BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ENROLLMENT PLANNING AND SUPPORT
Jerry Burrell
Director
Evelyn Adario
Assistant Director
TO:
Private, Parochial & Charter Schools
FROM:
Maria Vieira, Assignment Specialist/Exam Schools & AWC
RE:
Materials for Candidacy for Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School and
John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science for 2016-2017 School Year
DATE:
September 8, 2015
The Boston Public Schools will offer the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) on
Saturday, November 7, 2015 to Boston families interested in the admission to the three
examination schools for the 2015-2016 school year. The admission process for the examination
schools consists of three parts: ISEE scores, Boston residency verification, and student grade
information. This memorandum is intended to help guide you through the process of registering
students in your school for the ISEE.
Test registration materials will be delivered to your school the week of September 7, 2015 via
Fed-Ex. Please open the box immediately and distribute to all eligible students in grades 6, 8 or
9. Registration forms must be completed by the parent/guardian and returned back to school.
Please refer to the enclosed documents for important dates, deadlines, as well as other materials
concerning admission requirements.
Special accommodation testing is available for students who are unable to take the ISEE under
standard conditions because of a documented learning difference or language ability. A request
form and supporting documentation is required to apply. The form is enclosed in this packet and
available online at www.bostonpublicschools.org/exam. The deadline to request a special
accommodation for the November test administration is October 2, 2015.
A special Sunday test administration will be given for students who, for religious reasons, cannot
sit for the Saturday administration. The Sunday test will be held on November 8, 2015 at Boston
Latin School. Students must complete the ISEE registration form for the November 7th exam in
order to receive an admission ticket and contact Enrollment Planning & Support to request a
Sunday test.
Enclosed please find the following materials concerning the ISEE registration process:
1. Schedule of Dates for the Administration of the ISEE
2. Boston Public Schools Residency Policy and Verification Schedule (available on BPS website)
3. Boston Public Schools Superintendent's Memo entitled Administration of ISEE &
Grade Point Average
4. Student Identification requirement
5. Request Form for ISEE Testing with Accommodations (available on BPS website)
6. ISEE Registration Packets for students currently in grades 6, 8 or 9 for the 2015-2016
school year. (These will be delivered directly to your school via Fed-Ex from the
Educational Records Bureau on September 8th)
7. Pre-addressed envelope for the return of ISEE registration forms by October 1st
If you have any questions concerning any of the enclosed materials, please feel free to contact
Enrollment Planning & Support at 617-635-9512. If the ISEE Bulletins are not delivered by
Thursday, September 10th, please call the telephone number noted above immediately.
ISEE registration forms must be mailed no later than October 1, 2015 to:
ISEE Operations Office
Measurement Incorporated
423 Morris Street
Durham, NC 27701
Thank you for your cooperation.
Enclosures
cc:
Kim Rice, Assistant Superintendent of Operations
Jerry Burrell, Director, Enrollment Planning & Support
Catherine Chiu, Director/Guidance Services
Arlene Thompson, Office of Information & Instructional Technology
Kathleen Mears, Superintendent of Schools/ Archdiocese of Boston
● 2300 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119 ●
617-635-9512 ●
SCHEDULE OF DATES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ISEE
September 8-9, 2015
Delivery of ISEE Bulletins and Registrations forms to schools
September 10, 2015
Principal/Headmaster distribute ISEE Bulletin & Registration form to all
eligible candidates (grades 6, 8, and 9)
September 30, 2015
Deadline for Registration forms returned to Principal/Headmaster
October 1, 2015
Schools mail ISEE Registration forms to Measurement Inc.
Oct 5-Nov 6, 2015
Residency verification period for students currently attending Private,
Parochial, Charter, METCO program schools, schools outside the city of
Boston, and students being home-schooled
October 2, 2015
Deadline for special accommodations requests for November test
Week of Nov 2nd
Test admission tickets delivered to schools for distribution
November 6, 2015
Deadline for Boston residency verification
November 7, 2015
ISEE test date
November 8, 2015
Sunday test administration for student with religious obligations
November 21, 2015
Make-up test administration at Boston Latin School
November 21, 2015
Deadline to take national test administration for BPS exam schools
December 4, 2015
Deadline for the receipt of test scores from national test administration
Week of Jan 4, 2016
GPA Directives and Candidate Release Forms mailed to schools
January 29, 2016
Candidate Release forms due to Enrollment Planning & Support
Mid-March 2016
Approximate date of invitations to the examination schools
NOTE: Candidate Release forms will not be accepted after invitations are issued.
Students who did not prove residency in person by November 6, 2015 will not be considered
or invited to an examination school.
RESIDENCY VERIFICATION FOR STUDENTS ATTE NDING
PRIVATE, PAROCHIAL, CHARTER SCHOOLS, METCO, AND
HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS
BPS Residency Requirement
Application to the Boston Exam Schools requires both the student and parent/guardian to reside in the city of
Boston. Parents of students planning to take the test in the fall of 2015 must demonstrate Boston residency in
person at a BPS Welcome Center by Friday, November 6, 2015. If the residency is not verified by the
required deadline, the student will not be allowed to take the exam and will not be considered for admission.
BPS Welcome Center Locations & Schedule
All Welcome Centers are open Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00 PM, Wednesdays 12-7:00 PM
Dorchester Welcome Center, 1216 Dorchester Avenue Dorchester, MA 02125
Roslindale Welcome Center, 515 Hyde Park Avenue Roslindale, MA 02131
Roxbury Welcome Center, 2300 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Roxbury, MA 02119
To avoid long lines and provide the best service, we recommend that you to come in during the week that
corresponds with the first letter of your child’s last name:
A-F
October 5 – October 9
G-L
M-S
T-Z
All
October 13 – October 16
October 19 – October 23
October 26 – October 30
November 2 – November 6
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE:
Child’s original birth certificate or I-94 form (court order of guardianship if applicable)
Parent/Guardian photo identification
TWO OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS (items cannot be from the same bullet):
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
A Utility Bill (not water or cell phone) dated within the past 60 days
A Deed, Mortgage Payment dated within the past 60 days, or Property Tax Bill dated within the last year
A current Lease, Section 8 Agreement, or BPS Landlord Affidavit
A W2 form dated within the year or a Payroll Stub dated within the past 60 days
A Bank or Credit Card Statement dated within the past 60 days
A Letter from an Approved Government Agency* dated within the past 60 days
* Approved government agencies: Departments of Revenue (DOR), Children and Family Services (DCF), Transitional
Assistance (DTA), Youth Services (DYS), Social Security, any communications on Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Letterhead.
Superintendent’s
Circular
School Year 2015-2016
NUMBER:
AMT-1
DATE:
September 1, 2015
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION
(ISEE) ADMINISTRATION
The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) required for entrance into Boston Latin Academy,
Boston Latin School, and John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science will be administered on
Saturday, November 7, 2015.
The registration deadline for the ISEE is Wednesday, September 30, 2015. No later than Thursday, October
1st, principals and headmasters must forward all candidate registrations to ISEE Operations Office, 423
Morris Street, Durham, NC 27701, Attn: Tweedy Tattersall. Admission tickets will be mailed to schools
during the first week in November.
It is imperative that potential candidates and their parents be advised of the ISEE administration date and
other dates in this notice. To this end, principals and headmasters must direct teachers, guidance personnel,
and other administrators to notify the parents of all students in grades 6, 8, and 9 for the 2015-2016 school
year of the opportunity to take the ISEE.
Appropriate notices, registration materials, and directions for reporting student grade information will be
distributed by Enrollment Planning & Support to Boston Public Schools and Private/Parochial/Charter
schools. School personnel also should advise parents and students of the importance of the Grade Point
Average (GPA) in ranking students for possible invitations to the examination schools.
Summary of significant dates and deadlines:
Date
Activity
September 30, 2015
Registration Deadline for November ISEE administration
October 1, 2015
Schools mail test registration forms to ISEE Operations Office
First week in November
Test admission tickets distributed to schools
November 7, 2015
ISEE test administered
For more information about this circular, contact:
Name:
Maria Vieira
Department:
Enrollment Planning & Support
Mailing Address:
2300 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119
Phone:
617-635-9512
E-mail:
mvieira@bostonpublicschools.org
Dr. Tommy Chang, Superintendent
Superintendent’s
Circular
School Year 2015-2016
NUMBER:
AMT-2
DATE:
September 1, 2015
GRADE POINT AVERAGE – EXAMINATION SCHOOL ADMISSION
The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) will be administered on Saturday,
November 7, 2015. This test is a prerequisite for admission to our examination schools.
The Grade Point Average (GPA) used to determine a student’s composite score will be calculated based on
the first two marking periods of the current school year (6th and 8th grades for admission to grades 7 and 9,
respectively), as well as the marks of the previous school year (5th and 7th grades for admission to grades 7
and 9, respectively) in both English/Language Arts and Mathematics. For student with grade 5 academic
records from the BPS, only the Spring term marks will be used.
In early January, Principals will receive directives regarding the submission of marks in both
English/Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as Candidate Release Forms.
Candidate Release Forms for all exam school applicants must be completed and signed by the
parent/guardian, and returned to Enrollment Planning & Support.
Please encourage your staff to make corrections and additions to first and second marking period grade
reports and course numbers for grades 6 and 8 in a timely manner. Principals/Headmasters are expected to
ensure that all grade changes and course numbers are processed before grade point averages are completed by
the Office of Instructional & Informational Technology. Changes in the transcription or computation of grade
point averages will not be accepted after exam school invitations have been issued in March 2016. The vast
majority of our administrators have adhered faithfully to these guidelines, and it is imperative that we
continue to function within these established procedures.
Summary of significant dates and deadlines:
Date
Activity
November 7, 2015
ISEE test given
January 29, 2016
January 29, 2016
Candidate Release Forms for BPS students due to Enrollment
Planning & Support
Candidate Release Forms for non-BPS students due to
Enrollment Planning & Support
For more information about this circular, contact:
Name:
Maria Vieira
Department:
Enrollment Planning & Support
Mailing Address:
2300 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119
Phone:
617-635-9512
E-mail:
mvieira@bostonpublicschools.org
Dr. Tommy Chang, Superintendent
Student Identification for the ISEE
Students taking an ISEE test administration are required to provide positive identification at the
test center. Examples of acceptable student identification include a passport, green card, or
School Photo ID. The passport and green card may be expired; however, the document must
display a recent photo of the child.
If the child does not have any type of photo identification, the student may present any two items
from the list below:




Report Card from the 2014-15 school year
Birth Certificate
Social Security Card
School ID card (no photo)
Students will not be admitted to the test center without proper identification under any
circumstances.
Please contact Enrollment Planning & Support at 617-635-9512 with any questions.
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
REQUEST FORM FOR ISEE TESTING WITH ACCOMMODATIONS
NOVEMBER 7, 2015 TEST ADMINISTRATION
This form must be completed by the specialist responsible for routinely assessing and granting requests
for special accommodations on school-based standardized testing. (Deadline: Oct 2, 2015)
School __________________________________________
Student Name ____________________________________
Current Grade Level (circle one)
6
8
DOB _____ /_____/_____
9
Parent Name: ____________________________ Parent Contact Number: ______________________
Parent Signature: __________________________________
Testing Accommodations for students with learning and/or physical disability:
The student currently receives and utilizes each of the approved accommodations during school –
based standardized testing: (to be completed by school professional)
[ ] Extended Time
[ ] Calculator
[ ] Small groups
[ ] Medical/Health concern
[ ] Administrator reads aloud
[ ] Large Print/Braille
[ ] Circle in test booklet
[ ] Student reads aloud
[ ] Math reference sheet
Please note all students will receive assistance with test directions, tracking, and a ten minute break.
Testing Accommodations for English Language Learners:
[ ] ELL Accommodation: Word-to-Word Bilingual Dictionary & Extended Time

Students who are not currently enrolled in the Boston Public Schools are required to take an English
Proficiency Test to determine eligibility. Parents will be contacted with further information.
SCHOOL USE ONLY
Name (print):______________________________________
Title: ______________________________
Signature: ________________________________________
Date: ______________________________
Please forward this request form along with supporting documentation (IEP, 504 Plan, Neuropsychological
Evaluation, or Physician’s letter documenting a health concern) to Maria Vieira, Enrollment Planning &
Support, 2300 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119.