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In a reversal, Manhattan school district to screen students for new middle school honors program
By
Jessica Gould
Published Oct 6, 2023
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By
Jessica Gould
Published Oct 6, 2023
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After moving away from selective admissions policies for middle schools, one of New York City’s wealthiest school districts will now “screen” again — this time for students applying to four new honors programs that will operate within schools.
The new programs will launch this fall at MS 131, Sun Yat Sen Middle School; MS 167, Wagner Middle School; MS 297, 75 Morton Middle School; and MS 104, Baruch Middle School. All four will maintain general education programs along with the addition of the honors track.
District 2 Superintendent Kelly McGuire wrote in a letter to parents this week that students at four middle schools who apply for the programs will be evaluated by their final fourth grade report cards.
“Over the past several months we have spoken with District 2 parents and families about middle school admissions,” McGuire said in the letter. “While there is a wide diversity of perspectives across our district, we have developed a plan that offers pathways for accelerated learning through screened programs, maintained sibling priority, and ensured that all students have access to every District 2 middle school.”
District 2 covers a long swath of Manhattan that includes the Upper East Side and Tribeca.
“Families seeking to enroll their child in one of these four zoned schools will have the option of including the general program and/or the screened program on their child’s middle school application,” McGuire said.
The shift in District 2 middle school admissions is the latest in the ongoing debate around selective screens in the city’s public schools.
Many educators, students, parents and civil rights activists have zeroed in on admission screens as a driver of the deep segregation in city’s schools. Research shows schools that use selective admissions – like test scores, grades, and attendance – have far fewer Black and Latino students.
But some parents have lobbied fiercely for selective admissions saying their children yearn for accelerated options, and maintaining those options will retain families considering leaving the public school system.
Prior to the pandemic, there were 196 middle schools citywide – about 40% of the total – that evaluated students by some combination of grades, tests scores and attendance. In District 2, 18 of 23 middle schools had selective admissions before the pandemic.
A major shift away from the practice began in late 2020, at the very end of the de Blasio Administration. After years of pressure to address segregation in city schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he was “pausing” all screened admissions at middle schools. Officials said at the time the move significantly increased the proportion of students from low-income families at those high-demand middle schools.
But last year, the Adams administration said superintendents could decide whether to reinstate the screens. Only 59 schools of 478 middle schools citywide opted to screen students last year. District 2 was one of the districts that decided to keep its middle schools unscreened.
Gavin Healy, a District 2 Community Education Council member, said he believes “there was a tremendous amount of pressure from … a small group of parents who want to control who their kids go to school with.” Healy said he believes eliminating screens increases diversity and equity and called the creation of the new honors tracks “a step backwards.”
In contrast, Craig Slutzkin, also a District 2 Community Education Council member, argued “there’s a huge demand for accelerated learning in the district.”
Slutzkin is treasurer of the parent group PLACE NYC, which stands for Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum Education. Candidates endorsed by PLACE NYC swept local community education council elections last spring, including the council in District 2.
Critics have accused PLACE members of promoting conservative, anti-diversity and right-wing policies, sometimes through racially-charged language. PLACE leaders have maintained that members don’t adhere to a single political ideology, but are united by their support of rigorous academics.
The headline of this story has been updated to more accurately portray the school district.
Tagged
Politics
education
manhattan
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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