New York City’s Department of Education has twice postponed the vote by the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) on the contract for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), sparking concerns among parents and education advocacy groups. Mayor Adams expressed his support for the specialized high school entrance exam and believes that more specialized high schools should be added to increase opportunities for students to enter these institutions.
The proposal in New York City suggests that the specialized high school entrance exam should no longer use answer sheets and instead develop a computerized version of the test. The vote on the multi-year, $17 million contract with Pearson, scheduled for last month and then rescheduled to November 20, has now been delayed again.
Representing parents in Queens, PEP member Adriana Alicea stated to the New York Daily News, “Students indeed need to take the exam next year, that’s our responsibility. If the exam is conducted on computers, anything can go wrong. We need alternatives and a fail-safe. However, the relevant questions we have raised have not been answered yet.”
According to New York State law, admissions to the city’s eight specialized high schools are determined through the Specialized High School Admissions Test. Data from the Department of Education shows that approximately 25,700 eighth-grade students took the SHSAT last year.
Mayor Adams reiterated his support for specialized high schools during a media briefing on November 19 when addressing concerns regarding the SHSAT contract raised by New York Voice News. He said, “I believe I am a supporter of specialized high schools. I believe we should not deprive accelerated learners of opportunities but rather expand them. That’s why former Education Chancellor Banks supported opening new schools. We need to provide pathways for accelerated learners.”
Adams mentioned that he was unaware of the reason for the voting delay and stated, “Let me investigate why it was postponed. But we should always provide opportunities for accelerated learners; we need to expand these opportunities. It’s disheartening that many accelerated learners, due to a lack of seats, may miss admissions by just a few points. We need to diversify our specialized high schools. When I grew up in the 70s, these programs clearly put these children on the path of test preparation and provided support, and that’s what we are doing at City Hall to provide that support.”
Lastly, Adams emphasized, “So, we don’t need to deprive opportunities. We need to expand them.”
Yiatin Chu, Co-Chair of PLACE NYC, urged Mayor Adams to take swift action, stating, “We are pleased to hear Mayor Adams’ support for New York City’s specialized high schools and his commitment to accelerated education, and we urge him to exert mayoral control over NYC Public Schools to ensure the prompt approval of the Pearson SHSAT contract.”
Chu added, “For families seeking rigorous academic education in these institutions with outstanding historical backgrounds, specialized high schools remain a reliable admission choice.”
If the contract is approved, the SHSAT will transition to computer-based testing. In recent years, exams such as the SAT, college placement tests, and tests in New York state have increasingly moved to online administration.