^^ Not only has the demographics gone in the wrong directions for Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, the younger students have shown “weaknesses” in math and science classes. Fewer strong math students are admitted. I’m not convinced imposing socioeconomic quotas will solve this problem. There is a very real concern that TJ will not be the premier high school it has been in the past with this “solution”.
As for New York high schools, specialized and otherwise, entry is one crazy process that is not for the faint of heat. I’m not surprised the affluent and wealthy students have gone private - entrance its often easier than the specialized high schools.
Staten Island Tech, which was not previously a “specialized high school” was moved under the umbrella of that test because from the opening of that school until that time, it was found that the holistic process which involved grades, was so easily and often gamed that it was deemed better for both fairness and diversity to go to the test only model for admission.
The high school process in NYC is sadistic and miserable. In addition to the kids that don’t get into a specialized school, there are approximately 10,000 who don’t get into any school at all in the main round, leaving them stuck with whatever is left, which could be anything and anywhere. Many schools give out the decision package in school, leaving the kids with bad or no choices to be devastated and humuliated in public. I hate that.
There is also an additional round to the specialized, regular and supplemental. Kids who score in the top1% in the state on the 7th grade ELA get a letter telling them they have yet more options and receive their specialized admission (if there is one) on the spot and generally have to make a decision very quickly and before the main round for the rest of the kids. My D was one of those kids and there was staggering pressure on her.
I really don’t know what the answer is and I’ve gone through the process three times, with one kid admitted to Stuyvesant who said “no, no and heck no” about attending, and onewho got into LaGuardia and decided to go elsewhere, as well. Personally, I would love to see an anonymous study of the top black and hispanic kids in middle school which asks whether they truly WANT to go to one of those schools. If the answer to that is no, maybe admission numbers could be raised if their concerns were addressed and they freely and fully engaged themselves in preparing for the exam because they wanted to be there.
NYC has some good high schools that do use the type of system the critics suggest. While some have a much higher percentage of black and Hispanic students than the specialized high schools, their percentage is still way below what it is in the entire system. The biggest disparity between the racial make up in these schools and the specialized high schools tends to be in the percentage of whites and Asians, i.e., lots more whites, far fewer Asians. Beacon is an example. Stats are from InsideSchools.org.
STUDENTS AT THIS SCHOOL
ASIAN 9%
BLACK 15%
HISPANIC 25%
WHITE 48%
Personally, I think you also have to recognize that some of the criteria you suggest discriminate against Asian kids. Jean Kwok wrote an interesting column for Time magazine about this. If you don’t recognize the name, she is the author of “Girl In Translation” and “Mambo in Chinatown.” She went to Hunter High and to Harvard College.
She said that at age 11, when she applied to Hunter, she followed the traditional practice in her Asian community. When speaking to an adult, she was taught NEVER to look the adult in the eye. It is considered extremely disrespectful. Of course, when the interviewers aren’t aware of this, immigrant Asian kids bomb interviews. Maybe that’s part of the reason Beacon, which requires an interview, has relatively few. Location on the Upper West Side probably hurts too. There may be other factors I’m unaware of.
Still, I have no doubt that Kwok is right. Asian immigrant kids who don’t look interviewers in the eye and may have thick accents aren’t going to do well when an interview is required.
I am also very wary of asking for principal recommendations. The unfortunate reality is that many public elementary and middle schools in NYC rely heavily on parent fundraising. I think it would be hard for a principal to give a lousy rec or just medioce rec to a kid whose family donates generously to the school, especially if there are younger siblings.
Using middle school grades is very problematic due to the wide disparity of academic rigor between middle schools. What could be an A in one academically mediocre middle school could be a C, D, or even F in another.
Moreover, there’s also a serious issue with grades being influenced by non-academic factors such as the artistic quality of a dubiously graded homework project for an academic course rather than mostly/solely its academic content or worse, possible middle school teacher biases which tend to favor students who may be more extroverted and people pleasers, but not necessarily best suited for the academic environment of a SHS.
One alum friend who is on the spectrum has said if grades/teacher recommendations were factored in, there was no way he’d be admitted to our SHS which paved the road toward academic and now career success as an attorney. His middle school teachers disliked him enough to attempt discouraging and obstructing his attempts to register and take the SHS exam. Fortunately, he was stubborn enough to resist them. However, most middle school students may not have the stubborn streak and mental strength to withstand substantial resistance from biased middle school teachers/admins.
All of which tend to favor more extroverted students with strong social skills and from higher SES backgrounds due to not having time constraints from factors such as working a part-time/weekend job to contribute to the family finances. It also introduces additional room for middle school teacher/admin favoritism and exertion of influence from parents friendly with them.
Not to mention unlike a 16-18 year old applying to college, most middle school kids applying to HSs haven’t developed the maturity or mental independence to define their own path independently from their parents.
Are opportunities/venues to exercise those leadership skills, community service, etc mostly/completely those of the middle school student him/herself…or just as/mostly belonging to their parents who provided substantial influence, support, submitted requisite paperwork, and possibly even provided transportation to/from said venues?