Specialized High Schools Proposal - Making Admissions to the Specialized High Schools More Equitable for All Students

Sep 15, 2026

Proposal outlines a plan to make admissions to New York City Specialized High Schools more equitable while maintaining academic rigor. It introduces expanding the Discovery summer enrichment program to 20% of seats per school and targeting students at high-poverty schools using an Economic Need Index threshold. It also sets a phased approach to move away from SHSAT by offering seats to top performers from each middle school using math/ELA exam results and course grades, with legal change required. Goals include increased diversity and broader middle-school representation across the city.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Goals

Use multiple factors beyond SHSAT

Maintain academic rigor and increase diversity

What is the proposal?

Now

Expand Discovery program to 20% of seats

Phase out SHSAT and base offers on top-performing students

Composite ranking and year-by-year phase-out plan

What would this proposal accomplish?

Academics and outcomes for top 7% students

Specialized High Schools Proposal Making Admissions to the Specialized High Schools More Equitable for All Students The Specialized High Schools are: • The Bronx High School of Science • The Brooklyn Latin School • Brooklyn Technical High School • High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College of New York • High School of American Studies at Lehman College • Queens High School for the Sciences at York College • Staten Island Technical High School • Stuyvesant High School A ninth Specialized High School, LaGuardia High School, is not part of this proposal. 2 GOALS Consider more than a single exam Maintain academic rigor Increase diversity A better and fairer admissions process: • Use multiple factors—not the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT)—to make offers to students. o A single exam is not the best indicator of student potential. o New York City is the only district in the country to admit students based on a single exam.* • Maintain the academic rigor of the Specialized High Schools (SHS). • Increase diversity at the Specialized High Schools. o In 2016, 50% of SHS offers went to students at only 4% of all New York City middle schools . We want the students attending the SHS to come from middle schools across the city and to better reflect our city’s diverse populations. o Black and Latino students make up 68% of the NYC high school population, but only 9% of those offered a seat. o Low-income students make up 75% of the NYC high school population, but only 40% of those offered a seat. *Research based on Exam Schools: Inside America’s Most Selective Public High Schools by Finn and Hockett 3 What is the proposal? 4 NOW Expand the Discovery program to 20% of seats Target students at high-poverty schools Part 1 ▪ Begin to expand the Discovery program to 20% of seats at each SHS. The Discovery program is a summer enrichment program that helps highperforming, disadvantaged students gain admission to a SHS. | | Students will be eligible if they meet all of the following three criteria: | | --- | --- | | 1 | Score right below the cutoff score on the SHSAT. | | 2 | Are disadvantaged based on their household income, housing situation, or English Language Learner status. | | 3 | Attend a high-poverty school. | A high-poverty school has an Economic Need Index (ENI) of at least 60% . This estimates the percentage of students in a school who face economic hardship. Look up any school’s ENI on [the school performance dashboard:](the school performance dashboard: tools.nycenet.edu/dashboard/)[ ](the school performance dashboard: tools.nycenet.edu/dashboard/)[tools.nycenet.edu/dashboard](the school performance dashboard: tools.nycenet.edu/dashboard/)[/](the school performance dashboard: tools.nycenet.edu/dashboard/) . 5 NEXT Phase out SHSAT Offers go to top-performing students Part 2 • Over three years, phase out the SHSAT. • Make SHS offers to the top 7% of students from each DOE public middle school. • Students would receive ranks based on (1) their 7th grade New York State Math and ELA exam scores and (2) their 7 th grade English, math, social studies, and science course grades compared to other students in their school.* • Students would be ordered by their rank to determine top performers at each school. • To receive a SHS offer, top-performing students’ ranks would also need to be in the top 25% of the city. New York State Law currently requires the SHSAT as the sole criterion for admission to the SHS. In order for any of these changes to go into effect, the New York State legislature must vote to change state law. *Composite score formula: 55% average course grade performance + 45% average ELA and math NY state exam performance 6 NEXT Phase out SHSAT Offers go to topperforming students Part 2: Phase-out proposal | | Offers would be made… | | --- | --- | | Year 1 | First to: Top 3%

FAQs

What are the main goals of the proposal for Specialized High Schools admissions?

The proposal aims to consider more than a single exam, maintain academic rigor, and increase diversity. It seeks a better and fairer admissions process that reflects the city’s diverse middle-school populations.

How does the Discovery program expansion work in the proposal?

The plan expands the Discovery program to 20% of seats at each specialized high school. Eligibility requires meeting three criteria: scoring right below the SHSAT cutoff, being disadvantaged by income/housing or English Learner status, and attending a high-poverty school defined by an ENI threshold.

How would SHSAT be phased out over the three years?

Over three years, SHSAT would be phased out by making offers first to the top percentage of students from each DOE public middle school (top 3%, then 5%, then 7%). Remaining offers would transition away from SHSAT, with later years including additional groups and a lottery for remaining seats under specified grade requirements.

Sep 15, 2026

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