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CPS doesn’t seem to disclose that info, but if you search the topic of SEHS Tie Breaker on this site, you will see:
“To differentiate between students with the same final point score, tiebreakers are used. These include areas such as the core percentile on the entrance exam, and the individual sections of the exam. The specific order of the tiebreaker is as follows:Core Total
Math
Reading Comprehension
Vocabulary
Language Arts
Utilization of this method allows us to rank students who have the same final point score.”This leads us to believe that they try to score all sections equally but they do weigh sections in that order in the event of a tie score.
For the time between when you found out and when you need to notify of your decision, families try to visit schools, talk to other families, and see what feels right in their “gut”. Location, school hours, homework expectations, extra-curriculars, etc. can all come into the decision. It is very personal, and families do turn down SE offers to stay at their current school for a wide variety of reasons, including feeling confident that your child is getting great differentiation and needs met at their current school.
This is wonderful, Montessori Mom!!! Thanks so much for pulling it all together. Hopefully families will see this and give you some more insights and feedback.
One thing perhaps can be added is whether the SEES program is standalone or within a neighborhood school, in which case, what subjects, if any, do they have with non-SEES students. For example, Bell & Coonley RGCs are one class per grade within a neighborhood school but for subjects like music, art, gym, etc, they may have students from both programs mixed in one class.
CPS typically allows about 2 weeks or so for first round offers to be accepted or declined. Families even have time to tour again or visit for the first time. Then 2nd & 3rd round offers go out and sometimes those have a week or so turnaround. Then 4th round, etc and with each round, the turnaround time can get shorter, whereby at the end of the summer, you often hear that phone calls are being made with 2 hour answer windows (or shorter). By late August or even into September, many families are decided or started school so the list moves fast and a school may just call families in quick succession.
Testing for selective enrollment programs happens through early March, so that is part of the reason for the wait. It is interminable.
Private schools are used to seeing kids in all states of being (happy, nervous, excited, apprehensive, energetic, tired, shy, bored, etc) so you shouldn’t worry too much about how your (long) interview went. As long as no one came away with scars, chances are they have seen many kids react similarly.
You can interview spectacularly and indicate you will pay full tuition but if they don’t have room for boys with your child’s birth month that year, then you still may not get a spot. Or, if they need your child to balance out the classroom dynamic and they have need based funds they are committed to using, then it could all be in your favor. Unfortunately private schools are not required to disclose why they denied (or accepted) someone’s enrollment so it’s speculation but it could just come down to the right mix coming together at the right time or the complete opposite.
As for putting down more money to “continue” the application (which is odd), you may be able to request a fee waiver if you are applying for a need based scholarship anyway. Definitely talk to the admissions personnel and they are often very helpful in next steps.
The CPS School Quality Rating Policy listed for a school is for the whole school, so it can definitely be skewed as you expected when there are multiple programs in a school. Bell School actually as 3 programs: one RGC class per grade, several neighborhood classes per grade, and deaf classes that span grades. The SQRP listed for that school, however, includes metrics from all 3 programs.
As for the schools with Comprehensize Gifted Programs (gifted tracks within a school), check out page 142 of the CPS Options for Knowledge Guide.
