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for larger version       DOE Sets Proposal For Changing Gifted Admissions Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein has announced his proposed improvements to New York City's gifted and talented education programs. Under Klein's proposal, the Department of Education (DOE) would expand access to gifted programs and create a single, rigorous standard- based on national norms- for "giftedness." Under the proposed plan, admissions to gifted programs would be based on the results of two comprehensive assessments that public school students would, for the first time, take at their school sites rather than at central testing locations. Students in non-public schools will continue to be tested by DOE staff at specified locations on weekends. Each student who meets the standard would be guaranteed a seat in a program for gifted students. This plan builds on progress in recent years that has brought more consistency and quality to programs for gifted and talented students. The Chancellor is requesting public feedback on the proposal over the course of the next month. "Today, there's limited access to gifted and talented education in some districts. The opposite is true in other districts. We want to create universal opportunity- and dramatically increase the numbers of students testing for, and hopefully entering, gifted and talented programs," Chancellor Klein said. "We also want to make sure we're applying a clear, citywide standard for 'giftedness' so that families can be sure we're teaching their gifted children to a rigorous, consistent standard." In 2004, DOE announced an expansion of G&T programs citywide, with a focus on greater rigor and equity. Last year, admission to K-3 programs was determined for the first time by a composite score, based on the results of two citywide assessments. Under Klein's recent proposal, admission to all K- 3 self-contained gifted and talented programs would continue to be based on the results of a two-part assessment that measures a wide range of intellectual abilities. Like last year, the assessment includes the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), which uses verbal and non-verbal items to measure verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning skills related to scholastic achievement. Students would also take the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA), which assesses children's academic readiness by evaluating their understanding of fundamental concepts of colors, letters, numbers, sizes, comparisons, and shapes. The BSRA replaces the Gifted Rating Scale (GRS), which was one part of the gifted and talented assessment program last year. The City chose the new assessment based on feedback from educators and parents. It is easier to administer in schools to many children, allowing the City to expand access to gifted programs. The OLSAT and the BSRA are widely used tools for identifying students' strengths and weaknesses and determining which students could benefit from a gifted and talented classroom environment. This year, parents who want their children to attend a K-3 self-contained gifted and talented program will submit a "request for testing" form in December. In January, these students will take the BSRA followed by administration of the OLSAT. Students in public schools will take both parts of the assessment at their current school. Starting next year, DOE educators and administrators will give BSRA to all kindergarten students at public school sites. Students in pre-kindergarten and grades one and two can opt to take the BSRA. While all interested students may take the OLSAT, schools will urge students who perform especially well on BSRA to take the OLSAT. Students who take both the OLSAT and BSRA would receive an overall score, with the results of the OLSAT contributing 75% of the score and the results of the BSRA contributing the remaining 25%. Students who score at or above the 95th percentile will receive applications to gifted and talented programs. This means students would have to outperform 95% of students nationally in order to qualify for these accelerated programs. Other districts, including Los Angeles and Philadelphia, apply similar high standards. All students who meet the new standard would be eligible to enroll in a program located in their community school district. They would also be able to apply to one of the three citywide gifted and talented programs. The DOE would adjust the number of available gifted and talented seats to meet the levels of eligibility and demand in each district, opening new programs where necessary. Every district would offer at least one program with a minimum of 10 students. This plan would not affect students currently enrolled in gifted programs. DOE representatives will hold five town hall meetings- one in each borough- over the next month to discuss these proposed changes and gather feedback from the public. Members of the public unable to attend these meetings can e-mail comments to giftedandtalented@schools.nyc.gov. They can also call the DOE at 212-374-5219 with comments. The Panel for Educational Policy will vote on the proposal at its regular November meeting.
The City will ensure that families know about the options available to them through placing advertisements in local newspapers, holding information sessions, sending postcards to the homes of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, calling the homes of children who might be eligible, and sending flyers to all elementary schools. The DOE will also reach out through community- and faith-based organizations, private pre-schools, district family advocates, daycare centers, community boards, elected officials, parent leaders, business leaders, and others.
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