Name ______________________

Page 36

Building Background Knowledge

Learning Targets: I can explain the debate that exists about New York Cities specialized schools and racial segregation. Do Now Part 1: Read and annotate the texts below, then answer the questions.

The Ja es Baldwin !chool:

"nnotations:

#hich races are

ost re$resented at Ja es Baldwin% #hich are least re$resented%

#h& do &ou think this is the case%

!tu&'esant (igh !chool:

"nnotations:

#hich races are

ost re$resented at !tu&'esant% #hich are least re$resented%

#h& do &ou think this is the case%

Do Now Part ): Research a *rd N+, high school o- &our choice. 1. Go to www.insideschools.org 2. Click on the school district on the colorful map on the left of the page. 3. Type the name of the school into the box on the right of the page. 4. Fill out the chart below annotate it and answer the !uestions.

Na e o- !chool: ................................

"nnotations:

#hich races are

ost re$resented at this school% #hich are least re$resented%

#h& do &ou think this is the case%

"-ter reading: #hat si ilarities and di--erences do &ou see between school $o$ulations% #hat do &ou think could ex$lain those di--erences%

"cti'ating &our $rior knowledge: W hen beginning to study something new it is important to bring up things you ha"e learned about the topic before so that you can connect new information to it. #n the space below write down e"erything you know about the following two !uestions What do you know about New York Cities specialized schools? Are New York Cities Public schools racially segregated? What makes you say that?

,o on Text: $ead and annotate the text below. %ay special attention to new information you can connect to your prior knowledge.

Charges of Bias in Admission Test Policy at Eight Elite Public High Schools
By AL BAKER Originally Published: September 27, 2012 r!m the "e# $!r% &imes'

Annotate A coalition of educational and civil rights groups filed a federal complaint on Thursday saying that black and Hispanic students were disproportionately excluded from ew !ork City"s most selective high schools because of a single#test admittance policy they say is racially discriminatory$
The complaint% filed with the &nited States Education 'epartment% seeks to have the policy found in violation of the Civil (ights Act of )*+, and to change admissions procedures -to something that is nondiscriminatory and fair to all students%. said 'amon T$ Hewitt% a lawyer with the AACP /egal 'efense and Educational 0und% one of the groups that filed the complaint$ At issue is the Speciali1ed High School Admissions Test% which is the sole criterion for admission to eight speciali1ed schools that% even in the view of city officials% have been troubled by racial demographics that are out of balance$ Although 23 percent of the city"s public school students are black and Hispanic% a far smaller percentage have scored high enough to receive offers from one of the schools$ According to the complaint% 244 of the )5%656 black and Hispanic students who took the exam were offered seats this year$ 0or whites% )%564 of the ,%)3) test takers were offered seats$ 7f 2%))* Asian students who took the test% 5%,*3 were offered seats$ At Stuyvesant High School% the most sought#after school% )* blacks were offered seats in a freshman class of *+2$ -8 refuse to believe there are only )* brilliant African#Americans in the city9 it simply cannot be the case%. :r$ Hewitt said$ -8t is a shameful practice and it must be changed$. The test#only rule has existed for decades% as have complaints about its effect on minority enrollment$ 8n :ay )*2)% after officials began thinking about adding other

criteria for admission% protests from many parents% mostly white% persuaded the State /egislature to enshrine the rule in state law$ :ayor :ichael ($ Bloomberg said at a news conference on Thursday that the schools were -designed for the best and the brightest. and that he saw no need to change the admissions policy or state law$ -8 think that Stuyvesant and these other schools are as fair as fair can be%. :r$ Bloomberg said$ -There"s nothing sub;ective about this$ !ou pass the test% you get the highest score% you get into the school < no matter what your ethnicity% no matter what your economic background is$ That"s been the tradition in these schools since they were founded% and it"s going to continue to be$. A bill introduced in the Assembly last session sought to give the city power over admissions to the schools$ But it was not brought to a vote% said :ichael =hyland% a spokesman for the Assembly speaker% Sheldon Silver$ -=e"ll look at the issue and study it%. :r$ =hyland said$ -7f course we want to make sure everyone has e>ual access to all our schools$. A city Education 'epartment spokeswoman% 'eidrea :iller% said the department -has launched several initiatives to improve diversity$. Those include a free test# preparation course aimed at poor students$ 'aren Briscoe% a spokesman for the federal Education 'epartment% said the complaint -has been received and is under review$. The complaint does not claim the test is culturally biased$ But it says that its use has led to racial disparities and that there is no conclusive data showing the test predicts a student"s success$ Chester E$ 0inn ?r$% president of the Thomas B$ 0ordham 8nstitute% an education policy group% said that in researching )+6 selective high schools around the country% he found that ew !ork City"s speciali1ed schools were the only ones that used a single test as the sole admission criterion$ 7thers use multiple factors including grades% teacher recommendations% essays and interviews$ -They are more like college admissions procedures% or private colleges% that try to look at a kid holistically%. said :r$ 0inn% who% with ?essica Hockett% was a co#author of the recent book -Exam Schools@ 8nside America"s :ost Selective Public High Schools$. But he said ew !ork"s law was less worrisome to him considering the -do1ens and do1ens. of other academically high#powered schools in the city that do not use the

test$ -The larger challenge for the city is to prepare its minority children so that they will do well on the various screening re>uirements for the city"s large number of good high schools% including the ones that re>uire this test$. :ost students interviewed Thursday at the Bronx High School of Science% one of the oldest speciali1ed schools% said Thursday that they did not believe the test was discriminatory$ =hen asked the uncomfortable >uestion of why the racial imbalance existed% some students mentioned the intensive tutoring services that are out of reach of poorer families$ But others did not hesitate to say that they believed the family culture of Asian and white students put a higher value on educational achievement than others$ -African#American and Hispanic parents don"t always seek out extra help for their kids and their kids don"t score as high%. said :an;it Singh% a senior$ -But it"s the same test for everyone% so how can it be discriminatoryA 8f you can"t handle the test% you can"t handle the school% and you"re taking up someone else"s spot$. oah :orrison% a senior who is black% was not ready to change the policy% either% but he agreed that -there needs to be more racial diversity at this school$. -There are no black people and it"s horrible%. he said$ -The test is fine% but there need to be more opportunities for people to do well on it$ There need to be more test#prep programs in underachieving middle schools with high black and /atino populations$ 8t"s a socioeconomic problem$.

"-ter Reading ,o on Text: W hat new information can you add to your background knowledge about this topic after reading the common text&

/xit Ticket: 'xplain how the ()C speciali*ed high schools admit students and why some people think this is a problem. "nd what questions does this issue raise -or &ou% +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++