Val,

I want to focus on one part of your fine post:

Originally Posted by Val
IMO, any entrance exam to a public high school should be given on even ground. Outcomes will differ, but everyone should start from an equal footing. In other words, they should be using an exam that people can't prep for.

I imagine that would be quite difficult to do. Something that is easier and is likely to address part of the problem is to simply adjust for household income.