Application Window

Read Application Instructions

Student and Parent Greeting

  • The application begins with a greeting:

    Dear Student and Parent,

    We are excited you are interested in a 21st Century Academy as a potential option for your high school education. The following factors will be reviewed in determining who is invited, because we want to make sure the Academy you are interested in is a good fit, your interests/skills align with the academy, and because enrollment for the academies is limited.

    Attendance in middle school for seventh grade and first semester eighth grade.

    Grades in middle school for seventh grade and first semester eighth grade, especially courses aligned with the academy (i.e. science grades for an academy that focuses on science).

    Short Responses — the responses should be completed by the student so we can ensure the academy aligns with the student's interests and skills.

    Teacher Recommendations — the student selects two teachers to ask to complete the recommendation. The student will need to know the teacher's full name and email address. The student should ask the teacher directly, but it can also be found on StudentVUE. The teacher's recommendations are confidential and are only available to 21st century staff for review.

    Interview — Academies will interview students prior to determining if they will be invited to join the academy. This provides an opportunity for staff to make further determinations if the academy is a good fit for the student. The interview also provides an opportunity for students to determine if it is a good fit for them. Academy staff will reach out to applicants to schedule. Students should be prepared for the interview by reviewing their responses and being able to verbally express their interest and passion. Students should feel free to bring along any questions they may have about the academy to the interview. Parents are to accompany students to the interview.

Parent Support to Application Process

  • At the bottom of the first page of the application, there will be a check box asking for parent support.

    It states:
    I support my child applying to a 21st Century Academy. I understand the entire application process is confidential, including teacher recommendations, is not available to either parents or the student, and will be purged from the system within one year of the original application date. I further understand that my student's attendance and grades data will be available for review by teachers, counselors, and administrators involved in the evaluation of applicants.

    The PARENT should click on the check box indicating support of their application.

     

    Below the Parent Support Statement, there will be two boxes to choose from indicating whether the student is currently enrolled in Olathe Public Schools or not. Click on the appropriate black box.

    Note: If the student is NOT currently enrolled in the district, they must be when they enter school in the fall of next year. (Private school students currently living in-district, or students moving into the district before school starts in the fall of next year). Olathe Public Schools does not accept out-of-district students.

Student Username and Password

  • screenshot of login screenIf you are a student in Olathe Public Schools, there will be a login page to enter your district username and district password.

    This is the same username and password that you use to log into any of the district’s computers or devices. It is important for all Olathe Public Schools students applying to login so that the student's demographic information is loaded into the system for the next page of the application. If you have trouble logging in, change your password and make sure to remove special characters that are out of the ordinary.

    Note: If you are NOT a current student in Olathe Public Schools, there will NOT be a login page. Demographic information on the next page will need to be entered manually.

     

Student Information

  • screenshot of student information pageThis page in the online application is where you identify who you are.

    If you are a student in Olathe Public Schools, much or all of this information will already be filled in. 

    • Make sure the information is correct.
    • Change anything that is incorrect.
    • Enter information in any of the cells that are empty.

    An email address for at least one of your parents is required. The second is optional, but highly recommended.

    • If there is not a second parent/guardian email available, enter the same email address a second time into that cell.
    • If your parent/guardian does not have a cell phone number, enter your home phone number a second time into that cell.

    If you are not a current Olathe Public Schools student, you will simply fill out all the empty cells yourself.

Select Your Academy

  • At the top of the next screen you will select the academy or academies you wish to apply for.

    You will select your first academy choice from the left dropdown menu. If you wish to apply for a second academy, (which is optional), there is a second drop down menu on the right. If you do NOT wish to apply for a second academy, select NONE on the second dropdown menu.

  • Image of Academy Selection and Essay Text Boxes

Student Responses to Three Questions

  • Below the selection of your academy, there are three questions students will respond to that will be used to evaluate the application. There are three areas that will be evaluated in the responses:

    1. Interest/Passion: We are looking for interest/passion in the academy you are applying for. You should share activities, experiences and/or previous learning.
    2. Ideas/Content: The responses need to thoroughly convey your ideas. We will be looking for clarity and the ability to express your thoughts. Elaborating and explaining, rather than simply listing, is recommended for higher quality response.
    3. Writing Accuracy: We are looking for proper use of writing and grammar skills. Students should use their writing conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, complete sentences) so that their response is clear and understandable.

    Below are the three questions:

    Question 1: Explain your interest and your passion in this 21st Century Academy by highlighting past activities, experiences, and/or previous learning that stimulated this interest and passion. If you are applying to two academies, talk about your interest/passion in both.

    Question 2: What personal characteristics do you have that might contribute to the success of this 21st Century Academy's team (teamwork, dedication, etc.)?

    Question 3: Briefly tell us what you are thinking about doing after high school. We know this may change many times in the future, but tell us what you are thinking about right now. (This question is not scored, but provides insight to the facilitators.)

    If you are applying for two academies, you should address BOTH academies in your response.
    You may have two separate answers within each question text box OR you may integrate the two academies into your one response. Either way is acceptable.

    The text boxes for the responses are small but will hold a lot of text. However, they do not expand to make your response completely visible. 
    It is very important to draft your response in a separate document and then copy and paste it into the application when it is ready.

    Response Scoring Explanation:

    Four points maximum in each of three scoring areas (interests and passion, ideas and content, writing accuracy)

    • 4 points for outstanding
    • 3 points for above average
    • 2 points for good
    • 1 point for poor
    • 0 points for not present

    Maximum score of 24 (two responses, 12 points each).

    The third response is not scored, but it is taken into consideration.

Distinguished Scholars Portion of the Application

Teacher Recommendations

  • Please enter the two teachers' information on this page.

    • At the first dropdown, you will select the school where the teacher is located.
    • In the second drop down, you will select the teacher from the list.

    It is considered good manners to ask the teachers in advance if you may use them as a reference.
    A link will be sent in an email to the teachers you select asking them to complete a recommendation for you.
    They will be asked questions about your ability to work in a group and independently, your contributions to class discussions, your communication skills and a number of other areas which will help us select students who are a good match to the academy.

    If you are applying from Out of District, you will need to enter the teacher's first and last name as well as their email manually.
    Please double-check that the email address is correctly entered. Incorrect email addresses will not make it to the recipient.

Evaluation of Application

  • Applicants will be evaluated on the following items:

    • Content of responses to the three questions
    • Grades from
      • Seventh Grade — First Semester
      • Seventh Grade — Second Semester
      • Eighth Grade — First Semester
    • Teacher recommendations
    • Interview

    Note: Attendance is visible but not scored. It may be discussed in the interview.