Boston Public Schools officials have apologized and are working to correct an error in the notification of students who are eligible to apply to the district's competitive
exam schools. The "eligibility notices" that were sent in early April to dozens of sixth-graders, which confirm the student's grade point average and MAP Growth exam score, contained mistakes that caused 26 students to be wrongly informed that their GPAs were high enough to qualify, while 41 students were incorrectly told that their scores were too low to qualify. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper said that her team has spent the day contacting affected families individually, and corrected notices will be issued later this week.
In a letter sent to families, district officials said that the error was not caught before the notices were sent out, and that the mistake impacts not only the students most directly affected, but also the trust that families have in the district. The mix-up could cause anxiety and disappointment for some affected students and their families, and is likely to prompt scrutiny from state officials who have been examining the district's data accuracy and communications since last summer.
The eligibility notices are the first step in a successful application to the exam schools, and the admission process has been revamped in the past two years to encourage greater diversity. However, admissions mix-ups of this kind are not new, and similar errors affected dozens of students in 2020. The exam schools serve grades 7 to 12, and the district plans to send out new eligibility notices by the end of the week, with formal invitations to come in early May. The school system is also double-checking all grading data to ensure accuracy and has confirmed that applicants entering eighth and ninth grades should not be affected.
The error is likely to have consequences not only for the students and their families, but also for the reputation of the district. It underscores the importance of accurate record-keeping and communications, particularly in a highly competitive and selective environment. The district will need to take steps to address the concerns of affected families and to restore confidence in its admissions process. Photo by User:Antony-22, Wikimedia commons.