NYC’s specialized high schools continue to admit few Black, Latino students, 2022 data shows

While the share of Black and Latino students taking the test increased this year by more than five percentage points, to almost 47% of test-takers, that did not translate into more students earning a score high enough to qualify for admission. (There is no cut-off score for admission. Rather, offers are based on ranked scores, starting with those earning the highest marks.)

Almost 28,000 students took the entrance test this year — 4,000 more than last year.

https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2022/6/15/23169817/nyc-specialized-high-school-admissions-offers-2022…

Teachers union chief cites Stuyvesant HS in ripping standardized testing

American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten critiqued standardized testing Thursday — and specifically cited the racial makeup of heavily Asian Stuyvesant High School as an example of what’s wrong with the system.

“If you need proof of the limitations of standardized tests, consider that of the 750 students admitted to New York Citys acclaimed Stuyvesant High School this coming fall, only eight are Black and 20 are Latino,” she said during an address. “Similar trends are seen at other selective public high schools requiring admissions exams.”

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Stuyvesant students say the crushing workload is hurting their mental health. Here’s what they’re doing about it.

Homework for regular classes is supposed to be capped at an hour over two days, or two hours for Advanced Placement classes, Giordano explained.

Much of the discussion about the path forward has often been mired in the debate over academic standards.

“It often comes down to this zero sum game, that in order to support students’ mental health that we need to give a little on the academics,” he said. “I think they’re both possible. They both need to be possible.”

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NYC mayoral candidates divided on politically fractious elite high school test

“We cannot have admissions practices that have nothing to do with the learning abilities or needs of our kids, that are frankly just testing how much income parents have and for low-income parents who are scraping it together instead of doing other things with their limited dollars,”

Maya Wiley

https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2021/01/28/nyc-mayoral-candidates-divided-on-politically-fractious-elite-high-school-test-1361070…

Students Will Take SHSAT in Person Next Week, Adding to Strain on Middle School Principals

Covid pandemic or not, NYC holds the SHSAT exam.

“It seems incredibly unfair to put families in the position where they, again, any family who chose remote learning, now has to choose whether it is worth jeopardizing the safety and health and well-being of people in their household to send their student, their children, in to take this test,”

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2021/01/22/students-will-take-shsat-in-person-next-week–adding-to-strain-on-middle-school-principals…

New bill seeks to repeal state law governing admissions to NYC’s specialized high schools

“We’re not calling for any policies, we’re just saying the state should stay out of it,” said Assembly Member Charles Barron, a co-sponsor of the legislation introduced Wednesday.

The previous bill never made it to the Senate, where Sen. John Liu was seen as an obstacle to getting legislation through the New York City education committee, which he chairs.

https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2020/7/9/21319383/new-bill-repeal-admissions-nyc-specialized-high-schools…

Lawmakers, advocates launch new effort to repeal state specialized high school law amid racial justice protests

The new effort, spearheaded by the advocacy group Teens Take Charge, comes on the heels of sweeping protests against racial injustice that advocates hope will shine new light on segregation in city schools.

“The recent protests really did show all of us racism is a really big issue and that we need to do better in improving integration in this city,” said William Diep, a 16-year-old Teens Take Charge member, and senior at Brooklyn Latin, one of the city’s specialized schools.

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Attorney Launches ‘DREAMChasers’ Program to Help Underrepresented Students Prepare for SHSAT

The students have been studying with instructors from Khan’s Tutorial. The 11 month course normally costs around $2,500. But these classes, for students from low-income homes, are free—thanks to a program called DREAMChasers. It was created by attorney and Bronx Science alum Jason Clark after visiting his old school and noticing the lack of diversity.

Confirms Kahn Tutorial’s 2019 prices

The SHSAT is “supposed” to be fair, but here students and parents alike are gushing about a $2,500 program.

And sadly very few of Kahn’s Tutorial students will get offers to specialized high schools after spending that much money.…

Elite High-School Debate Simmers as Albany Session Winds Down

They got some relief Wednesday when Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat who attended Brooklyn Technical High School, told reporters he isn’t considering a deal to pass that bill in return for other changes, such as boosting gifted programs.


“I think we should be looking to enrich our junior high-school students as we try to put them on the path to whether it’s a specialized high school or not,” Mr. Heastie said after meeting with New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza.

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