Students from any parish can apply online for a seat at any of our campuses through the NOLA Public Schools’ Common Application Process (NCAP) website at  www.enrollnolaps.com or by visiting a NCAP Family Resource Center. Students do not need to be residents of Orleans Parish to use the system. 

NCAP is a single application process that serves most New Orleans public schools. Families can apply to several schools by completing only one application. NCAP is managed by NOLA Public Schools. ISL participates in NCAP and follows their rules for enrollment, admissions, and registration. NCAP’s website is www.EnrollNOLAps.com.

ISL students can live in any Louisiana parish.

Most families make their decision based on location and target language of choice (French or Spanish). Families who select French as their child’s target language should choose Dixon. Our Westbank campus does not have a French program, only Spanish. Families are welcome to tour each of the campuses and see if one feels like a better match. All campuses offer the same curriculum and methods. The Dixon campus serves Kindergarten through 2nd grade, and our Westbank campus serves Kindergarten through 5th grade. Students from both campuses are automatically transferred to our Uptown campus (3rd-8th grade) after their final year at Dixon or the Westbank.

NOLA-PS conducts a lottery to assign students to available seats at ISL. ISL is an open enrollment school for Kindergarten. Students who apply for Kindergarten or who apply to enroll at ISL before September 1st of their First Grade year do not have to be experienced in their target language (French or Spanish). For the best chance of being placed at ISL for Kindergarten, applicants should rank ISL as their first choice on the NCAP.

Students who wish to enter ISL First Grade after September 1st will need to demonstrate the appropriate proficiency in French or Spanish before being entered into the lottery for available seats. Language proficiency is demonstrated by taking a test in Spanish or French. Students will be asked to read, write, speak, and listen in grade-level French or Spanish. Students who apply for a seat in grades 2nd – 8th, must have the appropriate experience in their target language. For example, a student who wants to apply for a seat in our Spanish 2nd grade will need to complete 2nd grade work in Spanish.

No. There is no preference for students who live close to one of our schools.

Students who apply for Kindergarten or First Grade during the regular admissions window don’t have to take a test.  ISL is an open admission school for Kindergarten and new First Grade students. Students who want to transfer to ISL after they have already started First Grade at another school are required to take a target language assessment that measures their ability to read, write, listen, and talk about their school work in French or Spanish.

Some sources describe all schools with any eligibility requirements as “selective.” However, ISL applicants:

• Do not need specific LEAP scores,
• Do not need to be classified or identified as “gifted,”
• Do not need to submit a portfolio of their work. 

Enrollment in Kindergarten and First Grade (during the regular admissions window) is open to all Louisiana students. These grades are typically referred to as Open Enrollment.

The “selective” label comes from the fact that students applying for admission to grades 2-8 (and late entry into First grade) are required to take a language assessment in French or Spanish. The reason for this requirement is that by 2nd grade, ISL students need grade-level French or Spanish fluency and literacy in order to understand, participate, and be successful in their classes.

The main application window opens in late fall and closes in January. Lottery results are typically released in the spring. Students who are new to Louisiana or still need a seat after that time will be able to apply for available seats over the summer. To give a student the best chance for a Kindergarten or first grade seat, families should apply during the main application window. 

Visit a Family Resource Center or www.EnrollNOLAps.com to find out which schools have seats available. More information is available online at www.EnrollNOLAps.com.

You will receive a notification by email from NCAP. You will also receive an email from ISL telling you how to complete your registration and claim your student’s seat. It’s very important to enter your correct email address when you complete your NCAP. Registration for new ISL students takes place online. If you do not have a computer or access to the internet, staff at our campuses will assist you with your registration.

Families can apply for available seats at another ISL campus through the same NCAP process. ISL students do not need to take the language assessment in order to transfer between campuses, but they may not switch target languages. (Our full transfer policy is as follows: ISL participates in the Orleans Parish common application and admissions system. Transfers of current students between ISL campuses are managed by this system in accordance with the common enrollment system’s policies and procedures and ISL’s Charter. Seat availability for all grade levels is determined by ISL’s annual enrollment targets.)

Students who want to enter ISL in grades 2 – 8 are required to pass a language proficiency exam in their target language of French or Spanish. The assessment is taken in two parts (written and oral) and tests for the grade-level ability to read, write, listen, and talk about academic content in the target language. 

No. Students are only allowed to take the admissions test one time in each academic year, calendar year, or admissions cycle. A student who applies for enrollment for the next school year and fails the language assessment is not eligible to apply for immediate enrollment during the current school year. Students who do not pass the language assessment can not be placed in a lower grade to accommodate insufficient language proficiency.

No. The target language assessment must be taken in person. To request an alternate testing date due to an unavoidable conflict, please contact our Admissions office at (504) 229-4391 as soon as possible prior to the scheduled testing date.