Walls Admission - No Test?

[Anonymous]

In the confirmation email for School Without Walls virtual open house a note was included towards the bottom that said "* Please note - The admissions test may be eliminated during SY 2020-21"

Has anyone heard how they would handle admissions without a test?

[Anonymous]

Grades, teacher recs, 7th-grade PARCC and probably an essay.

Not final -- but #COVID.

[Anonymous]

They're not asking for teacher recs.
The 7th grade PARCC wasn't given.

At the open house they said they typically have 1500 kids apply and interview 250. How will they cut to the 250 without a test? They can't interview 1500 kids.

[Anonymous]

They can’t offer a virtual admissions test, it would be unfair in many ways. I imagine this year admissions will look quite different. They should eliminate the test, there is no secure way to administer one.

[Anonymous]

Will the oNlY WhEN iTs SAfe parents now cry about their Larlx not having their fair chance to get Walls admission without a test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will the oNlY WhEN iTs SAfe parents now cry about their Larlx not having their fair chance to get Walls admission without a test?

Yes. I hope SWW admits by lottery for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will the oNlY WhEN iTs SAfe parents now cry about their Larlx not having their fair chance to get Walls admission without a test?

Yes. I hope SWW admits by lottery for next year.

+1

It is the only equitable way to handle admissions this year.

[Anonymous]

I've heard from many kids that Walls is challenging. That the work load is no joke and quite a bit harder than Wilson.
The kids I now who thrive there like to work hard.

What will happen to the school if there are no admission standards? My kid is at Deal and the work ethic of students there goes
from super hard worker rockstars to those who barely attend class and do nothing. There are a good many in each category and quite a few in between (my kid).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will the oNlY WhEN iTs SAfe parents now cry about their Larlx not having their fair chance to get Walls admission without a test?

Yes. I hope SWW admits by lottery for next year.

It can’t be pure lottery. That would be unworkable and undermine the whole point of the school. They’ll have to look to 6th grade PARCC scores, emphasize diversity of ES even more than usual and interview more than usual.

[Anonymous]

If I was in charge ......
2 fives or on 6th grade PARCC gets you an interview
1 five and 1 four on 6th grade PARCC gets you an interview
if you are in private school or did not qualify with previous PARCCs, you can take an in person test to qualify for the interview.

For interviews, they take the top 100 from the test + whoever got to waive the test.

Anyone who "passes" the interview gets put into a lottery to create the final ranked list.

[Anonymous]

They can do a live, virtual test.

Deal did live, proctored MAP testing for math placement this year.
My Algebra 2 kid at Deal has live exams.

It would be difficult to live proctor a thousand kids but not impossible to live proctor 100 (if like the previous poster said there were private school kids who needed testing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can do a live, virtual test.

Deal did live, proctored MAP testing for math placement this year.
My Algebra 2 kid at Deal has live exams.

It would be difficult to live proctor a thousand kids but not impossible to live proctor 100 (if like the previous poster said there were private school kids who needed testing).

And I know a kid who cheated on the MAP test.

There is no way to administer a secure and equitable test.

[Anonymous]

It isn’t only about cheating or test administration. They don’t want any high stakes tests when they know students are doing DL.

Not unique to Walls. Colleges are eliminating or making the SAT/ACT optional, no PARCC, no IB exams last year and AP exams were a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can do a live, virtual test.

Deal did live, proctored MAP testing for math placement this year.
My Algebra 2 kid at Deal has live exams.

It would be difficult to live proctor a thousand kids but not impossible to live proctor 100 (if like the previous poster said there were private school kids who needed testing).

And I know a kid who cheated on the MAP test.

There is no way to administer a secure and equitable test.

+1

This is a high stakes admissions test. Cheering will absolutely happen. You cannot offer a virtual test for Walls this year.

[Anonymous]

Cheating, not cheering