NY State Senate Bill 2015-S1787A

Senate Bill S1787A

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Relates to admission to a special high school in the city school district in a city having a population of one million or more

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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to education
Apr 15, 2015	print number 1787a
Apr 15, 2015	amend (t) and recommit to education
Mar 19, 2015	notice of committee consideration - requested
Jan 14, 2015	referred to education

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2015-S1787 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6379
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§2590-g & 2590-h, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S6589, A9064
2013-2014: S1827, A4204
2017-2018: S8503, A10427
2019-2020: S1415, A2173
2021-2022: S3037
2023-2024: S5765

2015-S1787 - Summary

Relates to admission to a special high school in the city school district in a city having a population of one million or more.

2015-S1787 - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S1787

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.

§ 2. Subdivision 4 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.

2015-S1787 - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  1787

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 14, 2015
                               ___________

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 ADMISSION TO
THE SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE CITY DISTRICT, WHICH  SHALL  CONSIST  OF
MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT MERIT INCLUDING THE GRADE POINT AVERAGES OF
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 added 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.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01898-01-5

S. 1787                             2

PROVIDED,  FURTHER, THE CITY BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES AND STAND-
ARDS FOR ADMISSION TO THE SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOLS  OF  THE  CITY  DISTRICT,
WHICH  SHALL CONSIST OF MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT MERIT INCLUDING THE
GRADE  POINT  AVERAGES  OF 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]  ADDITIONAL
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[;  admissions  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] ADDITIONAL
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[;  admissions  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; provided that the amend-
ments to subdivision 4 of section 2590-g of the education law,  made  by
sections  one  and  two  of this act, shall apply to the Stuyvesant high
school, the Bronx high school of science, the  Brooklyn  technical  high
school,  the Staten Island technical high school, the Queens high school
for the sciences at York  college,  the  high  school  for  mathematics,
science  and  engineering  at City college, the high school for American
studies at Lehman college, the Brooklyn Latin school, and all additional
schools that the board of education of the city school district  of  the
city  of  New York designates as special high schools, not including the
Fiorello H. LaGuardia high school  of  music  and  the  arts;  provided,
further,  that  the  amendments  to  subdivision 4 of section 2590-g and
paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of  the  education  law
made by sections one and three of this act shall be subject to the expi-
ration  and reversion of such sections pursuant to section 34 of chapter
91 of the laws of 2002, as amended and subdivision 12 of section  17  of
chapter  345 of the laws of 2009, as amended respectively when upon such
date the provisions of sections two and four  of  this  act  shall  take
effect.

2015-S1787A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6379
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§2590-g & 2590-h, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S6589, A9064
2013-2014: S1827, A4204
2017-2018: S8503, A10427
2019-2020: S1415, A2173
2021-2022: S3037
2023-2024: S5765

2015-S1787A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to admission to a special high school in the city school district in a city having a population of one million or more.

2015-S1787A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S1787A

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
admission to a special high school in the city school district in a
city having a population of one million or more

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.

§ 2. Subdivision 4 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.  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.

2015-S1787A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                 1787--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 14, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by Sen. ESPAILLAT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed  to  be  committed  to the Committee on Education -- committee
  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
  to said committee

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to admission to a special
  high school in the city school district in a city having a  population
  of one million or more

  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 ADMISSION TO
THE SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE CITY DISTRICT, WHICH  SHALL  CONSIST  OF
MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT MERIT INCLUDING THE GRADE POINT AVERAGES OF
APPLICANTS,  CULMINATED  STUDENT  PORTFOLIO, TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS 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 added 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.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01898-04-5

S. 1787--A                          2

PROVIDED,  FURTHER, THE CITY BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES AND STAND-
ARDS FOR ADMISSION TO THE SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOLS  OF  THE  CITY  DISTRICT,
WHICH  SHALL CONSIST OF MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT MERIT INCLUDING THE
GRADE POINT AVERAGES OF APPLICANTS, CULMINATED STUDENT PORTFOLIO, TEACH-
ER RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUCH OTHER FACTORS AS THE CITY BOARD SHALL DETER-
MINE 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] ADDITIONAL
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[;  admissions  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]  ADDITIONAL
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[;  admissions  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; provided that  the  amend-
ments  to  subdivision 4 of section 2590-g of the education law, made by
sections one and two of this act, shall apply  to  the  Stuyvesant  high
school,  the  Bronx  high school of science, the Brooklyn technical high
school, the Staten Island technical high school, the Queens high  school
for  the  sciences  at  York  college,  the high school for mathematics,
science and engineering at City college, the high  school  for  American
studies at Lehman college, the Brooklyn Latin school, and all additional
schools  that  the board of education of the city school district of the
city of New York designates as special high schools, not  including  the
Fiorello  H.  LaGuardia  high  school  of  music and the arts; provided,
further, that the amendments to subdivision  4  of  section  2590-g  and
paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision 1 of section 2590-h of the education law
made by sections one and three of this act shall be subject to the expi-
ration and reversion of such sections pursuant to section 34 of  chapter
91  of  the laws of 2002, as amended and subdivision 12 of section 17 of
chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, as amended respectively when upon  such
date  the  provisions  of  sections  two and four of this act shall take
effect.

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