Arlington Public Schools is expanding an initiative that provides parents with information on how, and for how long, their children are using school-distributed devices.
In November, APS will move from an opt-in to an opt-out model for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides families with weekly summaries of web-browsing activities for students in grades 2 to 12.
The change represents “the next step to strengthen transparency and family engagement,” Superintendent Francisco Durán said at the Oct. 23 School Board meeting.
The information will include data on usage of school devices both during the school day and when students are out of the classroom. Among the information provided, according to school officials:
- Top 10 visited host websites
- Number of pages visited per day
- Average daily page visits
- Total browsed hosts
“Technology has a place, but we also need to ensure we’re not solely reliant on that,” Durán said. “We have to make sure how students are using it — the proper way, the proper amount of time.”
School Board member Mary Kadera said the proposal to move from the current opt-in process for receiving the information to an opt-out alternative came from a local parent.
“It was a thoughtful suggestion and I’m glad we were able to make things happen there,” she said.
APS, Mason to continue guaranteed-admission program: Durán also said that APS will continue working with George Mason University to provide guaranteed direct college admission to qualifying students this year.
As part of the initiative, now in its second year, students with grade-point averages of at least 3.25 and working toward either a standard or advanced studies diploma will receive automatic admission to GMU if they attend Washington-Lee, Wakefield and Arlington Community high schools or the Arlington Career Center.
It is part of a regional initiative that guarantees GMU admission to students in 23 Northern Virginia high schools. The goal is to remove barriers for at-risk students from getting into college.
“They’ve worked hard in high school, they’ve earned the grades, they’ve focused on their education,” Durán told School Board members.
Nearly 800 Arlington students already have been eligible for the guaranteed-admission initiative, he said.
Process for 2026-27 admission to ‘option schools’ set to begin: Arlington Public Schools’ annual process for students seeking to attend non-neighborhood-based “option” schools is about to start in advance of the 2026-27 school year.
An informational video on the selection process is slated to go live on Nov. 5, with information sessions and the application period beginning Nov. 10, Durán told School Board members.
Applications will be accepted through Jan. 16, with the annual lottery to be held Feb. 6.
Durán encouraged parents to “learn everything you can” about option schools.
“Ask questions, actually go to see them,” he said. “Some of our options are very good for some and not for others.”
Options within the school system range from Montessori-style learning, to dual-immersion (English/Spanish) programs, to the International Baccalaureate program at Washington-Liberty High School. H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program is also considered an option school.
Admission decisions for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the regional Governor’s School operated by Fairfax County Public Schools, take place under a different schedule.
Photo via Anastassia Anufrieva/Unsplash
