Critics of charter schools in New York City, America's largest school district, often allege that charters score better on standardized tests, on average, than traditional public schools because charters “cream-skim” (i.e., attract) the brightest, most motivated, students.
Yet this accusation neglects the fact that not all traditional public schools are open admission. Some, such as Stuyvesant High School and the Bronx High School of Science, use entrance exams and other demanding criteria to recruit the best students. New York is also home to 98 traditional selective public middle schools.
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