NY State Senate Bill 2011-S6589

Senate Bill S6589

2011-2012 Legislative Session

Authorizes the board of education of the city school district of the city of New York to establish standards for admission to special high schools

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 01, 2012	referred to education

2011-S6589 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9064
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§2590-g & 2590-h, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S1827, A4204
2015-2016: S1787, A6379
2017-2018: S8503, A10427
2019-2020: S1415, A2173
2021-2022: S3037
2023-2024: S5765

2011-S6589 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the board of education of the city school district of the city of New York to establish standards for admission to special high schools.

2011-S6589 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S6589

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to admission to a special high
school in the city school district of the city of New York

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to allow the New York City
Department of Education to establish standards for admission to
designated specialized high schools

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISION:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section
2590-g of the education law is amended to read:

4. Provided, further, the city board shall establish procedures and
standards for the admission to the special high schools of the city
district, including the grade point averages of applicants, personal
statements of interest submitted by applicants and such other factors
as the city board shall determine to be necessary.

§ S. Subdivision 2 of section 2590-g of the education law is amended
to read as follows: Provided further, the city board shall establish
procedures and standards for the admission to the special high
schools of the city district including the grade point averages of

applicants, personal statements of interest submitted by the
applicants and such other factors as the city board shall determine
to be necessary

§ 5. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law, except that sections
two and four of this act shall take effect on the same date as
sections 2590-g and 2509-h of the education law expire and revert
pursuant to chapter 354 of the laws of 2009, as amended, when upon
such date sections one and three of this act shall be deemed
repealed, provided, further, that effective immediately any actions
necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective
date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such
date.

JUSTIFICATION:
Students seeking admission into one of New York City
specialized high schools must take the SHSAT. The results of this
exam are the only factor considered for student admission, not grade
point average, written statements or letters of recommendation. It is
astounding that these high schools can use such antiquated measures
of evaluation. Methods that research proves are not accurate measures
of student performance, capability or intellect. The MAT is a snap
shot of the student and more accurately measures their test taking

ability than their worthiness of admission into NYC elite public high
schools.

Furthermore, using this test as the sole basis for admission further
exacerbates the racial gap persistent in the enrollment of these
schools. combined white and Asian students account for 70 percent of
the students admitted to these schools, conversely Black and Hispanic
children make up 72 percent of citywide enrollment in the public
school system but only account for 11 percent of the student
enrollment at these institutions. Research has consistently shown
that minorities perform worse on standardized test than their white
counterparts.
However, these students are no less capable or intelligent. There has
been much research dedicated to the racial gap in standardized
testing, it exist.

Our elite colleges and universities use other measures in addition to
the SAT for admission. It is only logical that New York City stop
relying on the test only for admission and formulate a more common
sense policy.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, except that
sections two and four of this act shall take effect on the same date
as sections 2590-g and 2509-h of the education law expire and revert
pursuant to chapter 354 of the laws of 2009, as amended, when upon
such date sections one and three of this act shall be deemed
repealed, provided, further, that effective immediately any actions
necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective
date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such
date.

2011-S6589 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6589

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 1, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced by Sen. ESPAILLAT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to admission to a special
  high school in the city school district of the city of New York

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 2590-g of the  education  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  345  of  the  laws  of 2009, is amended to read as
follows:
  4. subject to the provisions of section twenty-five  hundred  ninety-i
of  this  article, maintain such jurisdiction over city-wide educational
policies governing the special, academic,  vocational,  and  other  high
schools  authorized  by  this article [before the effective date of this
section] as the respective community district education  councils  main-
tain  over  the  schools  within  their jurisdiction, which shall not be
construed to require or authorize  the  day-to-day  supervision  or  the
administration  of  the  operations of such schools.  PROVIDED, FURTHER,
THE CITY BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS FOR  THE  ADMIS-
SION  TO  THE  SPECIAL  HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE CITY DISTRICT, INCLUDING THE
GRADE POINT AVERAGES OF  APPLICANTS,  PERSONAL  STATEMENTS  OF  INTEREST
SUBMITTED  BY  APPLICANTS AND SUCH OTHER FACTORS AS THE CITY BOARD SHALL
DETERMINE TO BE NECESSARY.
  S 2. Subdivision 4 of section 2590-g of the education law, as  amended
by chapter 720 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
  4.  subject  to the provisions of section twenty-five hundred ninety-i
of this article, maintain such jurisdiction over policies governing  the
special,  academic, vocational and other high schools authorized by this
article [before the effective date of this section]  as  the  respective
community  boards  maintain  over the schools within their jurisdiction,
which shall not be construed to  require  or  authorize  the  day-to-day
supervision  or  the  administration  of the operations of such schools.
PROVIDED, FURTHER, THE CITY BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES AND  STAND-
ARDS FOR THE ADMISSION TO THE SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE CITY DISTRICT,
INCLUDING THE GRADE POINT AVERAGES OF APPLICANTS, PERSONAL STATEMENTS OF

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD13571-01-1

S. 6589                             2

INTEREST  SUBMITTED  BY  APPLICANTS  AND  SUCH OTHER FACTORS AS THE CITY
BOARD SHALL DETERMINE TO BE NECESSARY.
  S 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of the education
law,  as  amended by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read
as follows:
  (b) all specialized senior high  schools.  The  special  high  schools
shall include the present schools known as:
  The  Bronx  High  School  of Science, Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn
Technical High School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School  of  Music  and
the Arts in the borough of Manhattan, and such further schools which the
city board may designate from time to time. The special schools shall be
permitted  to maintain a discovery program in accordance with the law in
effect on the date preceding the effective date of this section[; admis-
sions to the special schools shall be conducted in accordance  with  the
law in effect on the date preceding the effective date of this section];
  S 4. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of the education
law,  as  amended by chapter 720 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read
as follows:
  (b) all specialized senior high  schools.  The  special  high  schools
shall include the present schools known as:
  The  Bronx  High  School  of Science, Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn
Technical High School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School  of  Music  and
the Arts in the borough of Manhattan, and such further schools which the
city board may designate from time to time. The special schools shall be
permitted  to maintain a discovery program in accordance with the law in
effect on the date preceding the effective date of this section[; admis-
sions to the special schools shall be conducted in accordance  with  the
law in effect on the date preceding the effective date of this section];
  S  5. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law, except that  sections  two
and  four  of  this  act  shall take effect on the same date as sections
2590-g and 2590-h of the education law expire  and  revert  pursuant  to
chapter  345  of  the  laws  of  2009,  as  amended, when upon such date
sections one and three of this act shall be deemed  repealed;  provided,
further,  that effective immediately, any actions necessary to implement
the provisions of this act on its  effective  date  are  authorized  and
directed to be completed on or before such date.

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