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Which JCPS Elementary Cluster Schools Were Parents' No. 1 Choice Last Year?

Last week, we looked at Jefferson County Public Schools' process for assigning kindergartners to elementary schools.Elementary school assignments are guided by several factors, including the district's diversity standards and the will of each set of parents. Parents can begin expressing their will on Monday, when the application process for the kindergartners of the 2014-15 school year begins.On those applications, parents will be asked to rank their choices. So which cluster school was listed as the No. 1 choice on most applications last year?Stopher Elementaryin East Louisville. It was listed No. 1 on 189 applications for the current crop of kindergartners, who were first to be assigned through the 13-cluster map under the JCPS elementary school student assignment plan.Here's the top 5:School1. Stopher Elementary2. Norton Elementary3. Farmer Elementary4. Lowe Elementary5. McFerran Preparatory AcademyThe numbers for all other schools are listed in the table below. A couple of notes: These numbers don't include district-wide magnet schools, such as the Brown School or Lincoln Performing Arts School.Also, district officials said the clusters don't have an equal number of kids living in them. What drives which schools get the most applications? Test scores are a logical first answer. The top four schools on the list scored better than 80 percent of elementary schools in Kentucky in the state's accountability test. But McFerran Preparatory Academy scored better than only 11 percent. Meanwhile, Breckinridge/Franklin Elementary scored better than 64 percent of Kentucky elementary schools but was listed No. 1 on 29 applications.(The percentiles from the state'sUnbridled Learning scoresare listed along with the number of applicants on the table below.)Here's a possible explanation for those disparities. In reporting our student assignment stories, we were told by parents and school administrators thatparental involvement in the school choice process helps incoming kindergartners find the right school. But we also found that the school district's 13 clusters used in the assignment process don't fare equally in the state's standardized test.It's possible that the parents of last year's incoming kindergartners—the ones who wanted to stay within their cluster, at least—were led largely by "fit," too. (If you're having trouble seeing the table, gohere.)Related: Test Scores Vary Widely Among the 13 JCPS Elementary ClustersRelated: The Key to JCPS' Elementary School Choice? Parent Involvement in the Process