Public School Admissions Policy Update

NYC has announced changes to school admissions in response to COVID-19.

The City’s current screened admissions process excludes students from the most historically marginalized communities, denies access and opportunity to all students, and perpetuates systemic racism.

Middle schools will “pause” discriminatory screens for next year and use a lottery admissions system.

We have been working for years to end middle school screens. We are committed to making this “pause” permanent because screens have ALWAYS been discriminatory.

High school geographic priorities will be permanently eliminated over the next two years, starting with District 2.

D2 Priority has created some of the most inequitable screened schools in NYC. We have been fighting for years to eliminate this discriminatory and segregating practice.

High school admissions will still use grades and test scores from years prior to the pandemic. Schools with arts auditions will have a virtual audition system. Previous years test scores are incredibly inequitable and not all students have access to adequate technology to participate in virtual settings.

High school screening will be run by the NYC Department of Education (DOE). Screened schools have historically lacked transparency in their rubrics and how they admit students. Increased power of the DOE is not necessarily good, but this will provide the transparency we have been advocating for.

The city has said that individual schools can replace their screens with other admissions methods. We will hold the city accountable to this and urge Principals and communities to make these changes permanent in middle schools and introduce more equitable admissions in high schools.

For any student who wants to take the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), it will be given at their middle school building.

COVID-19 will exacerbate the existing inequities in the SHSAT and create MORE segregation. The state should eliminate the high stakes test entirely.

These changes are a huge step toward integrating middle schools and making high school admissions more transparent, but our work is not done!

Until there is a full and permanent transformation in admissions that prioritizes integration and equity, we will design real solutions and take action!