2019-2020 Boston Public Schools Exam School Application Guide
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2019-2020 Boston Public Schools Exam School Application Guide Boston Latin Academy Entrance to Grades 7 and 9 Boston Latin School Entrance to Grades 7 and 9 John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science Entrance to Grades 7, 9, and 10 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 IN-SCHOOL TESTING (Grade 6 BPS only): THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019 WEEKEND TEST DATE: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2019 Register online at bostonpublicschools.org/exam Exam administered by the Educational Records Bureau under the supervision of the Boston Public Schools Language Assistance Families who need interpretation and/or translation assistance during the application process may call a BPS Welcome Center at 617-635-9010, 617-635-8015, or 617-635-8040. 2 Table of Contents 2019 – 2020 Exam School Application Checklist .......4 Exam School Admissions Process ...............................5 Step 1: Register for the Independent School Entrance Exam .....................................................6 Sunday Test .....................................................6 National Test Option ......................................6 Step 2: Request Test Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners ................................................7 Step 3: Residency Verification Process ................11 Step 4: Take the ISEE .........................................13 The Make-up Test .........................................15 Step 5: Rank Exam School Choices & Submit Grades ....................................................15 Step 6: Notification of Admission Decision ........16 Test Preparation ........................................................17 Completing the Paper Registration Form .................18 Additional Information .............................................19 Test Center Code List .........................................19 Current School Code List ...................................20 Request ISEE Score Report ...............inside back cover 3 Exam School Application Checklist Sept. 20, 2019 Deadline to register for ISEE with Boston Public Schools Sept. 27, 2019 Deadline to submit ISEE test accommodation requests for students with a disability or limited English proficiency Oct. 7 - Nov. 22, Residency Verification period for students 2019 attending private, parochial, METCO or commonwealth charter schools; schools outside of Boston; and home-schooled students Nov. 4, 2019 ISEE Test tickets distributed to students Nov. 7, 2019 ISEE in-school testing for grade 6 BPS students only Nov. 9, 2019 Saturday ISEE administration Nov. 10, 2019 Sunday test for students with religious obligations who cannot sit for a Saturday administration Late December ISEE Individual Score Reports mailed to 2019 all families Early January School choice forms distributed for the 2020 collection of exam school and district school ranked choices. Grades collected directly from applicants’ current school. Feb. 7, 2020 Deadline for families to submit school choices and schools to submit grades Mid-March 2020 Exam school admission decisions emailed and mailed to applicants’ families NOTE: Walk-in registration will only be offered at the ISEE make-up test on November 23, 2019 at Boston Latin Academy. However, to be eligible for walk-in registration, students must have completed the residency verification process (and the accommodation process, if needed). 4 The Exam School Admissions Process The Boston Public Schools (BPS) has three exam schools – Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School, and the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics & Science. Eligible students must currently be in grade 6 to apply for grade 7, or grade 8 to apply for grade 9 at all three exam schools. Only the John D. O’Bryant School accepts applications from students currently in grade 9. Boston’s exam schools accept and support all types of learners. Students who are interested in attending an exam school must complete an application process that includes taking the entrance exam, submission of grades, and ranking the schools in order of preference. Parents of students not currently enrolled in the BPS are also required to confirm Boston residency at a BPS Welcome Center. There are a limited number of seats available in the exam schools. Students are chosen to attend based on their ISEE score (50%) and Grade Point Average (GPA) (50%). Please ensure the steps below are completed before the deadline to ensure the application will be considered. Each step is outlined in the next sections of this guide. Step 1: Register for the ISEE Step 2: Submit a request for testing accommodations (for students with disabilities or limited English proficiency) Step 3: Confirm Boston Residency (for students not currently enrolled in the BPS) Step 4: Take the ISEE Step 5: Submit school choice ranking form and receive applicant grades Step 6: Receive notification of admissions decision After reading this guide, if you have questions about the Boston Exam Schools, the admission process, or the residency policy, please contact: Maria Vieira Exam School Admissions Tel: 617-635-9512 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bostonpublicschools.org/exam If you have concerns about the test administration, please be sure to include a full description of your concern. 5 The Exam School Admissions Process Step 1: Register for the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Eligibility: Students must be currently enrolled in grades 6, 8, or 9 to register for the ISEE. Students in grades 6 and 8 may apply for any of the three exam schools, but students in grade 9 may only apply for the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics & Science, as this is the only exam school that accepts new 10th grade students. Boston Public Schools will offer the ISEE in November free of charge to Boston students. * Students are eligible to sit for one entrance exam between August 1, 2019 and November 30, 2019. Registration Deadline - September 20, 2019: There are two ways to register for the November exams: Online: Submit a registration form on our website at www.bostonpublicschools.org/exam. Paper: The test registration form is included with this booklet and may be returned to your child’s current school. Registration packets are also available beginning the second week of September at all Boston area schools, BPS Welcome Centers, and all branches of the Boston Public Library. Register for the November 7th in-school exam: Current grade 6 BPS students interested in attending an exam school will have the opportunity to take the exam at their current school on Thursday, November 7, 2019. Register for the November 9th exam: The Saturday test administration will be offered at seven locations across Boston (current Boston residents only). Register for the Sunday Test on November 10th: Boston Public Schools will offer a Sunday test administration for students who cannot sit for the Saturday administration due to their religious beliefs. This special administration will be on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at Boston Latin School. To request a Sunday test for your child, please contact Exam School Admissions at [email protected] or 617-635-9512. Parents must still complete the ISEE registration form for the November 9th test date in order to receive a test ticket. Register for a national test with the Educational Records Bureau: Students applying to private and independent schools, as well as the Boston exam schools, are encouraged to register for a national 6 The Exam School Admissions Process test administration of the ISEE. The base fee of $125 includes both the multiple choice exam and student essay component required by many independent schools, test scores received two weeks or less after the exam, and the option to send the score report to ERB member schools in addition to BPS. Please visit www.iseetest.org or contact 1-800-446-0320 to register for a national exam. Families are responsible for the $125 fee and must schedule a test date on or before November 23, 2019. ERB registers students on a rolling basis based on availability, therefore parents are encouraged to register early. To ensure that the BPS receives the ISEE score report, families must provide school code 888888 during the test registration process. Step 2: Request Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners Eligibility: Test accommodations are any modifications made to the exam or testing conditions that allow students with disabilities or limited English proficiency to fully participate in a testing situation. Common accommodations include extending the amount of time students receive to complete the exam, and a small group of 10 or fewer students in the test room. To request test accommodations based on a disability, the student must have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, neuropsychological evaluation, or physician’s letter documenting a medical/health concern that will impact testing. To request the English Learner (EL) test accommodation based on limited English proficiency, students not currently enrolled in the BPS are required to take an English Proficiency Test provided by the BPS Newcomer Assessment Office to determine eligibility. Current Boston Public Schools students must have an English Language Development (ELD) level 1-5 to be eligible. The EL accommodation includes extended time and/or the use of a word- to-word bilingual dictionary. Deadline: Test accommodation requests for the Saturday, November 9th exam must be submitted by September 27, 2019 according to the process