Chancellor David Banks announced today the controversial admissions test is here to stay. Andrew Siff reports.
In a move that will please some parents and anger others, New York City is making changes to the public school admissions process.
After months of anticipation, NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks announced on Thursday that the controversial admissions test will be here to stay, and that applications will also open much earlier than in the past.
"If you’re working hard and making the grade, you should not be thrown into a lottery with everybody," Banks said.
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Here are the details families need to know:
- At more than 100 "screened high schools, students in Tier One (with a grade average of 90 or above) will be the first ones admitted by lottery
- At select middle schools, the criteria will be similar, although each superintendent will decide
While Banks called it a "threshold of excellence," critics were vocal in their displeasure. Some worried it would further inequality, as one parent suggested that not all students receive the same help at home.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander said that sorting kids by academic grades "will reinforce segregation in our schools." But Banks insisted his decision to embrace grades won't make racial divisions worse.
"I do not accept the notion that Black and Latino families don’t score above 90," he said.
Even some of the principals standing with the chancellor's decision acknowledged that families need to learn their options.
"I’m a mom myself, and you have to do a lot of research," said Principal Lakeisha Gordon.
In another key announcement, the city said it would be keeping what’s called the SHSAT — the Specialized High School Admissions Test, which is used to determine who gets into highly desired schools like Stuyvesant High School.
Also new: Students will be allowed to take the selective high school exam at their own schools on a weekday. In the past, they’d have to travel sometimes out of borough on a Saturday — which many saw as yet another barrier.
Previous Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration tried unsuccessfully to replace the test, which Banks said was the wrong call, saying it was an effort to "take these opportunities away."
SHSAT registration begins again the first week of October, while high school admissions begin on Oct. 12. Middle school admissions begin Oct. 26 — which is earlier than ever, done to give parents more time before the December deadline.
The revamped calendar and policy impacts tens of thousands of families across the city. The chancellor said that bottom line: Families should strive for good grades.
"That ought to be honored. I don’t wanna de-incentive hard work," Banks said.
