Poll: Should G&T testing change?
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Most respondents to last week’s poll said that ARIS is a helpful tool, and only a few felt that it’s a waste of the city’s money. Unfortunately, a large chunk of voters didn’t even know what ARIS is. Thanks for your thoughtful comments!
On Wednesday, we highlighted criticism of the Department of Education’s gifted and talented admissions process. The authors of “Nurture Shock,” a new book that examines child rearing practices, argue that the city’s system of awarding G&T seats “flouts science.” Even though research shows that young children’s test results are not indicative of future academic success, the city administers tests to preschoolers to determine G&T program eligibility for kindergarten (when the highest percentage of G&T are open).
We’ve received a ton of reader feedback about the G&T process — on test prep, test results, placement, and more. With “Nurture Shock” expected to hit bookstores in September, we’d like to know if you think the system should be changed. Vote now and please add your thoughts below!
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There are children who are gifted which are minorites, and they
are left out and told they are not qualified. There are children who parents have work for the DOE and have been able
to get their kids in these gifted program only because their
parents know someone in the Doe. We have intelligent children
who are highly intelligent and gifted with dyslexia like
Albert Einstein.These chidren never get in the gifted program
so they fall between the cracks because they aren’t challenge
and taught properly.All these kids are gifted, and parents are
told they cheated or don’t qualified.Dyslexia are smart & highly gifted.Does anyone care about these children so they
go into Special Education to label them for life. The children
must be recived a chance in these gifted programs or they will
have behavior problems, and grow up in the wrong eniviroment.
Please give them a chance.
Comment by Leah — August 28, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
One book should change NYC’s gt programs? There are plenty of books, such as Genius Denied, that argue gifted test should start before third grade.
Maybe one day, NY journalists will give a fair accessment of g.t. programs and include all of the data. This is why g.t. programs will always be controversial.
Comment by Mary — August 29, 2009 @ 8:04 am
You also load your poll. “Since research shows…” No, not all research shows this. I know, based on listening to Pamela Wheaton on WNYC, that she is against G/T programs. Hence, I don’t really take your reporting about g/t programs in NYC that seriously. I do enjoy your blog for other issues, however.
Comment by anon — August 30, 2009 @ 7:48 am
with all the test prep given to affluent kids
Comment by Anonymous — August 30, 2009 @ 4:16 pm
And the test given is one of the least effective at that age range too.
Comment by Julie — August 31, 2009 @ 8:49 am
#3: Thanks for your comment. You are right - research is divided on this issue. The research the poll is referring to is from the book “Nurture Shock”, cited in our Aug. 26 post, “The Search for Intelligent Life in Kindergarten”. For the record, I am not opposed to gifted and talented programs. They are sometimes the best option, especially in districts with low-performing schools where they provide another choice for families. That said, G&T programs vary greatly from school to school and there are many great schools that don’t have gifted programs. I’m all for continuing the conversation on this topic — which seems to be of great interest to many Insideschools readers!
Comment by Pamela Wheaton — August 31, 2009 @ 11:04 am
for me G&t program was the only escape from the racially divided zone school division and stops the discipline and focuses on learning
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2009 @ 11:06 pm
Thank you, Ms. Wheaton, for clarifying. I still say the wording in the poll is loaded, suggesting its the definitive in research. I hope to see other research highlighted on your blog. I know it’s out there!
Comment by anon — September 3, 2009 @ 9:03 am
I’ve read that by third grade most of the developmental differences among children born at the beginning or end of the year have all but disappeared. Also, I’ve heard that third grade is when schoolwork begins to get serious. I would urge the city to wait until third grade to start tracking our children. I would think that testing them at this age would render much more accurate results. The kids are reading. They can sit through the exam. They are less likely to blow the test because they had a bad morning or they didn’t clock with the proctor. Kids with learning disabilities likely have been diagnosed by this age and can be appropriately accommodated for the test. Parents have also seen their kids performing in school for a few years now, and so they may be more realistic about the limitations of their third grader. Every single parent I know (including myself) is going to have their four year old tested. We all can’t believe the things they ae doing. I think that i we were made to wait until third grade, we might not all opt to put our kids through the testing. Or, perhaps the school could give a practice test, and we could decide for ourselves if we wanted to have them sit for a real one based on that score.
If there were no K-3 G&T that money could be used to enrich all classrooms of those grades and help nurture our youngest students all equally. You cannot just retest the G&T kids when they are in third grade. They are all going to do well on the exam again, they have been getting the best of everything! And if one of them does not do well, the parents will cry foul and say he or she had a bad day and fight it.
Comment by district 1 mom — September 7, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
I think we need smaller classes for all and quality education for all, not just for those who pass G & T tests. G & T doesn’t test for high artistic ablity, musical ability, high maturity, great spatial skills or anything other than an ability to pass what is essentially a little kid’s IQ test. Education is about so much more and talents and gifts are about so much more. We all have talents and gifts. They’re just not all exactly the same and they’re not all in one area. Each child is a gift and is talented in their way, and good educators know how to let each child blossom. Whatever money is appropriated to G & T testing and program administration should be applied to reducing class sizes and improving the quality of education so everyone’s talents can have an occasional chance to shine and be recognized.
Comment by Alexandra Gecin — September 8, 2009 @ 1:59 pm
I think the G&T programs are a waste of money. In our school, about half of the kids in the G&T programs have parents who are teachers! You know that they either knew how to prep the kids for the test or knew someone who helped to get them in.
They keep them in a class of only 10 children, and yet the other grades have over 25 kids in each class. My child would have benefitted from a smaller class but couldn’t have it because they wasted a teacher on on the G&T kids.
Comment by Fed up mom — September 8, 2009 @ 4:53 pm