Eight schools, the SHSAT, and the test-prep economy

Thesis

Only 8 NYC high schools admit via the specialized high-school admissions test. They serve a tiny slice of the city (~6% of HS seats) but consume an outsized share of public debate. Three angles: the test-prep market that has grown around them, the Asian-American student concentration, and the persistent under-representation of Black and Hispanic students.

Supporting findings

• TEST schools (n=8): Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Brooklyn Latin, HSAS@Lehman, HSMSE@CCNY, Queens Science@York, Staten Island Tech.
• Combined annual seats: ~5,500. NYC HS enrollment is ~75,000/grade — so SHSAT seats are ~7%.
• Demographics: 60%+ Asian at most TEST schools. Black/Hispanic combined typically <15%. Most segregated school category in NYC.
• Test-prep industry: estimate from NYC small-business data + public test-prep registrations.
• Trace the proposal history: De Blasio 2018 proposal, Adams reversal, the equity reform debate.
• Compare SHSAT-aligned middle schools: 7 MS programs feed disproportionately to SHSAT schools.
• Are SHSAT outcomes (college enrollment, persistence) worth the equity cost? Mixed evidence — Stuy graduates well, but matched-control studies are sparse.
• Cross-reference with our peer-group methodology — TEST schools have only 8 peers each, very narrow comparison.
• Compare with Boston Latin School controversy (similar test-based admit, fewer scrutiny).
• What share of SHSAT kids come from MS that have G&T programs?

Reporting directions

• Pull SHSAT registrations + acceptances by borough + race over 5 years.
• Visit a $5,000-tutored kid and a no-tutoring kid taking the test — narrative contrast.
• Interview Aaron Pallas (Teachers College) and Liu Cheng (NYU) on SHSAT reform research.
• Compute the Gini coefficient of SHSAT admissions across NYC ZIP codes.