2017-2018 Boston Public Schools Exam Schools Application Guide: Your roadmap to applying for entrance into an Exam School 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 29, 2017 TEST DATE: NOVEMBER 4, 2017 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 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 2017 – 2018 Exam School Checklist ...........................4 Exam School Admissions Process ...............................5 Step 1: Register for the Independent School Entrance Exam (September) .................................6 Step 2: Submit Accommodations Request (September) ...........................................................7 Step 3: Residency Verification (October) ............11 Step 4: Take the ISEE (November) ....................13 Sunday Testing ..............................................14 Taking the Make-up Test..............................15 Step 5: Rank Exam School Choices & Submit Grades ( January) ....................................15 Step 6: Notification (March) ...............................16 Additional Information .............................................17 Test Preparation ..................................................17 Completing the Paper Registration Form ...........18 Test Center Code List for Paper Form ...............19 School Code List ................................................19 Boston Public Schools ..................................19 Private/Parochial/Charter Schools ................21 Request ISEE Score Report .........inside back cover 3 2017 – 2018 Exam School Checklist Sept. 29, 2017 Deadline to register for ISEE with Boston Public Schools. Try our NEW online registration at bostonpublicschools.org/exam and enjoy the following benefits: • Receive periodic emails with updates and reminders on the exam school process • Be among the first to know when notifications are released • Submit an accommodations request in one place Sept. 29, 2017 Deadline for ISEE test accommodation requests submitted by families of students with a disability or an English language learner Mid-Oct. 2017 Test accommodation decisions provided to families. Oct. 10 - Nov. 3, Residency Verification Period for students 2017 attending private, parochial, METCO or charter schools; schools outside of the City of Boston; and students being home schooled. Nov. 4, 2017 ISEE test date Nov. 5, 2017 Sunday test for students with religious obligations Nov. 18, 2017 ISEE Make-up test at Boston Latin School Early January 2018 Candidate Release Forms mailed to schools for collection of student grades and student ranking of the exam schools in order of preference Feb. 2, 2018 Candidate Release Forms due to Boston Public Schools Mid-March 2018 Approximate date for exam school admis- sion decisions NOTE: Walk-in registration will only be offered at the ISEE make-up test on November 18, 2017. 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. Students currently in grade 9 are eligible to apply for admission to the John D. O’Bryant School only. Boston’s exam schools accept and support all types of learners. Application to the exam schools requires taking the ISEE, Boston residency, submission of grades, and ranking the schools in order of preference. There are a limited number of seats available in the exam schools. The admission score is determined by equally weighting the ISEE score and Grade Point Average (GPA) — each counts for 50%. Please be sure to complete each of the following steps to complete the application process. Step 1: Register for the ISEE (September) Step 2: Submit a request for testing accommodations (for students with disabilities or limited English proficiency – September) Step 3: Verify Residency (Non-BPS students only – October) Step 4: Take the ISEE (November) Step 5: Submit exam school ranking form and grades ( January) Step 6: Receive notification of admissions decision (March) Each of the steps are outlined in the next section. Please read through each of them and the remainder of the guide to ensure you complete each step needed to apply. If you have questions about the Boston Exam Schools, the admission process, the residency policy, or require general assistance, please contact: Exam School Admissions Tel: 617-635-9512 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bostonpublicschools.org/exam If the correspondence concerns a complaint about the test administration, be sure to include a full and accurate description of the circumstances in question. 5 The Exam School Admissions Process Step 1: Register for the Independent School Entrance Exam (September) Every student interested in attending one of the Boston Public Schools’ exam schools must register to take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in grades 6, 8, or 9 to register for the ISEE. Students in grade 9 will be applying for entrance at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics & Science as this is the only exam school that accepts new 10th grade students. How to Register: Students can only take the ISEE once between August and November. Families that are interested in an exam school may take the test for free through the Boston Public Schools or can take the test independently by registering for testing at a national site (fees apply). Even if a student has not determined whether s/he wants to attend an exam school, the family may want to register the student for the exam to keep all options open. Take the Test with BPS: Families seeking to take the test through BPS must register for the test by September 29, 2017. The Boston Public Schools offers testing at 8 sites across the city (see page 19 for a list of BPS test sites). Registration with BPS can be done in two ways: Online: Visit www.bostonpublicschools.org/exam to register by September 29, 2017. Online registration is the best option for families seeking to get quick and up-to-date information about their status and progress in exam school admissions process. Paper: Paper test registration materials will be available the second week of September at all Boston area schools, BPS Welcome Centers and all Boston Public Library branches. Testing at a National Site Families applying to private and independent schools, as well as the Boston exam schools, are encouraged to register for a national test administration. Please visit www.iseetest.org or contact 1-800-446-0320. Please note that the national test administration includes an essay portion (the BPS test administration does not include the essay.) Families registering for testing at a national site are responsible for the test fee and must schedule for a test date no later than Saturday, November 18, 2017 in order to ensure eligibility for an exam school. To ensure that the BPS receives the ISEE results, families must provide school code 888888, when registering for 6 The Exam School Admissions Process a national test. Test scores must be received by the BPS by Friday, December 8, 2017. Students taking the national test will be able to receive a copy of their test scores two weeks after the test date. Even if your child is taking a national test, we encourage families to register online with BPS at www.bostonpublicschools.org/exam to get quick and up-to-date information about the admissions process. Non-BPS students who are taking the national test are still required to complete the residency verification process within the timeline described in Step 3. Step 2: Submit Accommodations Request (September) Eligibility: Students with a disability or limited English proficiency may be eligible for test accommodations. Accommodations will only be provided with a pre-approved request. Students cannot request accommodations on site the day of the test. Students whose request is approved will receive a confirmation letter from Welcome Services to present on the day of the test. Students approved for test accommodations must take the ISEE at Boston Latin School and bring their confirmation letter. Deadline: All requests must be submitted by September 29, 2017 to make arrangements for the November 4th exam. How to Submit a Request for Test Accommodations: Students with Limited English Proficiency: Students who are not currently enrolled in the Boston Public Schools are required to take an English Proficiency Test to determine eligibility and will be contacted with further information. Current Boston Public Schools students are not required to take the English Proficiency Test. All students must formally request accommodations during registration. Online Registrants: Indicate that your child is an English Learner on the online registration form. Paper Registrants: Your child’s school must submit a Request Form for Testing Accommodations (see page 9-10) to Exam School Admissions at [email protected] or at: Exam School Admissions Welcome Services 2300 Washington Street Roxbury, MA