The Predictive Validity of the Specialized High School Admissions Test at Three New York City High Schools

• In Event: 29.083 - Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: 29.083-7 - Test Validity Research and Evaluation SIG Poster Contribution

Abstract

Although admission to New York City's elite public high schools has been controversial because of the under-representation of Hispanic, African-American, and female students admitted, the sole admissions criterion, the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), has never been validated. This research used SHSAT scores for 27,905 students, NYS achievement test and AP exam scores, and school grades for 2921 students enrolled in the three largest of these schools to measure the validity of the SHSAT. The analysis found the predictive validity of the SHSAT to be lower than NYC achievement tests. The combination of achievement test scores and SHSAT yielded better predictions than either variable alone. The results support the use of multiple criteria in admissions decisions.

Author

• Jonathan Taylor, Hunter College - CUNY