Category: analysis
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Is the SHSAT a Valid Test?
The fact that the test changes so frequently with no impact on the quality of graduates from the specialized high schools also argues against the utility of the exam as a necessary factor in that success. http://akilbello.com/is-the-shsat-a-valid-test/
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Two key questions about how New York City admits students into its elite public schools
Two key questions about the Specialized High School Admission Test (SHSAT) have not received enough attention in the current debate. First, is the SHSAT a good test? Second, is using a test, even if it’s good, as the sole basis for admission a good idea? The answer to the second question is easy. No. No…
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Important Technical Features of the SHSAT Exam
Recently @akilbello went over some very important open questions regarding the SHSAT. These remind us of how important it is for the NYC Department of Education to immediately release the SHSAT manual. Read the lengthy twitter thread here.
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NYC selective high school admissions uproar a symptom of a much bigger problem
Multiple studies have found no difference in college enrollment, college quality or graduation rates of kids who just barely met the test score cutoff for selective public schools like Stuyvesant and those who just barely missed the mark and then attended more ordinary public high schools, Valant said. Valant would like to see selective schools drop their test-in requirements and…
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New York City High Schools’ Endless Segregation Problem
The public schools in New York State are the most segregated in the country, according to a 2014 study from the Civil Rights Project at UCLA. That’s largely driven by New York City. The selective high schools are by no means the only places where inequality exists in the system, but they are the most visible, the…
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Stuyvesant Alumni President: Calling NYC Schools ‘Segregated’ Makes Me ‘Feel Like I’m a Bad Person’
“How is this possible, that people are saying we’re segregated, we’re Jim Crow,” Kim told the Times. “These words are too harsh. It makes me feel like I’m a bad person.” This is a striking and revelatory assessment of what’s happening. New York City officials admitted long ago to having a segregated public school system, and…
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Asian Test-Prep Centers Offer Parents Exactly What They Want: ‘Results’
At GPS, as with its competitors, one of the most popular courses focuses on New York City’s Specialized High School Admissions Test, an entrance requirement for eight of the city’s nine specialized high schools. (LaGuardia High, a performing-arts school, has an audition system.) Less than 20 percent of eighth graders who take the exam clear…
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Pro-SHSAT Activists have Spent over Quarter Million Dollars Lobbying NY Democrats
Some advocates for keeping the test have decided to invest in lobbyists. The alumni foundation for Bronx High School of Science, one of the elite high schools, signed a $96,000 contract with lobbying firm Bolton-St. John, according to public filings. Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, which renewed a $120,000 contract with firm Yoswein, has lobbied for…
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Response: De Blasio’s attempt to reduce the number of Asian-American students in the Discovery Program is unconstitutional
Recently, Attorney “Chris Kieser” wrote an opinion on the SHSAT, Specialized High Schools, and the Discovery Program. Sadly, being an opinion piece, there was little fact-checking. Mr. Kieser’s comments are quoted below. New York City’s specialized high schools are the envy of the nation. The above statement seems to be the standard opening to the…