Added anxiety to in-person entrance exams
Chicago’s selective high schools worry about virus risk
To have a shot at getting into their favorite Chicago public high school, many eighth graders need to take a three-hour test, a process causing even more anxiety than usual amid an uncontrolled pandemic and after COVID-19 cases were tied to college admissions testing earlier this fall.
Some parents worry that proceeding with in-person testing for Chicago’s 11 selective- enrollment high schools may benefit families willing to take an unnecessary risk, even with all the health and safety measures available.
Illinois on Friday tallied 13,012 new cases of COVID-19 and 126 more deaths, and the state has reverted to stricter restrictions to slow the spread. The measures close most public gathering places; decrease legal capacity at retail stores, salons and fitness centers; and limit indoor gatherings to household members.
Several eighth-grade parents who spoke to the Tribune said they were hesitant to let their kids test in person and felt Chicago Public Schools had plenty of time to figure out a more pandemic-responsive admissions plan.
“We knew this summer that we were going to hit a second wave,” said Brian Gladstein, whose daughter Aviva was signed up to take the test this weekend. “We don’t feel great about it. The fact that school’s not in session to keep kids safe … and they’re going to have 10 to 15 kids plus an adult in each room? That’s more than what they’re asking everyone else to do.”
The district noted schools are deemed essential and exempt from restrictions under tier three of the Restore Illinois Mitigation Plan.
Close to 1,200 students took selective enrollment tests across five testing sites Nov. 14, according to CPS. In addition to Saturday, upcoming test dates include six dates in December. More may be added “on a rolling basis, depending on demand,” according to CPS officials, who stressed that taking and proctoring the test are both voluntary.
But if students don’t take the test, they can’t be considered for selective-enrollment schools. While some families are sticking to their original plans, others are wondering if itwould be worth trying to get a later test date in case the curve of the pandemic turns back around. Or if cases continue to rise, they may have to accept a greater risk or lose the option.
The high-stakes choice is weighing heavily on Gladstein, whose wife works in the medical field with COVID-19 patients. If Aviva takes the exam, they’ve decided she’ll wear an N95 mask.
“This has been a hard week,” said Gladstein, of Rogers Park. “I’ve been stressed and fearful and angry for the first time since March and April. … Those feelings have come back because of something that CPS is doing becausewe are exposing ourselves to an unknown. We don’t know what’s going to happen in that school, we don’t know if she’ll get it, and the onus gets put on us.”
Gladstein feels his daughter would be in good hands attending one of their neighborhood high schools such as Senn and Amundsen. Yet not all students in the city have comparable options, and for many, getting into a top high school can greatly influence their futures.
Aviva, 13, said she thinks it could be difficult to focus on the test worrying about COVID-19. While wearing a mask for the three-hour test could also be a distraction, it’s worth doing to be safe, she said.
“It’s definitely distracting because it’s very serious and there’s a high chance someone in the room will have COVID,” she said.
Friday afternoon, she and her parents were still deliberating about taking the test, and Aviva said she’d be disappointed but would understand if it seemed best to call it off. She doesn’t have her heart set on one school, and is interested in some arts and International Baccalaureate programs that don’t require the additional exam.
“I feel like sometimes selective- enrollment schools are a bit overrated,” Aviva said. “You do so much for them, and there are other factors … they’re good schools, but people shouldn’t just be trying to get into selective enrollment.”
The test scores account for one-third of selective-enrollment admissions criteria, along with seventhgrade grades and standardized exams. Students can apply to up to six selective-enrollment schools and 20 “choice” programs, such as International Baccalaureate, fine arts, pre-law and pre- engineering. Those have varying admissions criteria, which can include auditions or portfolio reviews, point systems and lotteries.
Given the ways the pandemic has already disrupted education, some parents are wondering why the tests can’t be online, or dropped altogether, though that would raise its own concerns. On one hand, students from more affluent families may have more time and resources to study for the exams. On the other, students whose GPAs have been affected by work or family responsibilities may be banking on high exam scores to boost their profiles.
“It would be a shame for somebody who needs that score to be super high, and I understand that,” said one parent, who asked not to be named fearing retribution at the school level. But ultimately the parent felt tests should be canceled or offered online.
Some local Catholic schools are holding entrance exams virtually or giving students the choice. St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and Loyola Academy in Wilmette have both posted online announcements that their entrance exams will be administered online.
Dan Tully, principal of Notre Dame College Prep in Niles, said the school accepts nearly all applicants and uses entrance exams primarily for placement decisions. Families have until test day to opt for a remote test, and so far, about onefifth of the 200 students signed up have done so. Notre Dame is planning to have students take the test on one computer and set up another device for a staff member to observe, and is prepared to loan out extra devices, he said. They’re also prepared to go all-virtual if further restrictions are handed down.
A CPS spokesman said testing online isn’t a “viable option” for the district, as it could “compromise the integrity” of the exam.
Aviva’s sibling goes to a contract school where an outbreak affected at least two people after an SAT test, he said.
Cases have also been tied to SAT testing this fall at district-run schools such as Lane Tech.
While it’s not clear if COVID-19 has spread during testing, the possibility that it could is a serious concern for the family, he said.
If Aviva were exposed, her mom would quarantine aswell, and being away from work for 14 days means not delivering services to people who are sick themselves — “just the ripple effect on every family of just one person getting it,” he said.
CPS has promised an online health screener, temperature check, hand sanitizing stations and mask requirements. Students will sit at least 6 feet apart in groups of 10 to 15, with one proctor and windows “slightly ajar.”
“The district is following all public health guidelines and participation in test administration and test taking is completely voluntary, however, the district is taking all health and safety measures in accordance with CDC and CDPH guidelines to ensure a safe testing environment,” according to a statement from CPS.
“I’ve been stressed and fearful and angry for the first time since March and April. … Those feelings have come back because of something that CPS is doing because we are exposing ourselves to an unknown. We don’t know what’s going to happen in that school, we don’t know if she’ll get it, and the onus gets put on us.”
— Brian Gladstein, whose daughter Aviva was signed up to take the test this weekend