Support Services
PPS Family Support Centers value the unique gifts that each student brings to our schools, as well as the assets that come from a diverse student body. We work to ensure that all students in Portland Public Schools reach their full potential by removing barriers to academic success and by linking students and their families to educational resources and district and community supports.
Staff at the Family Support Centers recognize and value the role of families. Young people have a better chance for success when their families are well-informed and healthy, and when they have their basic needs met. Additionally, students benefit when their families are connected to their schools.
Portland Public Schools operates two Family Support Centers, with two convenient locations — the former Applegate School in North Portland and adjacent to Kelly Elementary School in Southeast Portland. The centers, open to all PPS families and students, offer a personalized link between families and schools. We are committed to offering individualized service to everyone who visits. We focus on providing services that are:
- Collaborative
- Family-centered
- Respectful and honoring of diversity
- Focused on school success
- Culturally specific
Academic supports available at the Family Support Centers:
- ESL assessment and placement
- Assistance with school registration
- Assistance with school choice, school transfer questions and applications
- District translation and interpretation services
- Credit-options exam
- Language-proficiency testing
- High school completion counseling
- Interpretation and credit recommendations for foreign transcripts
- Talented and Gifted assessments
- On-site language support in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian
- Information and registration for Supplemental Educational Services (SES) at eligible schools
