The Boston City Council’s education committee held a public hearing on proposed changes to Boston Public Schools’ exam-school admissions policies and returned the matter to committee for further work.

Councilor Santana (chair of the committee on education) reported on the Sept. 29 hearing on docket 1282. The committee took testimony from Boston Public Schools leadership — including Mary Skipper (Superintendent), Monica Hogan (Chief of Data, Information and Systems Improvement) and Dr. Colin Rose (senior advisor on strategy and opportunity gaps) — and from a community panel that included Roseanne Tong (2021 exam-school task force member and independent researcher), Krista Magoonson (state organizer, Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance) and Peter Alvarez (a parent).

The hearing covered competing views about proposed changes that the BPS administration will present to the school committee in early November. Testimony and councilor questions focused on equity and whether proposed mechanisms — for example, eliminating certain bonus points and creating a citywide tier to allocate 20 percent of seats at the three testing schools — would broaden access for students from less-advantaged schools. Councilors and panelists requested additional data and follow-up answers for questions that were not resolved at the hearing.

Councilors who spoke at the meeting described a shared interest in improving outcomes for all students beyond the exam schools. Councilor Weber said the changes aim to “reward not just kids who test well, but kids who would have tested well if they had the same economic advantages.” Councilor Braden and others emphasized early-grade literacy and preparatory programs — referencing past programs such as “advanced work” and “excellence for all” — as interventions that affect long-term outcomes.

After the hearing, Councilor Santana recommended the matter remain in committee to allow time for additional data and analysis; the council accepted that recommendation. The committee report notes broad participation and that follow-up questions remain outstanding.