For time immemorial, elementary school students have been pulled out of class for mandatory hearing tests -- often administered by school aides in noisy hallways, or school closets. No more. The Department of Education announced this month that it has done away with hearing screening in elementary schools, following recommendations made by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, a group that advises the federal government on screening and preventive health services.

The reason for the reversal? Apparently there is no solid evidence that hearing screening at this age leads to better educational or social outcomes. In addition, many times the screenings showed a false positive - when actually the hearing loss was due to a temporary medical condition such as the build up of ear wax!

According to health officials, most severe hearing deficiencies are now detected in infancy, thanks to universal neonatal hearing screening.

While one screening in schools has been done away with, another has been added. Tuesday the Daily News reported that all students who attend publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs must undergo a mandatory screening for developmental delays. Last year some 56,000 kids attended public pre-K programs -- this year there are even more enrolled, according to the DOE, although there is no final count as yet.<!--more-->

The screening, which involves a 20-minute assessment performed by a teacher or a social worker during the school day, is mandated by a state pre-K law which has been on the books for about 10 years. Until this year the city has been out of compliance with the regulations, according to Melody Meyer, a DOE spokesperson. The assessment involves hands-on activities such as playing with building blocks and identifying colors and shapes, geared to identify early delays in development.

Publicly-funded pre-K programs have until Dec. 1 to screen all students or risk losing state funding. Beginning next week, teachers and social workers will be trained to do the assessment by DOE early childhood specialists. They will learn about the purpose of the test, get an overview of the activities, and take in a demonstration of how it is done. Children who do not pass will either be given extra help and repeat the test at a later date, or be referred for special assessment. Parents can refuse the referral for a special assessment if they wish, according to Meyer. And, the results will not go on a student's permanent record.

Let us know if you get any feedback about the screening from your 4-year-olds or their teachers!