Here's a journey in circular logic. Join me, if you will around this spool of a thread.

Today, the city announced that 177,000 students are expected to attend summer school.
Of those, 102,000 will be REQUIRED to attend.
A year ago, just 44,000 students were required to attend.

There are two reasons you might be required to attend summer school:
You are in grades 3-8 and you were recommended to be held back unless you attend summer school
You are in high school and did not successfully pass a required class

On my behalf, @emilyngo asked during the presser if this large jump in REQUIRED students is an indication that more students are falling behind during remote learning. @NYCMayor, largely, said yes. @DOEChancellor said it wasn't apples to apples.

What's not apples to apples about comparing students required to attend one year, and those required to attend the next, I asked his press shop?

Well, this year's numbers include students in high school who didn't fail a course but got an "incomplete" instead.
Ok, but -- nobody is failing a course in high school this year. Failing grades are now deemed incomplete due to the pandemic grading policy in effect.

Getting an incomplete means you didn't successfully complete (otherwise known as "pass) the required course. That would've meant summer school last year, too.

DOE spokeswoman Danielle Filson argues that an incomplete may not mean you failed, per se, just needed more time to pass. A year ago that would have meant failing, but this year we are acknowledging students may need more time due to remote learning. https://twitter.com/DanielleFilson/status/1262806237948903424

So. DOE says it is not a fair comparison because, this year, some kids need more time due to remote learning.

Of course, that was exactly the point of comparing. My question was: many more kids need summer school, does that mean they fell behind in remote learning?

Full circle.

Anyway, 58,000 more children are being required to attend summer school this year than last year. I'll leave it up to you to be the judge of what that means, if you're not as dizzy as I am from this back-and-forth.