Each year thousands of students anxiously wait to see if they have been accepted to selective public high schools in NYC and throughout the nation. There has always been a debate about how much a difference attending such a school really makes. Some people feel that attending a school of motivated, high functioning students is crucial. Other people state that the high achievers who attend these schools would do well no matter where went and in fact have better odds of getting into an Ivy League College from a less competetive school.
A recent study, “Exam High Schools and Academic Achievement:Evidence from New York City”, by Roland G. Fryer Jr. and Will Dobbie, seems to settle the controversy. They found that there is essentially no stubstantial benefit in attending an exam school in either SAT scores or college enrollment. However, there was one important exception: the borderline student benefited by taking higher level courses and graduating from high school with a more advanced diploma than they would in a mainstream school.
This is an important finding in that it highlights the importance of the school the bright, unmotivated student attends. If that student is surrounded with students who are focused and highly motivated to succeed, it rubs off. They are influenced by the higher expectations of their peers and work more to their potential. In choosing a school for this student, the results of this study must be considered. ParentConfidante School Success Consulting is expert at looking at the individual student and helping him apply and be accepted by the right school.
