Parents who plan to test their kids for Gifted and Talented programs may attend Department of Education information sessions to learn details about the G&T process, from test to placement. Evening sessions - one in each borough - are held in schools with large auditoriums. Parents generally fill up the seats quickly, so plan to go early. The sessions run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The first session is tomorrow, Oct. 14, in the Bronx at Roosevelt High School. Next week there are four sessions: In Brooklyn at MS 113 on Oct. 19, on Staten Island on Oct. 20 at New Dorp High School; in Queens on Oct. 21 at Long Island City High School; and in Manhattan on Oct. 22 at Brandeis High School. (more…)

Dear Judy,

My daughter just started kindergarten at our zoned school in Brooklyn, which has a wonderful reputation. Last week, we attended the curriculum conference for her class, where the teacher outlined what the kids will learn this year. She told us that kids will learn their letter sounds, and learn to count. Well, our daughter is already reading chapter books, and able to add, subtract, and multiply. I e-mailed the teacher asking if we could sit down to discuss my daughter’s situation. She denied me a meeting stating, “I just think that at this point my goal is to now let your daughter’s development unfold in the classroom.” I was very distraught by this response. I have a 13-year-old stepson, and have never been denied a meeting by a teacher.

-Distraught Dad

Dear Distraught Dad,

Kindergarten teachers are usually more open to parent input than you describe, but it is early in the term. Give the teacher time; she has to learn all about the 25 eager new kids who show up every day. Heed what she said in her e-mail about letting your daughter’s development unfold in the classroom.

It’s a thoughtful comment, she is going to pay attention to your child, and your child will demonstrate her skills under her watchful eye. She is going to notice the books that your daughter brings to school, and her quick response to numbers. She is going to develop a strategy for her and for other kids in the class with advanced skills, as well as work with those who need catching up. (more…)

 Have a school question for Judy?  Search archives | Contact Judy

Word comes from Joyce Szuflita of  NYCSchoolHelp that an interim acting principal was named at PS 20 in Fort Greene. The new principal, Lena Barbera, comes from a popular Boerum Hill school, PS 261, where she has been on staff since 1996, most recently as assistant principal. Check out the PS 261 website for more information about her. According to PS 20 PTA President Ayanna Blaize, Barbera has already reached out to both the PTA and staff .

PS 20 was in the news last  spring when it was slated to become one of three new citywide Gifted and Talented programs to open in September. The program was nixed after too few families applied. In May,  Principal Sean Keaton was arrested for allegedly assaulting a teacher.  (The New York Times Local Fort Greene/Clinton Hill blog covered the story extensively this spring but there’s been no word on the fate of the former principal. According to Blaize, school officials say they are “still investigating.”)

UPDATE (7/31): According to The New York Post, Sean Keaton, the former principal, “has been assigned to the district office pending the outcome of his criminal case.” The article quotes Keaton’s lawyer saying he expects his client will be cleared and return to the school “in good standing.”

Principal Brian Culot of the Anderson School, one of Manhattan’s three citywide gifted and talented schools, has announced his resignation as principal, effective this August. In a letter to the Anderson community, Culot explained that he’s taken a position closer to his home, to permit him to spend more time with his family. He acknowledges that his departure, at a time of Anderson’s transition, relocation, and growth, comes at a challenging moment in the life of the school.

Additionally, Principal Jacqui Getz of PS 87 on the Upper West Side announced her resignation. Rumors are that Getz will assume leadership of a Manhattan charter school this fall; as of this morning, Getz would not respond to specific questions about her next position. An interim acting principal has yet to be announced.

It’s the last week of school, but the questions and concerns swirling around gifted and talented program placements continue, as the hundreds of comments responding to the previous  G&T post attest.

In hopes of getting answers to some of the questions that have been raised, we’d like to hear from readers who have not yet received news of their child’s placement — as of yesterday, at least some families hadn’t yet had word — and from those who’ve had difficulty registering their children for G&T district programs.

We are gathering questions this morning for the Department of Education; please let us know your concerns.

One of the three new citywide gifted and talented programs, slated to open this September at PS 20 in Brooklyn, has been canceled, according to Department of Education spokesperson Andy Jacob. PS 20’s former principal, Sean Keaton, was arrested in May for allegedly attacking a teacher. It’s not known whether or how Keaton’s actions, and their consequences in the wider community, affected the school’s prospects.

The net result is that the program will not open, and it will not be moved to a different school for September, although the DOE will “continue to look” for opportunities to open citywide G&T programs in the future, according to Jacob. Just not at PS 20.

Update: Yesterday, Andy Jacob of the DOE told us (and the New York Times’ “The Local” blog) that the PS 20 citywide program would not open due to lack of sufficient interest.  Our instinct, that Keaton’s arrest put the kibosh on the school, wasn’t far off the mark: As  was  noted on The Local, and as explained by Jacob  earlier today, Principal Keaton’s  difficulties were a factor in the decision to cancel the program.

Jacob said that the DOE heard from parents who had listed PS 20 on their applications, but changed their minds after the Keaton imbroglio. Parent uncertainty was “part of the reason” DOE elected not to open the program, Jacob  said. The  DOE might have been able to fill the classes (based on the applications they’d received, choosing PS 20), but “we were getting indications that many parents would not accept their assignments.” The anticipated pushback from parents, combined with uncertainty about the school’s leadership, influenced the  DOE’s decision to close the program before it opened.

Demand for the Brooklyn School of Inquiry, however, is so strong that the DOE has added a third kindergarten class.  Instead of opening with two kindergarten and two 1st-grade classes, the school will open in September with three kindergartens and one 1st grade.

Dear Judy,

My child is eligible for the gifted and talented program in NYC, and I have a question regarding his future. If he does not perform well or meet the criteria for the program in several years, would he be forced to change schools, or would he receive extra support/tutoring, etc.?

~ Christina

Dear Christina,

These days, the watchword at the Department of Education is “data”. All schools keep track of their students’ academic achievement. This applies to kids in the gifted and talented programs, as well as the general classes. If your child is struggling, the teacher should let you know and discuss with you what kind of help the school can provide. It may be tutoring or, if appropriate, counseling. If the strategies don’t work, the school may suggest placing the child in a general education class in the same school, or, in extreme cases, if he is attending out of district, transferring him back to his zoned school. Chancellor’s Regulations A-101 and A-450 establish a chain of events, including parent conferences and extra help before a transfer is put on the table.

At the start of your child’s career in G&T, if the school has not already shared its policy with you, ask what their expectations are, what kind of help will be available to a student who falls behind, and how they will handle a child who seems to be mismatched with the program. You should also keep in touch with your son’s teachers so you can be aware of any difficulties right away.

Remember, in addition to personal observations and teacher conferences, you can keep abreast of your child’s progress by logging on to ARIS (Achievement Reporting and Innovation System ) from third grade on, to view state exam results. You can log on to Acuity for interim assessment results. The principal should provide you with an ID and instructions for using these databases, which have only recently become available to parents.

During the early grades, kindergarten through third grade, you will find that the best way to keep in touch is by participating in your son’s school, through the Parents Association or, if you have the time, by volunteering in his classroom.

Meanwhile, enjoy the summer while looking forward to the new term.

Judy

 Have a school question for Judy?  Search archives | Contact Judy

Last week, we confirmed with Department of Education representatives that kindergarten and 1st grade gifted and talented placement letters would go out starting today.

Now, the DOE website says letters will go out starting June 19th, this Friday — which leaves exactly one week until the deadline for registration, June 26th. Reasons for the delay are, as yet, unclear. As always, we’ll post details when they’re known. But families waiting by the mailbox should bide their time for a few more days, as the June 15th deadline will not be met.

Parents of Manhattan’s PS 9 students whose gifted & talented qualifying tests were lost are still waiting for results from the repeat round of tests, a delay that the Department of Education attributes to some students’ unavailability for re-testing.Tests were scored by hand here in New York at Tweed, but had to be sent to Pearson, the test company in Texas, DOE spokesperson Andy Jacob says, in order to convert raw scores into percentile scores. Why this conversion couldn’t be accomplished electronically isn’t clear — but what’s certain is testing results are late in getting out to waiting families. Jacob says parents will get news today, Thursday. We’ve asked if the application deadline will be changed to reflect the timing delay and will post details when they’re known.

Upper East Side families zoned for PS 151 will learn today at 12:30 of the school’s new site and planned opening in September — hot on the heels of Jeff Coplon’s damning kindergarten feature in New York magazine. Again, details to follow.

News confirmed: As expected, the Chancellor announced that PS 151 would reopen this fall in the former site of Our Lady of Good Counsel School on E. 91st Street. In the Department of Education’s official announcement, the principal of the school, Samantha Kaplan, said that the school’s curriculum would relate to “a neighborhood that is abundant with cultural institutions, historic landmarks and parks all of which provide authentic learning experiences.”

A small footnote at the bottom of the press release notes the the DOE has “reached a preliminary agreement with the Archdiocese of New York to lease P.S. 151’s new building on a short-term basis. The DOE is in negotiations with the Archdiocese to finalize terms.”

We’re hearing from middle school parents who’ve had happy news from a Manhattan citywide gifted and talented school — but, as of Monday, hadn’t yet had word regarding district G&Ts in their Brooklyn neighborhood.

The deadline to accept offers at citywide gifted and talented middle schools is tomorrow, but the decision is impossible to make with incomplete information — without knowing the local options. (Attending the citywide in Manhattan would involve a commute of at least an hour each way for one family in this situation.) So the day before a critical deadline, families don’t have all the information they need to make informed choices for their children.

Whether or how the Department of Education plans to respond to their own notification delays isn’t yet known — but if you’re a prospective middle-school parent still waiting for G&T placement news from your district schools, please let us know.

Questions from parents prompted us to reach out to the Department of Education for more information on 1st and 2nd grade citywide gifted and talented programs based in Manhattan.

First, prospective NEST parents of rising 1st and 2nd graders, what you’ve heard on the tours is correct: The news is not optimistic. At present, there are no seats available in 1st or 2nd grade at NEST, although some may open in late spring or summer, if families move or opt for different schools. The DOE needs to keep an orderly process in place, according to spokesperson Andy Jacob, so that students can be fairly assigned to the school if and when seats open up.

Anderson, which is moving seven blocks south, to the MS 44 building, will open a new 1st grade class, with 27 seats, but has no open spots in 2nd grade. TAG has more room for new students: There are 30 1st grade seats and 12 2nd grade seats to be filled for this coming September.

Parents should note that there is no guarantee beyond kindergarten and 1st grade that children will be offered seats in either district or citywide G&T programs — and the guarantee only holds if families list every district G&T option available to their child, as well as citywide schools of interest, on the application. Accordingly, Jacob said, there will be no waitlists; they won’t be needed when all eligible kindergarten and 1st-grade children are seated. It’s not clear why families of 2nd graders don’t have a waitlist option, for midyear access if seats become available, but the current DOE policy does not include one.

As in general education enrollment, siblings take priority over non-siblings, a decision that makes sense for families, even as it seems to potentially limit access for first-born children. Basically, qualifying siblings who list their big-sib’s school first on their application have priority over non-sibling applicants. Within the sibling group, enrollment priority is determined by test score, and if the number of seats is less than the number of qualifying students, children are randomly assigned to the school.

If seats are still open after siblings are placed, Jacob explained, the same process repeats for non-siblings, with enrollment priority determined by test score. If experience is any guide, non-siblings need to have higher scores than siblings to earn an offer: Last year, siblings with scores in the 97th to 99th percentile were accepted at all three Manhattan citywide programs; no non-siblings with scores below 99 were accepted at NEST or Anderson, although some were placed at TAG.

After days of scrambling and searching for about 60 missing gifted and talented program tests for students at PS 9 in Manhattan, Department of Education spokesman Andy Jacob said yesterday that the test company, Pearson, found the mis-marked box — but that the tests everyone thought were there, weren’t.

“We’re going to retest the students whose tests we can’t locate,” Jacob said after a letter went out to PS 9 families explaining the process. Do-overs will begin this weekend at the DOE headquarters, Tweed Courthouse, and continue through Thursday at PS 9. Department of Education officials will hand-score the tests and have promised that families “will receive score reports by Tuesday, May 26″ — with applications due Friday, the 29th. Jacob also said that “turning in their applications later won’t affect their chances of being placed in a particular program.”

“There’s nothing we can do to fully make up for the inconvenience and frustration of this situation for the affected families,” said Jacob. “The best thing we can do is retest the students and get them their results as quickly as possible.”

The students will not repeat the full OLSAT exam that was offered in the fall, but will instead take a “breach form of OLSAT,” according to the DOE’s letter to parents, which is the “alternate form used in all retesting situations.”

Parents at PS 9 wonder why their kids have to retest at all. Natalie Redmond, whose daughter’s test was lost, asks why last year’s test scores can’t be used in lieu of a new test. Redmond points out that DOE will use old tests to place some children in G&T programs – if it’s “good enough for kids in the outer boroughs,” Redmond asks, why isn’t the option of using last year’s scores open to PS 9 parents as well?

Whether the missing-tests kids will gain a competitive edge by repeating a familiar test hasn’t been broached. It seems clear, though, that the DOE could mandate practices to prevent this kind of crisis: Why aren’t schools required to photocopy test papers before they’re sent? Seems as simple as a fail-safe can be.

For parents of PS 9 students, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, who took the gifted and talented tests this year, the wait for results has been particularly tough, because their children didn’t receive test results — and the actual tests aren’t in the possession of the Department of Education.Now, according to DOE spokesman Andy Jacob, the mystery is unraveling: it seems that a mislabeled box, which held about 60 tests, was shipped to the company that’s contracted to score the tests in San Antonio, Texas. The box arrived, according to package-tracking records, but as “the test company didn’t realize that it contained materials that needed to be scored, … it was placed in storage” along with extra test materials and other non-scorables.

The search is now on at the test company, Pearson, to locate the mismarked box and score the tests pronto. Once they find the box, “they will be able to score the tests immediately,” said Jacob, who added, “we will hopefully be able to get results to families within a matter of days.” It’s impossible, of course, to say precisely how many days might elapse until the missing box is found, tests are scored, and results are known.

The DOE will likely relax the admissions timeline for affected families. Jacob said, “any of these students who qualify for gifted programs will not be at a disadvantage in the application process. We will make sure that their families have enough time to explore their options and complete their application.”

Let’s hope Pearson finds the box, and quickly, too. Updates to follow; stay tuned.

Update: It’s not good news: Pearson found the box in San Antonio. The tests aren’t there, and no one knows where they are. DOE plans to retest the children whose tests have gone missing; we’ll have details in the morning.

Parents of children who tested for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade seats in district and citywide gifted and talented programs this year have faced frustration and confusion as they await news of test scores — and, for parents at one Upper West Side school in Manhattan, for evidence that their children actually took the critical tests.

Department of Education spokesman Andy Jacob confirms that “several parents at PS 9… have not received a score report even though their children took the admissions test.” He continues, “We are working with the school and the test company to locate the tests,” and adds, “We’ll obviously make sure that none of these students who took the test are at a disadvantage in the application process.” What he doesn’t detail is precisely how the students whose tests are AWOL will be evaluated; some parents have suggested using last year’s scores, others protest that using old tests will skew this year’s outcome (see below). To date, the DOE is silent on how it means to address any potential “disadvantage.”

We’ve also heard from many parents of children who were permitted to apply for citywide G&T programs based on last year’s scores — which contradicts what Jacob told us last week. In an email, he writes to correct “incomplete information” for students in the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens — boroughs that, for the most part, did not have kindergarten-entry G&T programs last year. “The hardship of traveling to Manhattan may have dissuaded some families from applying,” says Jacob, which is why the DOE will permit eligible children to apply for citywide G&T programs based on last year’s scores. (Never mind that none of the new citywides will open in the Bronx or Staten Island.) So the bottom line seems to be, some students may apply for citywides on last year’s scores — provided they don’t live in Brooklyn or Manhattan.

The situation with PS 122 in Queens continues to evolve: (more…)

Quick catch-up for parents looking for 1st-grade gifted and talented program information; we have answers from the Department of Education to some general questions (thank you, Andy Jacob), and look forward to details on a couple of specific questions tomorrow or early next week.

First, Jacob says, “Applications were mailed to all kindergarten and 1st-grade students, including those who qualified as entering kindergarteners in 1st-grade-entry districts last year.” If you haven’t yet received word from the DOE about your child’s application, contact the DOE’s Gifted and Talented program office at (212) 374-5165 or (212) 374-5972.

Second, parents have asked if their child’s kindergarten seat is at risk if they choose to apply for citywide G&T (provided their child tested this year and meets eligibility criteria, of course). Concerns about risking a seat are unwarranted, says Jacob. “Unless a child actually accepts another placement, she keeps her current placement.”

Third, we raised a number of questions that have to do with particular districts or particular schools: Regarding Queens’ District 30, the DOE plans to offer G&T programs in three schools come September: PS 150, PS 122 (both in District 30) and PS 217 on Roosevelt Island (District 2). (We are going back to DOE with questions about the commute.)

Readers raised questions about PS 122, which historically began G&T classes in 2nd grade, wondering whether beginning next year’s program in kindergarten would jeopardize 122’s current 1st-graders, some of whom might enter the school’s established G&T program next year. Jacob was unfamiliar with the specific situation, but promised to follow up with G&T staffers; we’ll stay on this.

In District 28, where parents had concerns about too few seats for the number of children who qualified for district G&T programs, Jacob says two additional schools are listed on the application — at PS 220 and PS 55.

Additionally, we have heard from two families of current G&T kindergarten students in Manhattan’s PS 9 who told us that scores for the tests their children took this year are missing. Despite thorough searching at DOE by G&T office workers, the parents say, there is no trace of the test results — or any record that the children actually sat for this year’s test. These parents rightly ask, what happened to the tests their children took? They also want to know what’s next if the tests are truly AWOL — will the DOE use eligibility scores from last year’s test? And finally, in a DOE whose professed hallmark is accountability and transparency, how can there be no paper trail — no physical record of who took which test when? Jacob will, we trust, offer answers to these questions soon.

In the interim, if your child sat for the G&T tests and you have not received notice of her or his scores from DOE, let us know, contact your parent coordinator, and call the DOE to report your concern first thing Monday morning. And if you’re among the families of PS 9 whose children’s tests seem to be missing, please be in touch, so we can try to track down what happened.

News has been scarce for families of kindergarteners who tested for 1st-grade gifted and talented programs. While the numbers are far smaller than those for kindergarten-entry G&T, families have questions — and deserve answers. Here’s what we’ve learned.

Not only were fewer rising 1st-graders tested than kids entering kindergarten, the 1st-grade numbers this year are smaller than they were in 2007: some 11,300 students took the test in 2008, compared with about 15,500 in 2007. Despite the drop, the number of students who qualified for district or citywide G&T programs was comparable: 1,454 in 2007 and 1,429 in 2008, which suggests a proportionally stronger outcome with fewer students tested. Have a look at the spreadsheet to see how children in your district fared.

Andy Jacob, the Department of Education’s press officer, says the difference in the overall number of students tested is due in part to the change in entry grade for programs. Last year, G&T programs began either in kindergarten or 1st grade, but this year all programs begin in kindergarten. Children who tested into district programs in areas where G&T started in 1st grade, didn’t have to retest this year, and will be ‘grandfathered’ into this year’s 1st-grade district G&T pool.

Children who qualified for a citywide G&T kindergarten program last year, but declined the offer of a seat, will not be ‘grandfathered’ into citywide applicant pools. Some families declined seats last year due to distance from the programs, which were all located in Manhattan. This year two new citwide programs in Brooklyn and one in Queens will open, providing more opportunities for children who tested this year.

In terms of qualifying 1st-graders, District 2 still leads the pack: 29 percent of students tested are eligible for gifted programs. Even though other districts tested hundreds more students, District 2 also had the most 1st-graders to clear the citywide bar. Bronx District 5, however, showed the biggest percentage gains. Last year 2 percent of students qualified for citywide G&T, compared to 11 percent this year — a jump from two to 12 students. And 32 District 5 children, up from 12, qualified for district G&T programs.

Solidarity was the buzzword at City Hall Wednesday afternoon, when parents, children, teachers, and elected officials pressed a range of complaints against the Department of Education’s kindergarten admissions policy. They chanted “build more schools” and “hey, hey DOE, G&T is not new seats.”

After learning that their children were assigned to waitlists at PS 3 and PS 41, parents got together at a Community Education Council meeting and formed a group called Kids Shut Out to share contact information, develop strategies, and connect with like-minded parent groups across the city.

Parents like Katie Fleischer, who has two sons on the PS 3/41 waitlist, showed up in force. “You start panicking,” she said. “I have twins. That is $60,000 a year for private school. I literally was in shock when I got that letter. They didn’t even send me a letter for my second son, just my first.”

The DOE’s decision on Tuesday to move the pre-K programs from PS 3 and PS 41 to make room for the kindergarten students was criticized by several of the politicians and parent leaders an attempt to undermine the rally. (more…)

As we await word from the Department of Education on first-grade G&T eligibility, a succinct, cogent analysis of kindergarten G&T testing, in a GothamSchools comments string, is well worth considering, especially set against DOE claims of gains in historically underserved communities. The author is Jennifer Jennings, an education blogger, grad student, and recent coauthor, with Leonie Haimson, of a report indicting the DOE for dubious high-school pushout practices.

Jennings notes that last year and this year, three districts (of 32 citywide) were the source of 40 percent of all students qualifying for gifted programs - districts 2 and 3 in Manhattan, and District 22 in Brooklyn.

Adding in districts 15, 20, and 21, all of Brooklyn, which are the next three largest contributors to the G&T student pool, 56 percent of all admissions, this year and last, went to students from just six districts.

So even though the numbers are up, the basic landscape of gifted education “has not changed in any meaningful way,” Jennings writes. She continues, “expressing the growth in number of seats in terms of percent changes is extremely misleading given that the poor districts had a tiny number of students participating to begin with.”

A Times analysis attempted to raise similar, if less pointed, questions, but DOE spokesman Andy Jacob said he couldn’t provide an official “definitive explanation.” Let’s hope that changes, and quickly, too.

Thirty Bronx parents gathered in a small Riverdale office suite on Monday evening to discuss the gifted and talented admissions process, following the Department of Education announcement that 45 percent more students qualified for kindergarten “gifted” programs this year. The chatter quickly highlighted the logistical and moral challenges of where to place gifted programs in a socio-economically disparate district.

District 10 is home to Riverdale, a quiet, secluded neighborhood that borders the Hudson River and Westchester County. Residents live in comfortable apartments and large estates hidden by a canopy of tree-covered, lush green lawns. District 10 also includes neighborhoods such as Fordham, Kingsbridge, and Tremont, where there are few trees, public housing, and noisy, congested streets.

This year, District 10 parents can choose among three district-wide gifted programs: PS 24 in Riverdale, PS 7 in Kingsbridge, and PS 54 in Fordham. Some parents say PS 24 is the only logical choice, others disagree. (more…)

The Times, the News and the Post all cover the 45 percent rise in students who qualified for kindergarten gifted & talented programs — but none cite the clash between the numbers of citywide-eligible students and the quantity of available seats. With more than 1300 qualifying children and fewer than 300 seats, we’re eager to hear how Department of Education will address the shortfall.

Meanwhile, eighth-graders shut out of the high-school admissions process went through a second, supplemental round this spring, with decidedly mixed outcomes. The difficulties in high-school placement are by no means confined to ‘difficult’ students. Kolodner quotes solid B students who didn’t get matched with the schools they wanted, as well as a student who scored in the top two percent on seventh-grade standardized tests yet was closed out of all six of her first-round choices.

Parents struggle to explain (and to understand) mismatched placements; one refrain we hear often asks how parents can encourage their children to work hard because their efforts will be recognized and rewarded, while the ‘choice’ process continues to exclude, and alienate, thousands of families.

The Department of Education just released statistics on the current crop of students who applied for gifted and talented programs, citing a whopping 45 percent rise in qualifying students: 3,231 students who will enter kindergarten qualified for G&T programs this year, as opposed to 2,230 last year. A total of 14,822 children sat for the tests, and 22 percent qualified — another rise compared with last year, when 18 percent of 12,410 children tested qualified for G&T seats. To meet the rising demand, the DOE says it “will open as many as 24 new district gifted programs” and create “as many as 150″ new citywide kindergarten seats. On the list of G&T programs offering tours during the next two weeks, there are several schools that have never had a gifted and talented program or have had one in the past but didn’t accept a class of kindergarteners in 2008.

The overall numbers of students who qualify for citywide programs and schools, by scoring at or above the 97th percentile, has risen substantially as well: 1,345 students met or passed that high bar this year, compared with 1,026 last year. Where these students will attend school is a pressing question: The Anderson School will add 25 new seats, for a total of 75 kindergarten seats, according to the DOE, and three new citywide programs will offer 150 places. But even 225 new seats, combined with the 210 kindergarten seats the three citywide schools now offer (according to New York State accountability statistics), adds up to about 435 seats. You don’t need calculus skills to see that’s just under a third of the total of 1,345 qualifying students. It’s not known whether DOE projections estimate that two-thirds of those who qualify for citywide G&T will opt for other programs; it seems entirely possible that an awful lot of families might face disappointment. (NB: See Update below for details.)

While the numbers of children who took the test and scored at or above the 90 percentile increased in many districts, persistent trends continued, as higher numbers of District 2 and District 3 students in Manhattan — 40 and 45 percent, respectively — scores merited G&T seats, compared with 8 and 13 percent of the students’ scores in Districts 7 and 8 in the Bronx. In 31 of the city’s 32 districts, the number of students eligible for G&T programs increased, with the numbers of qualified students doubling in some districts that have had historically low participation.

Click here to see the DOE’s Excel spreadsheet, for district-by-district minutiae. (Or try this pdf version.)

Uptdate, 5pm: Andy Jacob of the DOE wrote to correct an error in the DOE’s release of information. In fact, Anderson will add only 25 new seats, for a total of 75 kindergarten seats next year — and those 25 seats are part of the 150 new seats the DOE plans for citywide G&T programs.

The adjustment makes the admissions math even less hospitable: According to the revised numbers (110 current seats plus 150 new seats), there will be approximately 260 citywide G&T kindergarten seats for more than 1300 eligible students. Basic percentages: The DOE will offer sufficient seats for 20 percent of the total number of eligible students.

Update, 6pm: The Anderson School will reportedly add an additional 25 seats to its first grade program, for a total of 75 seats on the grade.

Update, May 5th: Thanks to Robin Aronow, PhD, for correcting my math: The three citywide schools currently offer 210 seats; the DOE plans to add up to 150 new G&T citywide seats, including the 25 new kindergarten seats at Anderson, for a maximum total of 360 available seats — which tallies roughly to 30 percent of the total number of children who qualified.

According to Department of Education spokesperson Andrew Jacob (and the revised ‘final’ timeline on the DOE website), the DOE plans to mail results from gifted and talented testing to families starting today, May 4th.

That’s good, because some schools, like the Anderson School and NEST+M, will offer tours and open houses beginning this week for families whose children qualified as applicants. The tour protocol varies by school: Parents should call the school/s in which they’re most interested for details. In Brooklyn, PS 20, which will house one of the city’s new G&T programs, plans tours this week and next week as well.

Online applications for G&T placement will be opened on May 6th. Students who score at the 97th percentile or above are eligible to apply for citywide G&T schools and programs, although there is no guarantee of admission, especially if the numbers of applicants exceed the number of available seats. Students who score at or above the 90th percentile are guaranteed seats at a district gifted and talented program.

The Department of Education announced on their website that score notifications for applicants to elementary school gifted and talented programs would not be released today, as scheduled, but on Monday instead. Last year, the process was delayed repeatedly and students’ placements were eventually delivered by a courier service. Parents who were closely watching the Department of Education website last night noticed that around 5 p.m. the timeline changed from May 1 notification to notification “shortly”. (more…)

Stories today in the Daily News and on the Huffington Post highlight parent frustrations with kindergarten enrollment; chatter we’re hearing describes hundreds of children waitlisted for the most desirable Manhattan primary schools. Up to 90 children are waitlisted at PS 3 and PS 41,popular schools that share a zone in Greenwich Village; Department of Education spokesperson Andy Jacob cautions patience as this plays out. Parents on the waitlist received letters from the DOE outlining the process.

Many forces are at play in kindergarten admissions. Changes this year to an application process that allows families to apply to multiple schools, along with what’s widely perceived to be increased demand for public schools, have caused their share of confusion. Here’s what we’ve learned about the two schools in question:

PS 3 and PS 41 each had more than 100 kindergarten students in 2007-08, according to the most recent data posted on the DOE website. It’s too early to say whether either school will open new classes to permit zoned children to enroll, or if class sizes will increase.

Because there were more applicants than seats available, the schools held a lottery and some families in the zone are waitlisted for both schools. The schools themselves maintain the lists, Jacob says, and families can call the schools to learn their place on the list.

Jacob says that much of the process is still incomplete — for example, gifted & talented test results go out late next week, with placement decisions anticipated in early June. “There are several schools in Manhattan and other boroughs that have wait lists for zoned students,” he said, noting that every year there are wait lists.

The DOE is gathering wait list information this month and will be looking at ways for schools to absorb as many zoned students as possible, Jacob said. Options could include increasing kindergarten class size, opening new classrooms (which could involve converting art studios or science labs to make room), and — as a last resort — capping a school’s enrollment and directing children to another school in the same zone.

Gotham Schools is reporting that embattled PS 20 principal Sean Keaton has asked for a meeting, via the Times’ local blog, to hear parent concerns about his administration, citing coverage on Insideschools.org and in the Brooklyn Paper.

Demand for the school, and for other nearby public schools, has risen as the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill neighborhood has experienced an influx of young families (read: outspoken parents). But another piece of the puzzle deserves a mention: One of the two new citywide gifted and talented programs the Department of Education plans to open in September will be sited at PS 20 and fall under Principal Keaton’s leadership come September.

No details yet about the time or the place of the proposed meeting.

According to the DOE, kindergarten letters were scheduled to go out to families from individual schools in mid-March. In fact, registration’s already underway: It began on Monday, March 16 and continues through April 13, which is the last day of the April vacation week. From what we’ve heard, some families have heard kindergarten news, while others have not, with worry buzzing from the corners of the city where parents haven’t yet received the official word.

There are concerns as well about registering for kindergarten while waiting for news on elementary gifted-and-talented program eligibility, because the calendars are out of synch. Kindergarten registration closes mid-April, just when G&T testing results and applications are scheduled to be mailed to parents. Even though G&T and mainstream kindergarten are entirely separate processes, parents understandably want to know where their child might attend school — do they ‘game’ the system by keeping a seat at a ’safe’ kindergarten in their back pocket while waiting for G&T news?

Schools were requested to mail kindergarten letters home this week, says DOE’s Andy Jacob. Some have, but he says that some may wait until next week, for reasons entirely unclear to Insideschools.

We’d love to hear from parents who’ve heard and those who are still waiting. Add your comments to the string below, and we’ll work to get your questions answered.

Citywide gifted and talented programs will open for the first time in Brooklyn and Queens this September, according to an announcement this afternoon by the Department of Education. Until today, “citywide” meant Manhattan — now, it seems the DOE has expanded the definition to three boroughs.

Two programs will open in Brooklyn: The Brooklyn School of Inquiry, a new G&T school in a brand-new building in Bay Ridge, and the Technology, Inquiry, Enrichment, and Research (TIER) Program, which will be part of PS 20 in Clinton Hill. PS 20 also houses a middle school, the Urban Assembly School for Arts and Letters.

The third new program, the Science, Technology, Enrichment, and Math (STEM) Academy, will be part of PS 85 in Astoria.

The Brooklyn School of Inquiry is designed to span kindergarten through eighth grade, and will open with kindergarten and first-grade students in the fall. The other two schools will also enroll kindergarteners and first-graders, and are planned to grow to fifth grade.

It’s not yet known how many students will be served at each school or how the new schools will share space with the already-established schools in shared buildings. (Watch the blog for updates.)

In order to be eligible for any of the six citywide programs, students must score at or above the 97th percentile on the OLSAT assessment.   The scores for students who have applied for September 2009 will be available in April. The three existing citywide schools in Manhattan are NEST+M, the Anderson School, and TAG.

UPDATE: According to Andy Jacob, a DOE press representative, the STEM program at PS 85 in Queens and the Brooklyn School of Inquiry will each be able to accommodate two kindergarten and two first grade classes. The TIER program at PS 20 in Brooklyn will only have space for one kindergarten and one first grade class. The three new programs will provide 200-250 new citywide gifted and talented seats.

The locations for the three new programs were chosen according to available space and access to public transportation, according to Jacob. The DOE anticipates opening three new programs in 2010, one in the Bronx, one in Staten Island, and one in eastern Queens.

Yesterday in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Mayor Bloomberg formally announced the opening of 42 new schools in September 2009. This brings the total number of new schools created during the Bloomberg-Klein administration to date to 333, or roughly one fifth of the city’s schools.

But particulars on a few schools that have been prominently featured in discussions (and less-polite settings, too) remain foggy: Back in October, the DOE said they would open new citywide gifted and talented schools in 2009, at least one in Brooklyn and one in Queens, like the three current “citywides” — TAG, Anderson, and NEST+m — that all somehow happen to be situated in, um, Manhattan.

John White, from the DOE’s office of Portfolio Development, told Insideschools that there will be at least two new citywide gifted and talented schools in Brooklyn (one in north Brooklyn and one in south Brooklyn) and one in Queens. We are still waiting on the details.

So will the ‘09 new-school list grow to 44 or 45, if the DOE announces the citywide G&Ts it promised? Or does the Mayor’s public count signal a big no-go to parents looking for citywide options in the outer boroughs? That the DOE would commit itself to developing these in-demand schools and then renege seems unlikely (and certainly unwise) but not impossible.

We asked readers to weigh in on test-prep for children who will take the OLSAT exam as part of the gifted and talented application process.

More than half of the poll’s respondents, 56%, supported preparing their young children for G&T testing, although as many people were enthusiastic (28%) as resigned (28%) to the test-prep reality. Another 26% rejected the very idea of OLSAT test-prep, while the balance, 16%, thought it an unnecessary (and entirely optional) part of the process. See the results here. We’ll be curious to hear how families feel their test prep (or lack thereof) affected their kids’ experiences at the actual test.

This week, we’re asking readers what they think of the deep education cuts Mayor Bloomberg outlined in his budget address: 15,000 DOE jobs at risk, including thousands of teachers. How will these cuts affect you?

Parents who initially opted out of gifted and talented testing but have reconsidered now have an opportunity to sign their child up for testing: The DOE just announced an extension in the G&T deadline. Requests for Testing forms will be accepted at public schools for students currently enrolled in public school pre-K classes and at Borough Enrollment Offices for kids in other programs through February 9, 2009. (The original deadline was November 19th.) Families who have already submitted a testing request should sit tight; those with questions can call (212) 374-5972.

The extension is due, at least in part, to a corresponding extension in the pre-K registration calendar, according to the DOE.

We’re still hoping that news on the new citywide G&T schools, planned in theory for Brooklyn and Queens, will be made available before the score reports and applications are sent to eligible families on April 6, but to date, DOE sources have been noncommittal.

Update: Kathleen Brannigan of the DOE wrote us to caution: “The G&T extension is just for children applying to Kindergarten, meaning those children born in 2004. The extension is not for children seeking entrance to 1st and 2nd grade programs.” We appreciate the clarification.

Lauren Thomas’ post last week inspired a flurry of weekend responses. Many tackled serious philosophical quandaries, like asking what happens to those “left behind” when the brightest students are culled into special classes — and challenging the merits of mixed-ability class groupings, particularly for kids who are bored to tears with teaching to the middle (or well below, as one commenter suggested). The core issue is whether acting in one child’s best interest — via G&T, Prep for Prep, honors classes and the like — benefits or harms other kids. It’s a personal, politically sensitive question many parents confront: Do I want to giver my child advantages over others? Does my desire to give my child every opportunity ‘owe’ anything to the greater good?

Lauren wrote of her belief that “a rising tide floats all boats.” Is that true — or is that an expensive idealism, on the shoulders of the most able? What if your child, bright or struggling, is the one being left behind? What if your local school — without special gifted classes — offers kids small, intimate classrooms of 16 or 18 students, and the district’s ‘best’ gifted program taps out at 27+? Can “so-called ‘undesirable’ schools” be transformed, as one commenter asked, “if the best and the brightest in the community remained”? And is it the responsibility of the parents of the ‘best and brightest,’ whoever they may be, to lift the community up — or to secure the best educational challenges for their children? Can we do both?

Our bet is that you’re asking these questions, too, even as the OLSATs continue. We’re eager to hear from readers whose children have been tested — how’s it going? Has your thinking changed or been affected by the test? And we’re eager to hear from those who’ve opted out, by opting ‘in’ to their zoned schools. Comment here, or on our forum: The conversation is ongoing and complex, with all voices welcome.

Welcome occasional blogger Lauren Young, a journalist whose son attends a New York City Universal Pre-K program.

Which is the smarter choice: To send your child to school with a lot of other bright kids, or to place her in a more mixed environment, with students of varied academic achievements? BusinessWeek recently named America’s Best High Schools in conjunction with Great Schools. Plenty of the finalists for the “Best Overall Academic Performance” award are special schools that draw the brightest kids in the area. Indeed, in New York, the top-ranking school on this list is New York City’s own Stuyvesant High School, which serves “academically gifted students” (who also happen to be terrific test-takers).

I understand the lure of gifted programs. But I’m also a firm believer in the notion that a rising tide lifts all boats. When schools pluck the most brilliant kids out of the educational system and lump them together, I think it creates a leadership void for the students who are left behind.

A few years ago, we moved to a neighborhood in Brooklyn because it had the locally zoned elementary school (P.S. 29) with an excellent academic reputation. Since our son began school last fall, I feel much more connected to our community. It’s virtually impossible to walk down the main drag in our neighborhood or go to the playground and not see folks we know from school. That’s why I ultimately opted not to sign up our son for the gifted and talented test. Even if my kid is “G&T,” I don’t want him attending a school miles away from our home. (It’s hard to believe, but not all parents think their children are geniuses, by the way.)

What’s your educational philosophy? Should smart kids be sifted out of the academic system, or is it better to mainstream bright kids with everyone else?

Dear Judy,

Hi, I want to prepare my four-year-old for the OLSAT. We did not get a date, yet, but I heard it could be next month, and I would like to get him some test prep material or a tutor. Do you have any recommendations?

Nervous mom

Dear Nervous mom (and potentially nervous moms),

It seems to me a bad idea to put a small child through a cram sessions in the few days, weeks, or even months left before the OLSAT. It’s better to work on bringing a well-rested, calm, and happy child to the test. Your child will do much better if she does not feel the same pressures that you do. One school placement consultant we know advises parents to tell your child, just before the test, that “these people want to know what a four-year-old can do.” It sets the child up to perform well without involving her in high stakes.

That’s the immediate answer to the nervous mom question, but because there have been lots of questions from many anxious parents about this subject, and although testing for the gifted and talented programs is well under way, I thought it useful to discuss this issue further.

Here’s my best advice for now and for the future: continue to do what you probably have been doing since your child was born. Read to your child and talk about what you read, play with language through rhymes and riddles, count and sort while doing everyday tasks, cut way down on television, and instead, play games, go to children’s museums, performances, zoos, and the library. Discuss everything you do, leaving plenty of opportunity for your child to do the talking. These activities are fun ways for you and your child to spend time together, and will help him succeed in school, no matter what the program.

Don’t put inappropriate pressure or unrealistic expectations on your small child. Scores on the OLSAT and the Bracken School Readiness Test, like other tests, come from a child’s reasoning and abstract thinking abilities, level of academic readiness, and his ability to convey these qualities while sitting patiently, remaining attentive for a long time, and forgoing the sidetracks a curious child will take - especially in a strange setting.

If you are still determined to prep your child, start by trying out the sample tests in the information booklet that the Department of Education supplies. Piece of cake for your child? Stop there. Need some brushing up? Search the Web for Otis-Lennon School Ability Test or OLSAT, and you will find books, software, and advice - mostly for sale to parents who want to prep their children. Some parents have recommended tutors via our forum, so take a look at what others have to say. Private tutors and services can be pricey, depending on how many hours you sign up for. Some agencies say they will help talented kids who can’t afford the fees. Others offer discounted specials.

Remember, gifted programs are not the only alternative for your bright child. There are other options in many districts. Don’t neglect your local school. Chances are it’s well-worth putting your energies toward supporting and improving it. Check out all the possibilities in our Find a School section on Insideschools.org

If your daughter does qualify for G&T programs, consider becoming a member of AGATE, a statewide advocacy organization for gifted education.

Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your bright child.

Judy

 Have a school question for Judy?  Search archives | Contact Judy

Apparently neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep potentially-gifted and talented tots from their testing. The Department of Education has announced that despite the foreboding weather forecast (there is a 90 percent chance that 1-3″ of snow will fall over the 5 boroughs tomorrow), “as of now, gifted and talented testing this weekend will proceed as scheduled.” The DOE urges families to leave extra travel time and call 311 for updates.

With thanks to Andy Jacob of DOE for the information below, here are answers to some questions from readers about the kindergarten admissions process, both general-ed and gifted and talented.

Siblings. For nonzoned schools like Midtown West, the Tribeca Learning Center and the Manhattan School for Children, the DOE policy of sibling preference holds — but as there’s no school zone per se, there can be no preferential enrollment for in-zone siblings. (’No zone’ means no in-zone, no out-of-zone, just no zone.) So whether the admission is by lottery or another method, first priority is to siblings within the designated district, then to siblings from outside the district, and then, to in-district children without siblings in the school. (Out-of-district nonsiblings are last in this particular line.) Citywide general-education schools give priority to siblings without regard for zone or district.

Gifted and Talented programs. There’s no news yet on new sites for proposed citywide gifted and talented schools in Brooklyn and Queens. Obviously, DOE siting decisions have to be made before admissions offers are extended — but that’s months out. (We’ll keep asking.)

Some have asked how gifted and talented programs are placed at specific schools. While a school can volunteer for G+T classes, DOE more often looks at capacity and geography — which schools have space, and where are those schools in relation to the students who’ve met g+t qualifications. A school’s desire to host a program is less of a driving force than “demand for the program among qualifying students,” according to Jacob.

A few parents of kindergarteners who declined seats at citywide gifted and talented programs in favor of zoned schools have asked whether their kids need to retake the tests to be re-considered for citywide g+t placements. The answer is, yes. Families who declined an offer for a citywide program do have to test again this year. Testing begins in January, but don’t plan on it unless you’ve put in a request for testing: The deadline for requests for testing submission was November 19th.

As parents slog through the application process for the city’s gifted and talented programs, today there’s a chance to step back and consider the evolving definition of what ‘gifted’ means. EdWeek.org is hosting a conversation with three leading experts in the field, whose book, The Development of Giftedness and Talent Across the Life Span, will available soon. Submit your questions now, and check back at EdWeek between 4 pm and 5 pm for answers.

Meanwhile, tell us what you think about giftedness: Do you agree with recent developmental theories that it’s not a static, innate condition but a trait that can be nurtured and developed? What about social and emotional intelligence? Giftedness beyond the academic realm?

Last night, parents crowded into a hot auditorium at PS 84 for the two Manhattan gifted and talented information sessions. With people sitting side-by-side and back-to-back along both aisles, cramming into the space by all four doorways, and squeezing next to the presenter in front of the stage, many parents grumbled about the set-up of the meeting. Dozens of attendees didn’t fit into the room and ended up talking with each other about the G&T admissions process in the hallway, making it even more difficult for people inside the auditorium to hear.

“I can’t imagine how many fire-code regulations they are breaking right now,” one mother said. “It is a total mess in here.”

Anna Commitante, head of gifted and talented at the DOE, gave the same power-point presentation that hundreds of Brooklyn parents showed up to hear last week. She took some questions last night, although there wasn’t nearly enough time to call on all of the people with their hands in the air. Commitante suggested parents who didn’t get their questions answered could go to the DOE website where she is answering questions this week, but according to the website, yesterday was the last day that she was accepting online questions.

As always, you can post your questions here or in our forum, and we will do our best to find the answers. If you weren’t jostling around in the crowd last night, you can still attend the final information session tonight in Queens, but many parents last night advised that they didn’t learn anything new in the live presentation that they hadn’t been able to learn online. The slides from the presentations should be added to the online resources on the DOE website today - we will update you when they are.

Comments made by Anna Commitante at a parent forum this week in Brooklyn seemed to contradict the posted, published gifted and talented handbook in regard to DOE policy on sibling preference.

For clarity: DOE officials say there is, in fact, sibling preference, in both district and citywide g+t programs. Siblings who score above minimum thresholds will be permitted to enroll in the school/program their older sibling attends, provided that’s the school that’s ranked first on the g+t application.

In fact, siblings who are eligible can be offered seats ahead of non-siblings with higher scores. As David Cantor of the DOE wrote, “If the sibling is eligible, he or she gets preference for admission into the program over a student who may have scored higher. E.g, the sibling of a student enrolled in Anderson who scored in [the] 97th percentile will get preference for admission into Anderson over an applicant who scored in [the] 99th percentile but doesn’t have a sibling in the school.”

So, yes to sibling preference, provided minimum scores are met; and tough break for non-sib kids who score higher, because the sibs get the first shot at the coveted, g+t seats.

Hundreds of parents lined up at PS 58 last night in Brooklyn for information on gifted and talented programs. Info booklets, which were in short supply, describe the application and testing process and include a short practice test. They’re available in bulk at local elementary schools and at borough enrollment centers, and they are posted on line here – minus the sample test.

Anna Commitante, head of gifted and talented at the DOE, walked parents through the basic process and took questions on testing and placement. (The PowerPoint graphics used to support her talk will be posted after November 6th, according to Commitante.) None of the questions raised had to do with the issues most recently in the press – fewer kids in g+t, less diversity, scaled-back outer-borough programs. Instead, most focused on the process going forward.

First and foremost, the deadline for Requests for Testing (in the booklets and also on line) is November 19th. “We won’t accept it on the 20th,” Commitante said. She urged parents to physically walk the request for testing into their child’s elementary school or a borough enrollment center, citing “many problems last year” with mail delivery.

Testing will take place in January and February at local schools. Four-year-olds, born in 2004, will test individually, with a tester “bubbling in” the answer sheet. Five-year-olds, though, will test in groups of five, with one teacher. Kids are expected to bubble in their own answer sheets (a fine-motor challenge that’s a test in itself for some kids), and they’re not permitted to ask questions during the test. Essentially, the tester reads each item aloud once and the children respond; no questions, no do-overs, no exceptions.

Children who score at the 90th percentile or above are guaranteed seats in a district g+t program, provided ALL district programs are listed on the child’s application. For citywide programs — including the two new programs planned for Brooklyn and Queens — children must score at or above the 97th percentile, and there are NO guarantees of citywide placement, even for high-scorers. There is no sibling preference in place, either, unlike general-education programs at local schools. Test scores determine eligibility, and the order in which schools are ranked on your child’s application determines placement.

All students who score at or above the 90th percentile are guaranteed seats in Kindergarten and first grade, Commitante said. If a surfeit of students qualify, the DOE will open new g+t programs to accommodate them; no inter-district enrollment will be permitted. Openings in grade 2 and beyond are scarce and sporadic; again, no guarantees.

There are also no wait lists. “We run this match one time only,” she said. “All offers are final.”

Watch the blog for an update (and answers to specific questions) later this morning.

The NYT story that was on line last night made today’s front page, and a reader wrote in to mention Merideth Kolodner’s coverage in the News.

The apparent under-enrollment in G+T classes stands in sharp counterpoint to consistent overcrowding in the city’s schools; read more here, or read the complete report for yourself. The DOE’s much-anticipated new, 5-year capital plan will be presented next month; how the Department plans to address overcrowding and underenrollment (in G+T and in universal preK, where thousands of seats remain open, until tomorrow) will be of primary interest.

On the Times website now and in tomorrow’s paper, read Elissa Gootman’s analysis of gifted and talented enrollment for 2008-2009 — and weep. With half as many students enrolled in G+T programs — despite nearly three times as many applicants — diversity plummeted, schools that had g+t programs were forced to close them, and kids in underserved, outer-borough communities fared worst of all.

Bring your questions to parent forums on this year’s gifted and talented application process; we’ll be at the Brooklyn meeting tomorrow night, and welcome comments from readers who attend workshops in other parts of the city.

Parents of preschoolers will soon be aware, if they’re not already, of the application and testing process for gifted and talented programs. Last year, the newly centralized process was plagued with logistical problems — misread applications, missed deadlines, and general confusion about which programs would be offered, which schools would host them, and when students would begin, in kindergarten or first grade.

This year, it seems that DOE planners have taken some of last year’s hard knocks to heart. Now, all g+t programs will commence in kindergarten — last year, some families whose children tested above the g+t threshold were surprised (that’s the polite word) to learn the program wouldn’t begin until first grade, although the children were guaranteed seats. The calendar has been moved up; see this article for details on the process and borough parent workshops which begin next week.

Another major evolution, after significant, vigorous parent demand, is the creation of ‘citywide’ g+t programs in two of NYC’s outer boroughs, Brooklyn and Queens. For years, “citywide” schools meant that kids across the city could apply — but all three schools were sited in Manhattan, and long commutes limited access for many outer-borough families. Elissa Gootman reports, in a City Room article , that the actual new sites have not yet been chosen — so it’s not 100% that the schools will open in September, although that’s the current plan. And, DOE planners assert, citywide schools in the Bronx and Staten Island are in the works for 2010.

The wheels of change may grind slowly, but grind they do.

Bringing academically talented children who are not native English speakers into the city’s gifted and talented programs is a long-touted goal of the DOE, last year’s mixed-bag testing results notwithstanding.

Starting next week, the Office of Family Engagement and Advocacy is hosting informational workshops in all five boroughs — in Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole and Korean. Look here for details; scroll down the page to Upcoming Events.

Gifted and talented handbooks and requests for testing will be available on line and at local schools starting October 29th, according to the DOE. Requests for testing are due back by November 19th. Tests will begin in early 2009.

Free Metrocards will be provided to OFEA workshop participants. Planners suggest arriving early, as space (and Metrocards) are limited.

We’ve heard reports from parents across the city that some g+t programs in local schools have been shuttered for the coming school year — for a range of reasons, including low enrollment and g+t funding cutbacks by DOE planners. We’ve asked the DOE repeatedly for a current list of g+t district programs (they say it’s coming), but hear conflicting reports from parents, principals and administrators in the field. That’s why we’re asking readers to let us know of changes in their districts.

In District 6 in Washington Heights, for example, g+t programs that recently enrolled up to 80 kindergarten students have been pared back to one class (a second class, planned for a far-uptown school, was cancelled when too few families enrolled their children). We’ve heard of changes, too, in District 18 in Brooklyn and elsewhere.

Our readers are our eyes and ears on the street; please let us know what’s happening in your neighborhood.

In the end of June, we started gathering questions for the DOE on a wide range of subjects. It took a month to set up the interview, but on July 31st, we spoke with DOE administrators about gifted and talented admissions, among other issues. A short blog post gave highlights (and generated dozens of reader comments); for more, see the article in the current alert.

We still have open questions, of course, and have had assurances they will be answered. In particular, we’re waiting to hear about the sibling/non-sibling mix of each citywide g+t Kindergarten class (both in terms of seat count and test scores).

In terms of overall takeaway, the DOE heard the anger and confusion of parents stymied by gifted and talented admissions this year: They felt the heat, and they want very much to avoid similar experiences in coming years. All agree that this year’s process had flaws.
We have absolute assurances from Elizabeth Sciabarra and Anna Commitante that communication ahead of, during, and after admissions and placement decision-making will be clearer, more explicit and more frequent this year. But how these good intentions will inform actual practice can only be known as the year unfolds.

We look forward to brokering an ongoing conversation between parents and the DOE, and welcome reader responses, questions, observations and comments.

Last week, Insideschools spoke with Anna Commitante (head of DOE G+T), Elizabeth Sciabarra (OSEPO head) and Marty Barr (OSEPO’s elementary-schools head) about gifted and talented programs, enrollment, and admissions policies. Here are highlights from our conversation; a longer article in the next alert will answer some new questions, too.

Centralized admissions will still be the mode for grade-school gifted and talented programs in 2009-2010. The two exams currently used to evaluate youngsters, the OLSAT and the Bracken School Readiness Test, will continue in use; there is no plan whatsoever to add a human, subjective eye to assess the effects of, say, a suddenly tongue-tied, shy, or stubborn four-year-old. The OLSAT carries triple the weight of the Bracken, because the former looks at aptitude and the latter, at actual knowledge (letters, numbers, colors, etc.).

Sibling priority enrollment meant, this year, that applicants with older sibs in the program or in the school building (a subject of significant confusion at PS 9, which also houses the Anderson School) were eligible for citywide g+t classes at lower test scores than kids who don’t have sibs in the first-choice school. The three citywide g+t schools, Anderson, NEST+m, and TAG, accepted siblings with scores from the 99th to the 96th percentile. Non-sib applicants were admitted at the 99th percentile at NEST and Anderson, with a few exceptions at TAG.

We asked how many of the newest crop of citywide g+t Kindergarten students were younger siblings vs. non-sibs; DOE rep Andy Jacob said he would get us the numbers, and we hope he will.

The question of opening a new citywide g+t school in an outer borough is under discussion, but has not yet been resolved. (We’ll know more in a few weeks, promises Liz Sciabarra.) Ditto, for whether gen-ed Kindergarten applications will be centralized or school-based. Pre-K applications will, however, continue to be centralized again this year — but the timeframe will be earlier, and communication, everyone promises, will be better, clearer, and more consistent.

As parents learned this year, some districts start g+t programming in Kindergarten, and others in first grade. While there’s no citywide mandate to regulate when g+t ’should’ start (or, for that matter, an official, citywide g+t curriculum, above and beyond grade standards), DOE planners now recognize that their guarantee to seat every qualified student was understood by many parents to mean, starting in Kindergarten, with new classes created where none existed before.

But new K classes were never part of the plan, said Marty Barr. The decision to hold over scores — the ‘exemptions’ parents got letters about — came about in the wake of parent protest. Most kids who qualify for g+t seats will receive them, but in first grade. (Qualifying students in Districts 7 and 14, however, were offered seats in alternate districts, because no g+t programs were offered within 7 and 14, forcing parents to consider commuting challenges and other daunting logistics.)

“It’s a communication issue,” said Sciabarra, who cited ‘lessons learned’ and a desire to “take the angst out” of admissions. “We have to do better at that.”

We couldn’t agree more.

(Readers seeking nitty-gritty answers to fine-tooth questions, watch for an expanded story in the upcoming alert — too much here to bog down the blog.)

Remember about a month ago, when we asked you for questions you’d like answered by the DOE?

Well, the wheels grind slowly, even in midsummer, but grind they do: This afternoon, we’re speaking with Anna Commitante (head of Gifted +Talented for the Department) and OSEPO head Elizabeth Sciabarra. Watch the blog for a brief follow-up of that conversation, and deeper coverage in the next Insideschools alert.

Many thanks to our avid, intelligent, insightful readers for their participation and support.

We’re hoping to take advantage of summer to ask the DOE questions about some things that confused many readers this year, both to understand what happened and explore what’s on deck for 2008-09.

We want to know about middle-school admissions – the calendar, the process, and how special-needs students can better be included. We want to know about gifted + talented programs — admissions, lotteries, citywide schools, and qualifying tests. And we want to know how the DOE aims to prevent the pre-K admissions confusion that characterized this year’s experience. We also have questions about centralization and how much decision-making power rests with the districts, for both K and middle school.

What do you want to know? Now’s the time to write our wish list; with weeks to go before the pre-September ramp-up, we can try to get some answers. Let us hear from you.

The blog’s hitting the big-time! This morning at 11 am, Insideschools.org’s Project Manager Pamela Wheaton will be on the air with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, DOE officials, and others to talk about the g+ t admissions process this year.

Parents and commenters, your thoughts and questions made the difference; don’t take the pressure off now. Listen and call in if you can: 646 829.3729.

Don’t be shy — speak up!

It’s the last full Friday of the school year, and it seems that we can say with confidence, at long last, that all admissions placements (save for upper-grade g+t) have been made. The appeals cycle has begun, and although we’re still waiting for word from the DOE on when, exactly, the g+t second round deadline might be, readers write in of registrations and transitions to new schools.

Not that the registrations are going smoothly. Most are, but we’ve heard from families with acceptance letters not appearing on their new school’s list, of kids boxed out of zoned schools and offered seats at distant g+t programs as consolation, and from parents whose children scored well above the g+t cut but who didn’t receive seats — anywhere. We’ve heard, as you have, of programs that won’t open, and of others that are overfull, on the risky gamble that some students may opt for other situations come fall. We’ve also heard from lots of readers reconsidering their quest for g+t, and opting for zoned schools instead.

We’ve also heard from Lisabeth Sostre, formerly of District 3, and one of the architect of their middle-school choice program, who counsels parents to harness their political power — “the strength you have as parents is huge” — and demand answers on a swath of education issues from whoever aspires to next reside in Gracie Mansion. (See “And the Winner Is…” from June 18th, here, for a heartbreakingly apt take on DOE mishaps.)

A savvy sixth-grader in Amanda Fairbanks’s post on City Room says it best; there’s likely not a parent who’s been though the admissions maelstrom this year who wouldn’t agree with her sharp-eyed
summa: “I’m just glad I survived it. We should have a party for that.”