Boston, MA
Who got into Boston’s exam schools this fall? BPS offers an initial glimpse at the data – The Boston Globe
The success rate of applicants receiving invitations to attend Boston exam schools next fall varied widely based on the socio-economic conditions of where they live, according to data released by Boston Public Schools Wednesday night.
Overall, 976 applicants for the seventh grade out of a total of 1,348 received admission offers, which were sent out two weeks ago, while 440 applicants for the ninth grade out of a total of 666 got into Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and the O’Bryant School for Math and Science.
Students entering the exam schools this fall are the third group to be admitted under a three-year-old admission policy that aims to increase student diversity at the city’s exam schools, especially its flagship Latin School.
How were admission decisions made?
BPS divides applicants into eight tiers based on the socioeconomic conditions of where they live. Admission decisions are then made by tier based on grades and standardized test scores. Many applicants also receive up to 10 bonus points if they attend a high-poverty school, or 15 points if they are homeless, live in certain public housing, or are in the care of the state Department of Children and Families.
The policy, which aims to increase the racial, socio-economic and geographic diversity of those admitted, has led to great variation in outcomes per tier depending upon the number of applicants received.
Wednesday night’s data did not include a demographic breakdown by race, ethnicity, or income status —that is expected to be released in the coming weeks as part of a more comprehensive data analysis.
How did admission offers vary by tier?
In tier 1, where the greatest concentration of low-income students reside, all 115 applicants for grade seven received an admission offer to one of the exam schools. In tier 8, where there were 270 applicants for grade seven — the most of any tier — 45 percent, or 123 applicants, got in.
In grade 9, where the applicant pool is much smaller, only 55 applicants in each tier received admission offers, although the number of applicants per tier varied. Tier 3 had the lowest number of applicants with 75 and tier 8 had the largest number of applicants, 99.
How did the composite score vary by tier?
Not surprisingly, there were big differences in average composite scores among the applicants who received invitations.
In tier 8, the most competitive tier, seventh-grade applicants who got into Latin School had an average composite score of 98.8; for Latin Academy it was 97.1; for the O’Bryant, it was 96.5. Tier 8 had the highest average composite scores across the board.
By contrast, seventh-grade applicants in tier 1 had an average composite score of 80.5 for Latin School; 65.6 for Latin Academy; and 64.6 for the O’Bryant. Tier 1 had the lowest average composite score for Latin School and Latin Academy and the second lowest for the O’Bryant.
For grade 9, composite scores for applicants receiving invitations to Latin School ranged from 100 in tier 6 to 93.7 in tier 3; for Latin Academy the average composite score ranged between 97.6 in tier 8 to 85.7 in tier 3; and for the O’Bryant it ranged between 89.2 in tier 8 and 70.2 in tier 5.
Any thing more about the bonus points?
BPS revamped its distribution of bonus points this year for applicants who attend high-poverty schools. For the past two years, all applicants from those schools received 10 bonus points, which proved problematic in tiers with the stiffest competition that made it difficult or impossible for applicants with no bonus points to get into exam schools.
Under the new system, bonus points for seventh- and ninth-grade applicants ranged between 2 points in tier 8 to 10 points in tier 2. More than 60 percent of seventh-grade applicants in tier 8 received bonus points while more than 90 percent did in tier 2.
Why doesn’t BPS expand exam schools?
The School Committee raised that question Wednesday night. Both Chair Jeri Robinson and member Brandon Cardet-Hernandez wondered whether BPS could create satellite campuses for the exam school’s junior high programs in an effort to increase capacity.
“It is heartbreaking year after year to seek kids who have the qualifications and desire to go to a school or schools that they cannot go to when we know we have other schools that are struggling and the goal is to move all of our students into high-performing seats,” Robinson said.
Superintendent Mary Skipper and Mayor Michelle Wu had proposed adding about 400 seats to the O’Bryant as part of last year’s plan to relocate that school to a would-be renovated facility in West Roxbury, but that proposal fell apart this winter amid community opposition.
James Vaznis can be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Follow him @globevaznis.
Boston, MA
What a World Cup ‘fan zone’ is and what Boston fans can expect in 2026
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The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
Where is the World Cup fan zone going to be in Massachusetts?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Activities at the fan zone
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
- Live broadcasts: Giant outdoor screens that broadcast tournament matches in high-definition.
- Entertainment & music: Live concerts, DJ sets, and performances celebrating global culture.
- Interactive activations: Skills challenges, mini-pitches, inflatable games, and sponsor booths.
- Food & merch: International food stalls, local beverage offerings, and official tournament merchandise.
How to go to the fan zone
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
Updating Red Sox’s Playoff Chances: Numbers Never Lie | NESN
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
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