Portland is Oregon’s largest city, and Portland Public Schools (PPS) serves a diverse student population of approximately 46,000 in grades pre-K–12, with 45 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunch. PPS’s choice program began more than 20 years ago as part of a voluntary desegregation plan. Students could attend magnet and neighborhood school options or choose one of nine cluster options with free transportation provided to students within attendance areas determined by high school feeder patterns. Over the years, the district’s choice options have expanded to include:

• 6 small-school high school programs located on two high school campuses; each small school focuses on a single theme, such as business or science
• 8 district-operated alternative schools serving students with varied scheduling and curriculum needs, including an evening school and a metro learning center
• 23 programs sponsored and operated by community-based organizations (CBOs)
• 17 special services programs providing schooling to special education students and others who are hospital-bound, in treatment, or in the juvenile justice system
• 7 district charter schools

PPS dedicated the district’s second Voluntary Public School Choice grant monies to increasing student choice and success before, during, and after choice by focusing on four major areas:

• technology,
• parent engagement,
• expanding options and increasing achievement, and
• professional development for staff to best promote student success.