“Two New York City councilmembers are proposing an overhaul of admissions at the city’s specialized high schools, citing a persistent lack of Black and Latino students.
Councilmembers Nantasha Williams and Lincoln Restler wrote in a new letter that the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test should no longer serve as the sole determinant for admission to five of the city’s eight elite high schools. They also suggest expanding enrollment at those schools by thousands of seats.
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Defenders of the exam have said that it is an objective measure and strong predictor of success at the rigorous schools.
“We should prepare all NYC students so they can compete and excel at these schools, not tinker with admissions with the explicit goal of changing the racial composition of the student body,” said Yiatin Chu, co-president of Parent Leaders of Accelerated Curriculum and Education.
She said her group supports the expansion of seats at the specialized schools and in other accelerated programs.”
Read the article: https://gothamist.com/news/councilmembers-make-new-push-to-improve-diversity-at-nyc-specialized-high-schools