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 articlefor 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.