The results of this test also appear to be gender biased, as girls tend to score significantly higher on state exams and receive better grades, but score lower than boys on the SHSAT. (Girls were only admitted to Stuyvesant and Brooklyn Tech in 1969-1970.) The test is quirky in other ways and is scored to give extra points to students who do exceptionally well on the ELA or the math section – rather than those students who score well on both subjects.
Author: siteadmin
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Missing Pieces of the Discussion Around Specialized High Schools and City Education
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A10427: An act to amend the education law, in relation to admission to the specialized high schools in the city of New York
10427--A I N A S S E M B L Y April 20, 2018 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BARRON, BLAKE, DAVILA, MONTESANO, PERRY, SIMON, STECK, PICHARDO, COOK, HOOPER, TAYLOR, RIVERA, PRETLOW, DE LA ROSA, TITUS, DICKENS, WRIGHT, VANEL, BICHOTTE, JOYNER, SOLAGES, ARROYO, WOERNER, THIELE, FERNANDEZ, ERRIGO, ESPINAL, WEPRIN, MOSLEY, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to admission to the specialized high schools in the city of New York THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of the education law, as amended by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows: (b) all specialized [senior] high schools. The [special] SPECIALIZED high schools shall include the [present] schools known as[:] The Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn Technical High School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music [and the Arts in the borough of Manhattan] & ART AND PERFORMING ARTS, and such [further] ADDITIONAL schools [which the city board may designate] AS MAY BE DESIGNATED BY THE CHANCELLOR from time to time. The [special] SPECIALIZED HIGH schools shall be permitted to maintain a discovery program in accordance with the law in effect on the date preceding the effective date of this section; PROVIDED THAT THE REQUIREMENT THAT A STUDENT WHO IS CONSIDERED FOR THE DISCOVERY PROGRAM ATTEND AND PASS A PREPARATORY PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL, DEMON- STRATING THEREBY HIS OR HER ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY COPE WITH THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM, SHALL REFER TO A PROGRAM THAT CAN TAKE PLACE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR OR THE SUMMER; admissions to the [special] SPECIALIZED HIGH schools shall be conducted in accordance with [the law in effect on the date preceding the effective date of this] section TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-H-L OF THIS ARTICLE; EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00247-04-8A. 10427--A 2 S 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of the education law, as amended by chapter 720 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows: (b) all specialized [senior] high schools. The [special] SPECIALIZED high schools shall include the [present] schools known as[:] The Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn Technical High School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music [and the Arts in the borough of Manhattan] & ART AND PERFORMING ARTS, and such [further] ADDITIONAL schools [which the city board may designate] AS MAY BE DESIGNATED BY THE CHANCELLOR from time to time. The [special] SPECIALIZED HIGH schools shall be permitted to maintain a discovery program in accordance with the law in effect on the date preceding the effective date of this section; PROVIDED THAT THE REQUIREMENT THAT A STUDENT WHO IS CONSIDERED FOR THE DISCOVERY PROGRAM ATTEND AND PASS A PREPARATORY PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL, DEMON- STRATING THEREBY HIS OR HER ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY COPE WITH THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM, SHALL REFER TO A PROGRAM THAT CAN TAKE PLACE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR OR THE SUMMER; admissions to the [special] SPECIALIZED HIGH schools shall be conducted in accordance with [the law in effect on the date preceding the effective date of this] section TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-H-1 OF THIS ARTICLE; S 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2590-h-1 to read as follows: S 2590-H-1. ADMISSIONS TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS. 1. ADMISSIONS TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION, PROVIDED THAT STUDENTS MAY ALSO BE ADMITTED TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY AND THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE SCHOOL YEARS PURSUANT TO THE DISCOVERY PROGRAM AS SET FORTH IN SECTION TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-H OF THIS ARTICLE. 2. FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS CONDUCTED DURING THE TWO THOUSAND EIGH- TEEN--TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN SCHOOL YEAR TO DETERMINE ADMISSIONS TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY SCHOOL YEAR, STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE OFFERED ADMISSION TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: (A) STUDENTS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO ARE IN THE TOP THREE PERCENT OF THEIR EIGHTH GRADE CLASS, AS CALCU- LATED BASED ON MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION, AND WHO ACHIEVE A COMPOSITE SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF COMPOSITE SCORE FOR THE SCHOOL SUCH STUDENTS HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO ATTEND, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED THAT SUCH STUDENTS SHALL ALSO RANK IN THE TOP QUARTER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE CITYWIDE BASED ON SUCH MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND PROVIDED FURTHER THAT OPENINGS SHALL BE RESERVED FOR SUCH STUDENTS AT EACH SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF THIS SECTION; (B) STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO TAKE A COMPETITIVE, OBJECTIVE AND SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT EXAMINATION IN THE EIGHTH GRADE AND ACHIEVE A SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF SCORE FOR THE OPENINGS THAT REMAIN IN THE SCHOOL FOR WHICH SUCH STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THE EXAMINATION; AND (C) STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO TAKE A COMPETITIVE, OBJECTIVE AND SCHOLASTIC EXAMINATION IN THE NINTH GRADE AND ACHIEVE A SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF SCORE FOR THE OPENINGS THAT REMAIN IN THE SCHOOL FOR WHICH SUCH STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THE EXAMINATION. A. 10427--A 3 3. FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS CONDUCTED DURING THE TWO THOUSAND NINE- TEEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY SCHOOL YEAR TO DETERMINE ADMISSIONS TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY--TWO THOUSAND TWEN- TY-ONE SCHOOL YEAR, STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE OFFERED ADMISSION TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: (A) STUDENTS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO ARE IN THE TOP FIVE PERCENT OF THEIR EIGHTH GRADE CLASS, AS CALCU- LATED BASED ON MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION, AND WHO ACHIEVE A COMPOSITE SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF COMPOSITE SCORE FOR THE SCHOOL SUCH STUDENTS HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO ATTEND PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED THAT SUCH STUDENTS SHALL ALSO RANK IN THE TOP QUARTER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE CITYWIDE BASED ON SUCH MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND PROVIDED FURTHER THAT OPENINGS SHALL BE RESERVED FOR SUCH STUDENTS AT EACH SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF THIS SECTION; (B) STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO TAKE A COMPETITIVE, OBJECTIVE AND SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT EXAMINATION IN THE EIGHTH GRADE AND ACHIEVE A SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF SCORE FOR THE OPENINGS THAT REMAIN IN THE SCHOOL FOR WHICH SUCH STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THE EXAMINATION; AND (C) STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO TAKE A COMPETITIVE, OBJECTIVE AND SCHOLASTIC EXAMINATION IN THE NINTH GRADE AND ACHIEVE A SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF SCORE FOR THE OPENINGS THAT REMAIN IN THE SCHOOL FOR WHICH SUCH STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THE EXAMINATION. 4. FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS CONDUCTED DURING THE TWO THOUSAND TWEN- TY--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE SCHOOL YEAR AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS TO DETERMINE ADMISSIONS TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE TWO THOU- SAND TWENTY-ONE--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO SCHOOL YEAR AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS, STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THIS SUBDIVI- SION SHALL BE OFFERED ADMISSION TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: (A) STUDENTS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO ARE IN THE TOP FIVE TO SEVEN PERCENT OF THEIR EIGHTH GRADE CLASS, SUCH PERCENTAGE TO BE DETERMINED TO ALLOW OPENINGS TO REMAIN FOR ADMIS- SION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND AS CALCULATED BASED ON MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, DETERMINED AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION, AND WHO ACHIEVE A COMPOSITE SCORE ABOVE OR AT THE CUT-OFF COMPOSITE SCORE FOR THE SCHOOL SUCH STUDENTS HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO ATTEND, DETERMINED AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED THAT SUCH STUDENTS SHALL ALSO RANK 犀利士 IN THE TOP QUARTER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE CITYWIDE BASED ON SUCH MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND PROVIDED FURTHER THAT OPENINGS SHALL BE RESERVED FOR SUCH STUDENTS AT EACH SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF THIS SECTION; AND (B) STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO HAVE A MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.7, PROVIDED SUCH STUDENTS SHALL BE ADMITTED BY A RANDOM SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE OPENINGS THAT REMAIN IN EACH SCHOOL. 5. THE CHANCELLOR SHALL DETERMINE THE MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AS REFERENCED IN THIS SECTION, AND THE WEIGHT OF EACH SUCH MEASURE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH MEASURES SHALL INCLUDE ACADEMIC COURSE GRADES AND STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES. A DESCRIPTION OF SUCH MEASURES AND THE WEIGHT ACCORDED TO EACH SHALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, INCLUDING ON THE WEBSITE OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. A STUDENT WHO IS EVALUATED BASED ON SUCH MEASURES FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE A. 10427--A 4 ASSIGNED A COMPOSITE SCORE BASED ON SUCH WEIGHTED MEASURES. OFFERS OF ADMISSION TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISIONS TWO THROUGH FOUR OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE DETERMINED BY ARRANGING THE COMPOSITE SCORES OF ALL STUDENTS WHO ARE ASSIGNED SUCH SCORES AND WHO THEN COMMIT THEMSELVES TO ATTEND A PARTICULAR SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL IN DESCENDING ORDER FROM THE HIGHEST SCORE AND COUNTING DOWN TO THE CUT-OFF COMPOSITE SCORE, WHICH SHALL BE THE COMPOSITE SCORE OF THE LAST STUDENT WHO RECEIVES AN OFFER OF ADMISSION TO SUCH SCHOOL BASED ON THE NUMBER OF OPENINGS AVAILABLE IN SUCH SCHOOL PURSUANT TO SUCH PARAGRAPH. 6. OFFERS OF ADMISSION TO THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS (B) AND (C) OF SUBDIVISIONS TWO AND THREE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE DETERMINED BY ARRANGING THE SCORES OF ALL THE CANDIDATES WHO TOOK THE COMPETITIVE, OBJECTIVE AND SCHOLASTIC EXAMINATION AND WHO THEN COMMIT THEMSELVES TO ATTEND A PARTICULAR SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL IN DESCENDING ORDER FROM THE HIGHEST SCORE AND COUNTING DOWN TO THE CUT-OFF SCORE, WHICH SHALL BE THE SCORE OF THE LAST CANDIDATE WHO RECEIVES AN OFFER OF ADMISSION TO SUCH SCHOOL BASED ON THE NUMBER OF OPENINGS AVAIL- ABLE IN SUCH SCHOOL. 7. THE NUMBER OF OPENINGS RESERVED AT EACH SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVI- SIONS TWO THROUGH FOUR OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE DETERMINED BY MULTIPLY- ING: (A) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NINTH GRADE AVAILABLE OPENINGS AT SUCH SCHOOL; BY (B) THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISIONS TWO THROUGH FOUR OF THIS SECTION DIVIDED BY THE AGGREGATE NUMBER OF NINTH GRADE AVAILABLE OPENINGS IN ALL THE SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS. 8. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE CONTRARY, ADMISSION TO THE FIORELLO H. LAGUARDIA HIGH SCHOOL OF MUSIC & ART AND PERFORMING ARTS, AND OTHER SCHOOLS OF THE ARTS THAT MAY BE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-H OF THIS ARTICLE, SHALL BE DETER- MINED BY A STUDENT'S DEMONSTRATED ABILITIES IN MUSIC OR THE ARTS AS WELL AS SUCH STUDENT'S SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT. S 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that the amendments to paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of the education law made by section one of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such section pursuant to subdivision 12 of section 17 of chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, as amended when upon such date the provisions of section two of this act shall take effect. -
Best schools shouldn’t be determined by a test
Kaplan Inc., is probably one of the most famous companies students turn to when they need help taking a test. Their preparation courses for tests like the SAT and ACT are part of an industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars (if not in the billions). In fact, the company offers a prep course starting at just under $1,000, and tutoring for $2,600.
If the SHSAT is simply about testing someone’s knowledge of information they should have already learned, why are test prep organizations such big business? And how exactly, outside of a few groups that provide prep inexpensively or free, are those with limited financial means supposed to get access to it?
http://riverdalepress.com/stories/best-schools-shouldnt-be-determined-by-a-test,66322
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Why Gifted and Talented Schools are the Wrong Approach: To diversify schools, reimagine G&T: A bill to expand segregated programs moves in exactly the wrong direction
But we’ve already tried this, and it didn’t work. Back in 2009, Mayor Bloomberg tried to expand gifted programs and switched from multiple measures to a single test score for gifted admission. The result was actually more segregation, and reduced access for black and Latino students: The percentage of black and Latino students entering such programs in kindergarten was cut in half, from 46% of program entrants to just 22%, while the percentage of white and Asian students climbed from 53% to over 70%.
[…]
Furthermore, the city should improve its strategy for serving students once they are in a gifted program. G&T program proponents often refer to them as a form of special education — but this ignores that research on special education overwhelmingly points to the benefits of placing students of all types in regular classrooms as much as possible.
The city’s approach to serving students with disabilities reflects these best practices: Many schools across the city offer integrated co-teaching programs where students with disabilities are educated alongside their general education peers with special education support.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-to-diversify-schools-reimagine-gt-20180803-story.html
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Brooklyn President Eric Adams states his SHSAT position
I believe Eric Adams wanted to do the right thing with the SHSAT exam. He understands how detrimental it is, but ultimately didn’t think it was worth the fight.
we have to meet the demand of highly capable candidates who want a specialized high school seat by expanding seats overall. I am expanding on my existing call for new borough-based specialized high schools by recommending five such schools be created, one in each borough, with admissions considerations that include the SHSAT and academic portfolio standards such as class rank and state test scores. Evaluating the success of this new model at these new schools, as well as the models employed by other top-tier high schools in the city that screen applicants, would be valuable in informing our educational approach as a whole and our admissions process at the specialized high schools.
We know that expanding gifted and talented does not work for many minority communities. These programs benefit the same students with motivated parents who push them and teachers to get them in.
http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2018/jul/02/bp-eric-adams-states-his-shsat-position/
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Educators For Excellence: Open Letter to Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza on Desegregating NYC Schools
Opponents of school desegregation argued in 1977 that “either we have to lower the standards for everybody so the special nature of the schools would disappear, or we would have to allow these students to be subjected to failure.”
It is eerie how today’s opponents repeat these same arguments. This argument assumes that black and Hispanic students are unable to achieve at high levels because they don’t have access to SHSAT test prep. On the contrary, there is no evidence to support the idea that multi-measure admittance will diminish the quality of any of these schools. These arguments are tired dog-whistles to racist assumptions and entirely grounded in efforts to preserve access to these institutions for the few.
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Exam High Schools and Academic Achievement: Evidence from New York City
Publicly funded exam schools educate many of the world’s most talented students. These schools typically contain higher achieving peers, more rigorous instruction, and additional resources compared to regular public schools. This paper uses a sharp discontinuity in the admissions process at three prominent exam schools in New York City to provide the first causal estimate of the impact of attending an exam school in the United States on longer term academic outcomes. Attending an exam school increases the rigor of high school courses taken and the probability that a student graduates with an advanced high school degree. Surprisingly, however, attending an exam school has little impact on Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, college enrollment, or college graduation — casting doubt on their ultimate long term impact.
This was done in 2011, but still important peer-reviewed research.
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SHSAT Invalid: I’ve spent years studying the link between SHSAT scores and student success. The test doesn’t tell you as much as you might think.
First, that requires defining merit. Only New York City defines it as the score on a single test — other cities’ selective high schools use multiple measures, as do top colleges. There are certainly other potential criteria, such as artistic achievement or citizenship.
However, when merit is defined as achievement in school, the question of whether the test is meritocratic is an empirical question that can be answered with data.
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Discovery Expansion: Elite New York High Schools to Offer 1 in 5 Slots to Those Below Cutoff
By 2020, 20 percent of the ninth-grade seats in every specialized high school will be set aside for Discovery students, according to city education officials. Currently, only 5 percent of the 4,000 ninth-grade seats are filled through Discovery.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/13/nyregion/discovery-program-specialized-schools-nyc.html
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Everyone needs help getting into Stuyvesant: What it really takes
Now that I mention it, I don’t think I was all that good at the test questions at the beginning. But my mother, a math teacher, had a blue shoulder bag of “manipulables”: toys, essentially, that she used to explain concepts in geometry and probability. The blue bag was always in the foyer, as if she might need it at the last minute while escaping a fire or running late for work.
My father, who taught English, discussed the books I was reading, even (despite his love of realism) the Star Wars spin-offs. When I got stuck on a test-prep problem, they were happy to help and had time to do so.