG) centers is only available to applicants meeting the TAG identification criteria established by Administrative Procedure 6142.2, prior to the lottery closing.  Students who attain said identification may enter the centers via submission of a lottery application and subsequent placement into a center. TAG identified students who reside within the comprehensive boundary of a school that hosts a TAG center are automatically eligible for participation in the TAG classes held there. Continuity will be offered to in-boundary TAG students who are in their last year and have one or more years of participation in the TAG center.  Access to this program by transfer into the school is not permitted.
   2. Access to language immersion programs at grades other than the entry grade (kindergarten) requires that the applicant have a level of language proficiency equivalent to the grade in which they are seeking entry and a level of English language proficiency suitable for the grade level.
      1. To request admission to a language immersion program at a grade other than kindergarten, the parent/legal guardian must be a Prince George's County resident and submit a request to the Department of Student Enrollment Services between January and May for admission in the next school year.  The Department of Student Enrollment Services will determine if seats are expected to be available for the requested grade/assigned program location and, if so, request that the Immersion Program Office assess the student's language proficiency. However, if no seats are expected to be available, no language testing will be conducted, and those requesting admission will be advised. Similar to the lottery process, if more students are tested and judged competent than there are seats available, a random lottery will be used to determine to whom seats are offered. Placement is not guaranteed to those requesting admission or demonstrating the needed language competence.
   3. Access to Montessori programs at levels other than the entry grades, Pre- Kindergarten, ages three (3) or four (4), requires that the applicant be a current participant in an all-day certified Montessori program (See AP 6192 for specific guidelines).
   4. Depending on the academic or educational theme or focus, other programs of choice may have specific, predetermined prerequisites for entry above kindergarten.  The Division of Academics shall determine if the student meets the eligibility requirements. A determination that the eligibility criteria have been met does not guarantee placement.
   5. Early admission procedures do not apply to specialty programs. (Administrative Procedure 5111.1)
   6. Entry into the high school Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) program and the Grade 6-8 Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) program requires an audition for all students, including Grade 5 students currently enrolled in a CPA school seeking continuation into the middle school CPA program.
   7. Assignments to programs of choice are determined on a space available basis.  Annually, for each program location, the Department of Student Enrollment Services will establish the authorized enrollment level by grade and location after consulting with the Division of Academics. Openings made available through the lottery and auditions will be limited to those spaces by grade not occupied by previously admitted students who are continuing in the program.
   8. Lottery applications will be available and can be submitted electronically online through the PGCPS website.  Applications will be available no later than January of each school year. Each application will be date-stamped, and an email confirmation will be provided.  Exceptions to the deadline will not be permitted.  A separate lottery application must be submitted for each child in a family that desires entrance to a program. 
   9. The lottery application form permits the selection of multiple programs. Once the application has been submitted, program selection cannot be changed.
   10. Although programs are offered at multiple schools, program placements are based upon the boundary program location determined by the parents' principal residence of the parent/legal guardian. Each program location serves a defined geographic area. Programs of choice available at multiple locations have complementary, non-overlapping service areas managed cooperatively by the Department of Student Enrollment Services, the Transportation Department, and the program offices.  Applicants are advised that the application to the lottery is for a particular specialty program and not for a specific location.  The service area for a specific program location may be adjusted as needed to balance opportunity for placements and program enrollment; continuation in the specialty program may require assignment to a different location as boundaries and/or program locations are revised. Continued placement at the same program location is not guaranteed.
   11. Program placements at a particular location will be made based on the service areas established for the program for the upcoming school year and the principal address on file in the student information system. Applicants are advised to ensure their address and contact information are correct in the student information system.
   12. If an unanticipated change in address occurs after the lottery has been held, the parent/legal guardian may request in writing that the new address be used for placement consideration.  If the same program location serves the new address as the previous address, the previous placement/wait-list position for that program will be unchanged. Suppose the new address is served by a different program location than the address used for the lottery application. In that case, the application may be added to the waitlist for the new program location.  In the request to use a different address for placement consideration, the parent/legal guardian must update their address at the neighborhood school and must indicate the child's or children's name(s), school student identification number, old address used on the lottery application, the newly established address, old and new contact information, documentation regarding when the change of address occurred and provide a copy of their residency documentation in the written request. Requests for use of a different address for lottery placement must be submitted in writing to the Department of Student Enrollment Services.  Once a request to use a new address has been accepted, the old address is of no effect.
   13. All students seeking admission to the Middle School Creative and Performing Arts (CPA), and High School Visual and Performing Arts programs must audition. Once admitted, students may not change their arts major. Students must meet the age, residency, and academic eligibility requirements by registration time without exception. Additionally, students must maintain their academic eligibility through the completion of their application year in order to attend a CPA/CVPA program in the fall.  Acceptance can be rescinded if they fail to maintain their eligibility.
   14. For students who gained entry to a Specialty Program through the lottery, PGCPS provides special consideration for the entry of a sibling into the same program at the entry level only. Entry level is defined as Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or Grade 2, depending on the program. Early entrance options do not apply to Specialty Program placements. If a parent/legal guardian has a child or children not at the entry level that they wish to participate in a Specialty Program along with a sibling, they must apply through the regular lottery application process. Siblings who are currently participating in a Specialty Program are not eligible for sibling preference in a new Specialty Program.  
5. Sibling Enrollment
   1. A sibling is a brother or sister by blood, marriage, or adoption living in the same household. Friends, cousins, or two separate families living under the same roof do not qualify as siblings. The older sibling must continue attending the same Specialty Program for the upcoming school year for which a sibling placement is being requested. A current Specialty Program student in the terminal grade of a program at a school cannot bring in a sibling.
   2. Sibling applicants must complete a sibling application, which can only be obtained by contacting the specialty school of the already enrolled student. This consideration is made on a space available basis and only under certain conditions.
6. Lottery Placements
   1. Specialty Program assignments are based on the principal residence of the parent/legal guardian and the student and the grade to which the student would be assigned.  Program location assignments are not made based on the address of before and after school care providers.  No transfers are permitted into Specialty Programs.
   2. Students who gain admittance through the lottery or audition process will receive a placement offer via email, indicating the program and location for which a placement is offered. Parents must indicate acceptance or refusal of the placement offer by the date indicated.  Failure to accept the placement within the allotted time will be considered a refusal of the placement. Accepting a placement in one specialty program is considered a rejection of another placement offer (s) or position(s) on a waitlist.  Instructions for completing the registration at the program location are included upon receipt of a placement. If registration at the assigned program location has not occurred by the specified date, the lottery or audition placement will automatically be rescinded, and the placement will be assigned to the next student on the waitlist.  A change in address, grade, or inability to meet the entry requirements of a specialty program may invalidate any placement offer.
   3. The Department of Student Enrollment Services will provide each program location (“receiving” school) with a list of accepted student placements.  The “receiving” school staff must closely monitor this list for completion of the registration requirements.  Each program location is responsible for immediately notifying the Department of Student Enrollment Services of registrations not completed by the date indicated in the memorandum.
   4. No placements will be offered after September 30th of every school year.
7. Enrollment/Registration Procedures
   1. Placements 
      1. At the end of June, the Department of Student Enrollment Services will make available a list of students who have accepted a Specialty Program placement to the assigned program location (“receiving” school).
      2. Parents/legal guardians of students receiving a lottery or audition placement must register their student at the program school no later than the specified date on the placement letter email.
      3. Parents/legal guardians must provide the following documents: official government-issued photo identification, proof of residency, the student's original certificate of birth, most recent report card, and the student's immunization record. Registration will not be accepted if the student's grade, address, or proof of residence is inconsistent with the information reflected on the placement letter.  If registration has not occurred by the indicated date on the placement/offer letter/email, the placement will automatically be rescinded, and the placement will be offered to the next student on the waitlist.
   2. Waitlist Placements
      1. All eligible students who submit a valid lottery application or audition and do not receive an initial program placement will be placed on a waitlist.  The waitlist is both grade and location-specific.
      2. The Department of Student Enrollment Services will maintain the waitlist for all programs of choice except for the secondary grades of the Creative and Performing Arts Programs and the Visual and Performing Arts programs. The waitlists for these programs, governed by audition, are maintained by the school.
      3. Waitlists are not maintained after September 30 and do not carry over to the following school year. Parents/legal guardians are only notified of a change in their child's status on a waitlist when/if placement becomes available.
   3. Change of Address Procedures After Placement
      1. If an address change occurs after registering with the school but less than one (1) full year of attending a Specialty Program, no special permission is needed to continue enrollment at the current program location if the new residence is within that program location's service area. The parent/legal guardian must provide proof of the new residence to the school as defined in AP 5111.
      2. If the change in principal residence occurs after less than one (1) full year of attendance in a Specialty Program and a different program location serves the new residence, the parent/legal guardian must obtain permission from The Department of Student Enrollment Services to continue participating in the Specialty Program at the current school and/or the newly assigned program location.  There is no assurance that permission will be given.
      3. If the change in principal residence occurs after one (1) full year of attending a Specialty Program and the student has continued to meet the requirements to participate in the Program, no special permission is needed to enroll at the program location serving the new residence within the County. The student will be assigned to attend the program location that serves the new address.
      4. The parent/legal guardian must provide proof of their primary residence based on the program location.  School staff must verify that the residence is within their service area for the Specialty Program and that there has been no break in the student's enrollment in the Specialty Program. Upon review by the school of the proof of residence and the student's eligibility for continuation in the Program, the school may complete the standard registration process.  The school may contact the Department of Student Enrollment Services for assistance if questions or problems arise while completing the registration.
8. Continuous Enrollment/Continuity Procedures
   1. Continuous Enrollment
      All students admitted by lottery or audition currently enrolled in a Specialty Program at a given Program location will automatically continue in the school, at the end of the school year, if they continue to meet the eligibility criteria and elect to do so.
   2. Continuity Procedures
      1. Students who gained admission by lottery to a Specialty Program may be admitted to the entry grade for the next educational level. Continuity is provided for students enrolled in the Talented and Gifted and French Immersion programs. Continuity will be offered to in-boundary TAG students who are in their terminal year at a school hosting a TAG center and have one or more years of participation in the TAG center.
      2. Students wishing to continue in the Visual and Performing Arts program will be required to audition. Students are given their continuing enrollment options through a notification letter disseminated at each specialty school.
      3. Students currently enrolled in a program of choice who wish to participate in a different program for the next school year must apply under the general lottery application or audition procedures. Applying to a different program is considered a statement of intent not to continue in the current program.  As a result, no sibling application may be submitted that names this student as a continuing participant in the program.
   3. Transfers
      1. Transfers are not available from one program of choice to another program of choice.  If a student wishes to participate in a different program of choice, the student must apply through the application process for that program and gain acceptance based on established procedures for admission to the specialty program.
      2. Specialty transfers within a program of choice between program locations are not permitted.  
   4. Out of Boundary Placements
      1. Out of boundary placements will be made available as early as August 1 every year.
      2. Out-of-boundary placements will be permitted only in the case that the requested program location has unfilled seats at the grade level after considering placements for all eligible, in-boundary lottery applicants.
      3. Information regarding the availability of placements will be made online via the PGCPS main website.
      4. Parents who accept placements for an out-of-boundary location give up their right to return to the boundary program location later unless they apply to the lottery or formal application process for a boundary placement.
   5. Reciprocity
      1. When a student first enters Prince George's County from outside the county after attending a public school Specialty Program in the jurisdiction where the parents/legal guardians were residents, the student may apply for reciprocity placement in a comparable Specialty Program where admission to the program is governed by lottery. Reciprocity for Grades 6-8 in the CPA program and in the high school VPA program requires an audition through the Department of Specialty Programs and The Arts. Students may be offered placement based on seat availability.
      2. To request reciprocity, the parents must submit a written request to the Department of Student Enrollment Services within 30 days of establishing residence in Prince George's County.  The written request must include a written program description of the program and school the student previously attended, the most recent report card for the student, contact information for the school previously attended, and documentation validating the recent establishment of a primary Prince George's County residence. The Department of Student Enrollment Services will request the Division of Academics to decide regarding the comparability of the program previously attended to the program being requested. Should the Division of Academics determine that the programs are not comparable, no offer of reciprocity will be made.  Should the Department of Student Enrollment Services determine that space is not available, no offer of reciprocity will be made.  The decision to offer reciprocity will be made on a case-by-case basis jointly by the Department of Student Enrollment Services and the Division of Academics, considering all pending requests and relevant factors.  There is no assurance that reciprocity will be made available.
   6. Withdrawal from Specialty Program
      A student who is withdrawn by the parent/legal guardian from school while a participant in a Specialty Program forfeits their place in the Program.  Re-entry to the Program within ten (10) school days may be permitted on application to the Department of Student Enrollment Services, and if space is still available. Only in extraordinary circumstances will re-entry be allowed more than ten (10) school days after a withdrawal.
9. Appeal Procedures
   1. Determinations regarding eligibility and placements under this administrative procedure shall be made by the Department of Student Enrollment Services. However, a person adversely affected by such a decision may appeal the decision to the Office of Appeals, acting as designee of the Superintendent.
   2. The Office of Appeals must receive in writing any appeal within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the decision letter. The appellant should indicate the reason for seeking review of the decision and may include additional information for consideration. If the appellant provides additional information, the Office of Appeals will provide the Superintendent/designee an opportunity to respond.
   3. The Office of Appeals will determine if there was a material departure from the policies and procedures by the Program Coordinator, Principal, Instructional Director, or the Department of Student Enrollment Services, which adversely impacted the appellant. In addition, the Office of Appeals should determine if the appellant's circumstances are sufficiently unique to justify deviating from the adopted rules and procedures for the lottery without injury to the principles of equity and fairness. The appeal may be approved if either of these circumstances are found to exist or at the discretion of the Superintendent.
   4. An appeal of the decision made by the Office of Appeals may be submitted to the Board. The appeal must be made in writing and received by the Board Office within 30 calendar days of the date on the decision letter from the Office of Appeals, acting as the Superintendent's designee.
   5. If there is additional information in the appeal to the Board, the Office of Appeals will be given an opportunity to respond in writing and shall provide a copy of its response to the appellant before the Board considers the appeal.
   6. The Board's decision may be appealed to the State Board of Education within 10 days.

VI. Monitoring and Compliance:

The Department of Student Enrollment Services shall resolve questions regarding the lottery and placement process for students.

Support staff assigned to Lottery Program schools monitored by the Department of Student Enrollment Services will receive annual training on updates required for this administrative procedure.

School staff must verify all acceptances prior to enrollment and maintain a record of denials or approval for exceptions provided under this administrative procedure in the student’s cumulative folder.

VII. Related Administrative Procedures

Administrative Procedure 3506 – Public Charter Schools

Administrative Procedure 5111 – Registration and Withdrawal of Students

Administrative Procedure 5111.1 – Admission to Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade

Administrative Procedure 6142.2 – Talented and Gifted Student Program

Administrative Procedure 6144 – Language Immersion Programs

Administrative Procedure 6192 – Montessori Program Monitoring and Exiting Guidelines

VIII. Maintenance and Update of This Administrative Procedure

The Department of Student Enrollment Services is responsible for the maintenance and update of this administrative procedure.

IX. History

February 15, 2012 (Revised)
December 31, 2014 (Revised)
April 7, 2026 (Revised)

X. Effective Date

April 7, 2026

Documents

• Administrative Procedure 6148 - Lottery and Audition Administration and Selection Procedures.pdf