The University of Florida Board of Trustees (BOT) briefly discussed the idea of selective admissions for the high school portion of P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School at a virtual meeting on Monday.
Penny Schwinn, UF’s vice president for PK-12 and pre-bachelor’s programs, first brought the idea to the BOT in a March 8 meeting, suggesting that selective admission at the high school level could help elevate the school from its #38 ranking in the state.
BOT Chair Morteza “Mori” Hosseini asked Schwinn to come back later with a road map, but expressed overall receptiveness to the idea.
Within a month, the presentation had raised concerns among P.K. Yonge parents, teachers and alumni. On April 17, community members flooded P.K.’s School Advisory Council meeting to tell their stories and ask for help in turning the BOT away from the idea.
Danaya Wright, a UF professor of law and faculty senate chair, brought the issue back up at Monday’s meeting, urging the BOT to fully consider the decision.
Mainstreet obtained a recording of the discussion from a P.K. Yonge parent, who received it from the P.K. Parent Teacher Organization Facebook page.
Wright asked the board to keep P.K.’s ranking in perspective, saying though U.S. News & World Report ranked P.K. #38 out of all Florida high schools, it was really 6th out of traditional high schools.
Wright also noted that P.K. Yonge has more minority and low-income students than any of the schools listed above it.
U.S. News & World Report recently released updated rankings for 2024, and P.K. Yonge has slipped to #64 in the state, or #18 out of traditional high schools.
Wright urged the BOT to “do change right” if it does choose to switch P.K. to selective admission.
Wright asked for reliable studies demonstrating that the new format could still attract high achieving students, even with the competition of Eastside High School’s International Baccalaureate program, the Cambridge program at Gainesville High School and the new Frazer School for competitive academics.
“We can offer more AP and IB classes, but those take resources,” Wright said in the meeting. “If we are not guaranteed to attract enough high-achieving students, then we will have destroyed the special place that is P.K., for nothing.”
Wright also recommended that, if the BOT chooses to proceed with the change, the selectivity should only apply to incoming sixth grade and ninth grade cohorts, to reduce the affect on “lifers” who attend the school from kindergarten through high school graduation.
Hosseini said P.K. Yonge is “near and dear” to his heart, and that the BOT will not make any decisions without thinking of everyone who could be affected.
“The last thing we want to do is hurt our students, hurt our parents, and also do anything to hurt our faculty,” Hosseini said.
Schwinn’s March presentation had offered the selective admission option, along with the option of improving within the current structure, or creating dual programs at P.K. Yonge, with only one being selective.
UF President Ben Sasse said the board will have a broader discussion on the topic in June, and that Wright had found a fourth scenario for how to raise P.K.’s ranking.
The city of Gainesville is also likely to speak out on the issue.
On Tuesday, Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut received a draft resolution from her executive assistant Jennifer Shelton.
The draft currently consists of a list of “whereas” statements extolling P.K. Yonge’s accomplishments.
If the purpose of P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School is, indeed, “to design, test, and disseminate innovations in education through serving a diverse K-12 community,” then why go to selective admission? It would seem that a representative cross section of students would serve that purpose much better than classes full of selectively chosen students.
The PKY mission statement goes on to say, “P.K. Yonge students are positioned to be creative, dedicated, and resilient learners who embrace the power of diverse ideas, talents, and cultures to improve our world.” So the emphasis seems to be on the outcome, not the input.
What difference does it make where U.S. News & World Report “ranks” the school? Is this just succumbing to the Cult of Number One?
Thanks for the story, but please tell us the current admission process for the school.
Why not up the rankings for UF College of Education that is supposed to use the research school for its research and inquiry purposes (to design, test, and disseminate innovations in education through serving a diverse K-12 community)? Wouldn’t this benefit UF more.