Science Technology Magnet Program Lottery Information (Registration is closed for the 2023-2024 school year) 

The Science Technology Magnet Program is an option program for 4th and 5th grade students in the Issaquah School District. This means that it does not have an official boundary. The program is located at three school sites: Briarwood, Cascade Ridge and Clark. Families who wish to have their student attend the Science Technology Magnet Program at one of the three sites must submit an application to the program lottery.  Students must be currently enrolled third grade students. Three lotteries will be held - one for each program site.

Date: April 19, 2023

Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

How can families participate?

• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

How will I know my student's lottery number?

• The student's lottery number will be emailed to families.

What if I don't get an email?

• First check both the primary and secondary email address entered in Family Access, then check spam folders, then call the Teaching and Learning Services at 425-837-7094.

When will families receive confirmation of placement?

•  Lottery results will be communicated to families through email May 1 – 15.      
• All participating families will be contacted.  (This includes students who have been drawn for the 4th grade class at each site and all students on the waitlist with a waitlist number.)

What is a lottery?

A lottery is a process by which applicants are randomly drawn. If there is enough room for every interested student, a lottery would not have to be held.  Since the number of applications for the Science Technology Magnet Program often far exceeds the space available, a lottery is held for each school site to fill the class and to make the wait list for that site.

How the lottery is conducted:

The goal of the lottery is to determine a new class of 4^th grade students for the Science Technology Magnet Program with representation from as many elementary schools as possible throughout the district at each of the three program sites: Briarwood, Cascade Ridge and Clark. A separate lottery is conducted for each program site.  During the enrollment lottery application process, each student selected the program site lottery for which they would like to be included.  Students are entered into one lottery only, the lottery for the school site they selected on their application. 

 Lottery Process:

1. Each site lottery is conducted separately.
2. For each site lottery up to 16 bowls, one representing each school that has students who have submitted an application for the lottery, are set out.
3. Each bowl represents a school.  Students who have applied for the lottery for that school are represented by a ticket in that bowl. The number of students who apply from each school varies from year to year.
4. There is no identifying information on the tickets – just the assigned lottery number.
5. The school bowls are arranged in a random order on the table.  To determine the order the names of schools are drawn randomly.
6. Once the order of schools represented in the lottery has been determined,  a snake draft lottery is conducted.
7. For each lottery, the picker begins by drawing a ticket from the first school and continues to the end of the line.  Then the picker reverses direction and chooses from the last school and continues back to the first school.​
8. Once the class has been selected, the picker continues to select tickets for the wait list until all tickets are gone.​
9. Then the picker starts from the end and returns to the start, back and forth, drawing one ticket from each bowl.
10. The Director notifies the audience when the class has been filled and then the picker will continue on drawing tickets using the same process to determine the wait list.
11. When all tickets have been selected and the wait list has been determined that concludes the lottery for that school.

How many spots are available for next year's 4th grade?

Briarwood - 26

Cascade Ridge - 25

Clark - 25

What’s Next?

• Once the Elementary Special Programs office has notified the selected students, families have the option to accept or decline. Students who are not selected are placed on the wait list of the site they applied for in the order the tickets were drawn.
• Families have 10 business days to decide.  
• Families who would like siblings to transfer along with the student may complete a Transfer Form (will be uploaded soon).
• A carpool contact list will be shared with families who have given permission to share their information in late May.

What about siblings?

Families should complete the online Permission to Place indicating whether they accept or decline for their drawn student.  Note in the PTP interest in transferring a sibling and we will follow up with you directly to make those arrangements. 

What about childcare?

Families should contact the Before and After School (BASC) Childcare Coordinator directly:

Before and After School Care (BASC)

Briarwood

Cascade Ridge

Clark

Questions and Answers

Note: There are about a dozen more questions to answer but this is what we could get through by Friday afternoon.  We will update with the rest next week.

Students who are at a different school than the SciTech sites, if they are drawn in the lottery will they need to switch schools?

• Yes, students who are drawn in the lottery and are enrolled at a different school than the SciTech sites will transfer to the SciTech site they selected. Our office will initiate the transfer once families have returned placement decisions.

Is there typically a lot of parent involvement in the program (more than regular elementary 4th and 5th grade)?          

• Depends on district guidelines around COVID. In the past, yes - parent volunteer opportunities in the classroom with excursions have been available. We would love parent involvement when possible.

Since this class emphasizes science and tech, is there anything these students are not exposed to that “regular” fourth and 5th grade classes do cover?

• The program follows all district curriculum and integrates it across multiple subjects when possible.  There is not a separate STEM curriculum.

How many slots will be available for students into the program?

• For incoming fourth graders, there are 26 openings at Briarwood, 25 openings at Cascade Ridge and 25 openings at Clark.
• 76 students will be selected in the lottery out of all students who sign up.
• 25/26 is average elementary intermediate (grades 3-5) student class size.   Exceeding 26 students is put a teacher into overload status triggering additional stipends or paraeducator support.  Having more than 50/52 in a classroom does not lend itself to a quality teaching and learning environment.

If my student attends one of the schools that hosts the program, will they get to stay at their school?

•  If your student is drawn in the lottery, he/she will stay at the neighborhood school.

What about transportation for students zoned outside of SciTech Schools (Briarwood, Cascade Ridge & Clark)?

• Transportation is the family’s responsibility. A contact list will be shared to assist parents with arranging carpools.

Will this Magnet Program extend to Middle School as well or is it just for elementary level?    

• The Science Technology Magnet Program is a 2-year elementary school program for 4th grade and 5th grade students.

What happens to the students who are in the SAGE program?

• Students in SAGE will continue with SAGE services at the new school site.

 How does the lottery work? Is there equal representation from all schools? During lottery process, does students ethnic group and gender are considered.

• Please see the How Does the Lottery Work  tab in the Key Lottery Information section of the Science Technology Magnet Program web page.

Is the lottery draw 50% boys / 50% girls? When my child applied for full time kindergarten, lottery was based on student's names on papers. There was not enough shuffle of papers, so that my child's paper was at the very bottom (because of her last name, First in Last Out). So she was ranked lowest in lottery."

• Please see the How Does the Lottery Work?  tab in the Key Lottery Information section of the Science Technology Magnet Program web page.

If the student is drawn in the lottery for this program, will the sibling also be transferred to the same school?          

• Siblings may go to the same school as long as your student is in the program. Families will need to complete and submit the district transfer to the District Enrollment Coordinator.  The form and directions will be posted when it is ready on the Science Technology Magnet Program web page.

Can the link to the informational Zoom webinar be shared?

• The video is posted to the Science Technology Magnet Program web page on the Issaquah School District website.

Are students currently in the 3rd grade Merlin program eligible?

• If drawn in the lottery, Merlin students can be transferred to SAGE program at the SciTech site. Students cannot be in the MERLIN gifted and Science Tech programs simultaneously because these are full-day magnet/choice programs at different school sites.

What site could Sunset students be applying to?

• It is up to parents to decide the SciTech site to apply to, as transportation will be provided by them. 

How does this work for students on IEP?

• Students with IEP’s will maintain services at the SciTech site and will be assigned a new case manager. 

Action Needed:

1. Permission to Place Form - Complete this form to indicate whether you accept or decline placement for your student.  When placement is declined the spot is offered to the next student on the waitlist. 

2. Carpool Contact Lists 

• Briarwood
• Cascade Ridge
• Clark

3. Student Supply Lists 2023-24

• Briarwood Supply List
• Cascade Ridge Supply List
• Clark Supply List

4. To Request a sibling to move to a SciTech location school complete the following In-District Transfer Request Form.