NYC Education Department Urges Renewal of Pearson Entrance-Test Contract
23 August 2016 - 12:45PM
Dow Jones News
By Leslie Brody
New York City's Department of Education on Monday recommended
renewing its contract with Pearson PLC, a six-year deal worth up to
$13.4 million in which the education company would continue
providing entrance exams for the city's specialized high
schools.
Every year about 30,000 eighth-graders take the admissions test
in the hopes of getting into Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High
School of Science and six other coveted options.
Pearson critics have complained about confusing questions, such
as a notorious 2012 passage in the New York state test about a
talking pineapple, and the company's 2013 mistakes scoring the New
York City test for gifted programs.
A Pearson spokeswoman said Monday that the company maintains
"the highest industry standards for fairness and quality" and has a
"proud history" of serving students in New York.
If the education department's recommendation is approved by the
Panel for Educational Policy in September, Pearson's new contract
would start with the fall 2017 test.
Critics of the current admissions system say that basing
entrance on a single exam excludes talented students, but
supporters say it is the most objective method.
So-called exam schools like Stuyvesant, which are predominantly
Asian and white, have long faced complaints about their lack of
racial and ethnic diversity. Fans of the admissions system say
these schools are diverse by socioeconomic status, with many
students qualifying for free lunch.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he wants to increase diversity at
the specialized high schools and has announced more outreach and
free test preparation.
The education department also said Monday that the proposed
contract with Pearson wouldn't include an essay. Some tutors had
worried that adding a written essay could make it harder for
immigrant students to gain admission.
Further, the department said the specialized exam would be
administered on an October school day in seven high-poverty middle
schools with relatively large numbers of high-performing students
who didn't take the test in the past. The test typically is given
on weekends.
Write to Leslie Brody at leslie.brody@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 22, 2016 22:30 ET (02:30 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Pearson (NYSE:PSO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Pearson (NYSE:PSO)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024