When a top NOLA charter won’t reveal its admission test — for kindergarten
“In a city where private-school tuition rivals college costs, gaining admission to these free public schools is like finding the golden ticket.”
In addition to being one of the focuses of nationwide charter school efforts, New Orleans also is remarkable for having selective-admissions charters.
Three such schools in the city were top-performing magnet schools in the traditional system before the major charter push happened after Hurricane Katrina. They maintained their high standards when they became charters, and they continue to post some of the top scores in the state.
In a city where private-school tuition rivals college costs, gaining admission to these free public schools is like finding the golden ticket.
But these high-performing schools are still public, and now, two are at odds with a parent seeking basic information.
Administrators at two schools are refusing to release the names of the tests they use in admissions, and, at one school leader’s request, the state attorney general is expected to issue an opinion on the matter soon.
Jacob Landry has a soon-to-be kindergartner, and he wants to know just the name of the test, not the questions on it or other secure information. He penned a column on his experience seeking the test’s name that ran on The Lens on June 9. As a former employee of the Louisiana Department of Education, he said he wants to know if the test being used is appropriate for admissions, and to make sure that it’s not an IQ test, which is forbidden by state law.
“People want their kids to get into those schools,” Landry said. “For me it was look, I’ve got the experience in charter schools to know what to ask.”
And yes, Landry’s son took the test for Lusher and was put on the waitlist. Still, Landry said this isn’t about sour grapes, but about transparency and oversight of charters. He didn’t ask for the name of the test until after his son took it, and his son has since won admission at a well-regarded new charter that doesn’t have an admissions test.
For their part, the leaders of Lusher Charter School and Lake Forest Elementary Charter School say that motivated, involved parents could gain an unfair advantage over others if they know what exam is given.
“Even if we don’t provide you with test questions and answer keys, if prospective parents know the name of the test, they might be able to access the test that is used year after year,” Lusher CEO Kathy Riedlinger told Landry in an email.
Landry’s response: “If knowing the name of an assessment gives you When a top NOLA charter won’t reveal its admission test - for kindergarten - The Hechinger Report:
