New York City’s Frequent Adjustments to Gifted and Talented Program Admissions

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - August 27th, 2011

The New York City gifted and talented program continues to be one of the country’s most difficult programs to manage. While the program often leads the country in terms of setting criteria and program components, city education officials continue to struggle with finding the best gifted and talented program testing procedures to meet city-wide needs.

In 2006, the criteria for admittance to any NYC gifted and talented program was standardized across the entire city to make the process simpler. Concerns expressed by many in 2010, following the low admission numbers for students in the poorer school districts, has brought about the need for further gifted and talented program admission testing criteria. The city plans to make changes that will better serve those students from poorer families and in school districts that are strapped for cash. These areas and families cannot afford the private student prep courses that have become common place in many areas of the city, as parents and schools look for methods to improve student admission rates for the NYC G&T program.