Under No Child Left Behind, districts are required to notify parents of eligible students at least annually of their public school choice and SES options. No Child Left Behind specifies the basic information that must be contained in parent notices. While the notice to parents must include all the required elements, a letter written with only compliance in mind may not inform parents effectively of their options. Below are some ideas based on the spirit, in addition to the letter, of the law that may help ensure that notifications reach parents.

For additional information on parent notices, including required elements, see: Public School Choice Non-Regulatory Guidance, D-1,2; Creating Strong District School Choice Programs, pp. 7-16; BuildingChoice.org; Supplemental Educational Services Non-Regulatory Guidance, E-2; and Creating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs, pp. 23-30. The links to these resources are provided in Additional Resources at the end of this handbook.